A Study on Integrating Chinese Culture into ELT Classroom - Based on the Latest English Syllabuses in China

Abstract

Chinese Culture Aphasia becomes a common problem in ELT Classroom in China. There are many reasons for this problem, but the core reason is that English teachers’ teaching mainly focuses on the one-way input of the target language culture. Therefore, the content of Chinese culture in English tests and English teaching are insufficient, which makes college teachers mindless in language teaching. Furthermore, colleges or universities do not have official syllabuses for integrating Chinese Culture into ELT Classroom, while compulsory education and high schools in China have latest English syllabuses which give some detailed requirements for instructing teachers how to integrate Chinese culture into ELT Classroom. This study selects the objectives about Chinese culture for students in the latest syllabuses to analyze, and find out that: 1) the latest syllabuses give specific requirements for students in different levels; 2) these latest syllabuses detail what Chinese culture students should master in different phases. After studying on the latest English syllabuses for compulsory education and high school education in China, the author propose some suggestions about integrating Chinese culture into ELT Classroom for English teachers who teach students majoring in English. Firstly, policy makers in colleges or universities should revise the old syllabus, detailing specific requirements for English teaching. Secondly, Chinese culture can be divided into three levels for English major students: preliminary level, vantage level and higher level, and students can learn Chinese culture from the easy to the difficult. Thirdly, English teachers can utilize the local traditional Chinese culture to arouse students’ interest in learning and promoting Chinese traditional culture. Fourthly, teachers should apply proper teaching methods to assist English language teaching effectively.