1. Unit 3 The National English Curriculum

2. Main topics I. What’s new in the new curriculum?
II. What challenges are there for the future teachers?
III. How can pre-service training prepare students for the challenges?

3. I. What’s new in the new curriculum?
1. New rationale
2. New course design
3. New curriculum targets
4. New ways of target specification
5. New learning and teaching
approaches
6. New evaluation system
7. New textbooks

4. 1. New rationale
Language is not only a tool for communication, it is also a tool for thinking, a tool for learning, and a tool for social participation.
 The aims of learning a foreign language are not be limited to the mastery of knowledge and skills in the foreign language. Like other school subjects such as maths, music, art and PE, foreign language is part of the overall development of all students.

5. Through learning a foreign language, the students can enrich their life experiences, broaden their world vision, and enhance their thinking skills.
Language learning is most effective when students’ affective factors (such as interest, motivation and attitudes) are taken into full consideration.

6. Learning strategies should be incorporated into the language curriculum so that students can become autonomous learners, which is fundamental for life-long learning.
Evaluation should be designed and administered to encourage the learners rather to frustrate them. It should be carried out in terms of what students can do rather than what they cannot do.
Both summative and formative evaluation should used.

7. 2. New course design
The introduction of English to the primary school from grade 3 on
The adoption of a 9-level target system
Flexible graduation qualifying requirements
The introduction of selective modules of English into the senior high school
The adoption of a credit system and a certificate system in senior high school

8. Level 9 Level 8 Level 7 Level 6 Level 5 Level 4 Level 3 Level 2
Requirement for senior high school
Requirement for junior high school
Requirement for primary school

9. 3. New curriculum targets
Language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing (critical thinking skills and interpersonal skills are emphasized for senior high school)
Language knowledge: pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, function and topics
(Most of these targets were already included in previous syllabuses)

10. Affect and attitudes: motivation, interest, confidence, cooperation, patriotism, world vision
Learning strategies: cognitive strategies, planning strategies, communicative strategies and resourcing strategies
Cultural awareness: cultural knowledge, cross-cultural competence

11. 4. New ways of target specification
All the targets are described in the format of “can do” statements: e.g.,
Can understand and follow instructions
Can identify the change in meaning with a change in intonation
Can provide personal information and describe personal experience
Can comprehend simple stories and grasp the gist.

12. 5. New learning and teaching approaches
The new curriculum advocate process-oriented language learning and teaching approaches, such experiential learning and cooperative learning: students are encouraged to experience the language, learn the language by self-discovery, participate in discussion and negotiation activities.

13. It emphasises the role of positive affective states on the part of the students.
It advocate the task-based approach to language learning and teaching: learning by doing and learning by using the language.
It incorporates learning strategy development into the classroom instruction

14. 6. New evaluation system
Recognizes the role the students themselves in the processes of evaluation, e.g., self-assessment
Combines summative assessment with formative assessment
Adopts multiple, flexible evaluation methods and techniques
Emphasizes the evaluation of language performance rather language competence

15. 7. New textbooks New approaches to textbooks design
New textbook inspection scheme
New textbook adoption policy

16. II. What challenges are there for the future teachers?
Understanding the new curriculum, especially the “new standards”
Updating their views on language and language education
Understanding new approaches to language teaching, especially the task-based language teaching approach and its practice

17. Improving their own professional competence
Language proficiency
Cross-cultural competence
Pedagogical competence
An understanding of learning strategies and strategy training methods

18. Transforming the teacher’s role as knowledge distributor to facilitator, organizer, participant and advisor
Using textbooks flexibly and creatively: “use the textbook to teach rather than teach the textbook”
Learning new ways of classroom-based evaluation methods and techniques

19. Being able to teacher selective modules in the senior high school, such as Grammar and Rhetoric, Translation, Practical writing, Newspaper reading, Introduction to English literature, English drama.
Reflecting on classroom teaching and doing classroom-based ELT research

20. III. How can pre-service training prepare students for the challenges?
1. Incorporate the introduction of the new curriculum into the colleges’ syllabus and course design, especially the language teaching methodology course.
2. Convince the students of the need for innovation.
3. Make students believe they CAN do it.

21. A POSTSCRIPT
The implementation of the new curriculum needs contribution from and cooperation among many groups of people:
Teachers
Teacher trainers
Educational administrators
Educational researchers
Community and parents
Employers