English Bilingual Education in China

Abstract

This paper addresses theoretical and pedagogical issues of English Chinese bilingual education in China by exploring the new phenomena where English is used as the medium of instruction among native Chinese speakers. Motivated by individual and national interests, combined with favorable government policies and general attitude, bilingual education comes into being in response to the changing demands of English use and the inadequacy of the traditional ELT methods. A number of intrinsic (the increasing importance of English as gatekeeper in Chinese education system and the economic/social mobility offered by English) and external factors (China’s successful Olympic bid and admission to the WTO) contribute to its spread. Data collected from current debates in Chinese media, surveys, reports, and interviews show bilingual education is blooming at all levels of education across disciplines in different regions, which introduces new changes in curriculum design, teaching methodologies, and testing techniques. Although still in its rudimentary and experimental stage, bilingual education will have a long-term effect on English use, code-mixing, and language transfer and will play an important role in the forming and spreading of Chinese varieties of English. This research calls into question the traditional ESL vs. EFL pedagogical model, arguing for a research model that recognizes the nativized varieties of English.