Globalization and English in Chinese higher education

Abstract

This paper sets China's education of English majors within the changing global and national context. It examines the impact of accelerating globalisation and the rise of global English, the adjustment of China's English language policy, the growth of the education of English majors and the challenges faced by this sector of education. To adapt to the changes, efforts have been made to change the training models, revise the national curriculum and update textbooks. The introduction of six new training models is significant: "English major plus courses in other specialisms", "English major plus an orientation towards other disciplines", "English major plus a minor", "A major plus English language", "English language plus another foreign language", and "Dual degree: BA degree of English language and literature plus another BA degree". Turning out 'composite-type' graduates has become a training objective of the curriculum for English majors, with consequent implications for the future development of this sector of education in China.

The Vietnamese Agenda of Adopting English as a Medium of Instruction

“…The phenomenon that globalisation impacts the spread of English and English teaching in many NNES contexts has been well accepted in the literature (Barton, 1994;Block, 2008;Chang, 2006;Dang, Nguyen, & Le, 2013;Doiz et al, 2012;Graddol, 1997;Hamid, 2013). It is generally described as a demandsupply relationship in which globalisation increases the demand of English through the increasing exposure to English materials and communication.…”

“…Asia has contributed the most international students, making up approximately 47.7% of total international students in the OECD countries (Kell & Vogl, 2012, p. 2). These statistics reveal a growing lucrative market for international education, which might be a strong driving force for the establishment of English-taught programs in NNES contexts of Europe (Ball & Lindsay, 2012;Wilkinson, 2012) and Asia (Byun et al, 2011;Chang, 2006;Kirkpatrick, 2011;Tsuneyoshi, 2005). As Kirkpatrick (2011Kirkpatrick ( , 2012b points out the rising number of new EMI programs in Asia can be seen as a response to give more choices to students and reduce the loss of funding and human resources via student mobility.…”

Untitled

“…From a positive perspective, some people believe that it is necessary for Chinese people to learn this international language. For instance, Chang (2006) has argued that learning English may accelerate economic growth and will help China in economic relations with the outside world. Therefore, learning English in Chinese society should be regarded as necessary and beneficial.…”

An examination of Melody’s identities, contexts, and learning in a US science classroom: implications for science education of Asian transnational students

“…Researchers see transnational migration as a response to neoliberal influences in Asian countries where public education policies and private sector industry increasingly emphasize a need for proficiency in English to be successful (Chang 2006;Lee 2010b). Along with competence in English, experiences and educational degrees from universities in English speaking countries, especially in North America, have become important forms of social capital necessary for securing job appointments and promotions in Asian countries.…”