A Bibliometric Analysis of The Production-Oriented Approach in College English in China from 2015 to 2024

Abstract

This paper studies the temporal distribution, author collaboration, research hotspots, theme clustering, and research changes and trends based on 516 CNKI literature in the field of Production-Oriented Approach (POA) for college English in China from 2015 to 2024. It reveals that research on the Production-Oriented Approach for College English in China from 2015 to 2024 can be divided into the Initial Fast Exploration Stage (2015–2017), Fast Development Stage (2018–2021), and Sustainable Development Stage (2022–2024). High-frequency keywords such as college English teaching, college English writing, blended teaching, teaching assessment, etc. are hotspots for current scholars' attention. The themes of research on the POA of college English in China mainly include teaching practice and application of the Production-Oriented Approach, exploration of the Production-Oriented Approach teaching model and design, and teaching assessment of the POA. “Teaching Reform,” “Blended Teaching," and “Teacher-Student Collaborative Assessment” are the current research frontier issues in the development of a Production-Oriented Approach for college English in China. Overall, the POA represents a significant advancement in China's college English teaching field. Its emphasis on integrating language learning with practical application and whole-person education addresses many of the shortcomings of traditional college English language teaching. To improve teaching development in the reform of POA for college English and to better prepare Chinese students for international communication, future research should prioritize themes such as investigating how digital tools and online platforms in education can enhance the implementation of POA and innovative approaches to teacher education that align with POA principles.