英语课程标准英文版

1NewEnglishCurriculumforChinesePrimarySchoolsandJunior/SeniorMiddleSchoolsExperimentalVersiondraftedbytheEducationMinistryofthePRCNoteonthistranslationThisEnglishversionofChina’snewcurriculumforEnglishisintendedforVSOvolunteerswhowouldliketofeelbetterinformedaboutadocumentthatiscentraltoourwork.However,itshouldinnowayberegardedasanofficialtranslation.Infact,itisneitherawordforwordtranslationnorasummary.Theappendixtotheoriginal,whichincludeslistsofspecificlanguageitemstobemastered,hasbeenomitted,ashavesomeleveldescriptorsandsamplelearningactivities.Despitetryingtomakeitmorereadable,thisversionreflectstherepetitivenatureoftheoriginal,withthesamekeywordscroppingupoverandoveragain.Volunteersshouldalsorefertothemoreofficial(butstillnotcompletelyofficial!)translationofthenewEnglishcurriculumspecificallyforseniormiddleschoolsavailablefromtheProgrammeOffice.Anyfeedbackonthisversionwouldbewelcome.TimMartinShaanxiInstituteofEducation,October2005Part1:IntroductionWiththeadventoftheinformationageandtheglobaleconomy,Englishhasbecomeincreasinglyimportant.Englishisthedominantcarrierofinformationandthemostwidelyspokenlanguageintheworld.ManycountrieshavemadeEnglishacornerstoneofqualityeducationwhendevelopingstrategiesforbasiceducation.SinceChina’sreformandopening,thescaleofitsEnglisheducationhascontinuallygrown,attendedbysignificantachievementsinteachingandlearning.However,Englisheducationinitscurrentformisfailingtomeettheneedsofcontemporarysocialandeconomicdevelopment.ThecurrentroundofreformstotheEnglishcurriculumaimtoendthefollowingpractices:Over-emphasizingthetransmissionandexplanationofknowledgeaboutgrammarandvocabularyNeglectingtodevelopstudents’abilitytouselanguageforrealIntheirplace,thereformsaimtoestablishacurriculumthat:Developsstudents’comprehensivelanguagecompetenceMotivatesstudents,isrelevanttotheirlifeexperiencesandcognitivelevelPromotestask-basedteachingmethodsInvolvesstudentsinexperiential,practical,participatoryandcooperativelearningDevelopsstudents’positiveattitudes,thinkingskills,practicalabilities,culturalawarenessandautonomythroughthelanguagelearningprocess1.TheNatureoftheNewCurriculumThenewEnglishcurriculumstrivestoaccomplishfarmorethanjusthelpstudentslearnEnglish.AtonelevellearningEnglishshouldinvolvehelpingstudentsto:DevelopacertainlevelofcomprehensivelanguagecompetenceandtheabilitytouselanguageforrealcommunicationMastercertainbasiclanguageknowledgeMasterlistening,speaking,readingandwritingskills2However,atanotherlevelthecurriculumshouldalsoservestudents’all-rounddevelopment,providingthemwithopportunitiesto:StrengthentheirinterestinstudyingEnglishGrowinself-discipline,perseveranceandself-confidenceImprovetheircooperative,investigativeandthinkingabilitiesDeveloptheirmemory,imaginationandcreativityAdoptgoodstudyhabitsandeffectivelearningstrategiesDevelopasautonomousandlifelonglearnersBuildmoralintegrityandahealthyoutlookonlifeEstablishbothnationalspiritandanawarenessofandrespectforculturaldifferencesBroadentheirhorizonsandenrichtheirlifeexperienceTakepartinculturallifeDevelopasindividuals2.BasicPrinciplesoftheNewCurriculumThecurriculumpromotesqualityeducation(asopposedtoexam-orientatededucation)andtheall-rounddevelopmentofthestudentsTopromotequalityeducationparticularattentionmustbepaidto:Valuingeachstudent’sfeelingsStimulatingstudents’interestinstudyingEnglishHelpingstudentsgainasenseofachievementandself-confidenceThecurriculummustgobeyonddevelopingstudents’comprehensivelanguagecompetencetoincludeareassuchas:Improvingstudents’abilitytocontributetoculturalandsociallifeDevelopingstudents’practicalabilitiesFosteringstudents’creativityThecurriculumobjectivesareholisticandflexible.ThefundamentalaimofthenewEnglishcurriculumistodevelopstudents’comprehensivelanguagecompetence.Thisaimisbrokendownintofivegeneralobjectives.Theseobjectivesarethendividedintonineabilitylevelswithdescriptorsprovidedforeachlevel.Thefivegeneralobjectivesare:1.LanguageSkills2.LanguageKnowledge3.AttitudestoLearning4.LearningStrategies5.CulturalAwarenessThisdesignallowsstudentstoprogresssystematicallythrougheachlevelwhilstmeetingthefullrangeofthecurriculum’sdemands.StudentsareputatthecentreofthecurriculumandindividualdifferencesarerespectedStudents’mustbeattheheartofthenewcurriculum.Forexample,theirdevelopmentalneedsmustbethecentralconsiderationwhendeveloping:CurriculumobjectivesTheteachingandlearningprocessTheassessmentprocessTeachingandlearningresourcesWhenimplementingthecurriculumeachstudentmustbeallowedtodevelopindividuallyundertheguidanceoftheteacher:3Thecurriculumpromotesactivity-basedmethods,experientialandparticipatorylearningThecurriculumpromotestask-basedlearningwhereby,undertheguidanceoftheteacher,thestudentsgainasenseofachievementbyreachingthegoalsofthetask.Taskcompletionwillinvolvethefollowingtypesoflearning:SensoryExperiential‘Handson’/practicalParticipatoryCooperativeInordertoimprovetheirabilitytouselanguageforrealcommunication,studentsshouldalsobeableto:Adjusttheirlearningstrategiesandc