On the Key Competencies for China’s Secondary Vocational School English Curriculum Standards

Abstract

To cope with the challenges in today’s world, students’ abilities should go well beyond basic reproduction of accumulated knowledge and concomitant acquisition of certain basic skills at school or university. Accordingly, competencies including knowledge, skills, attitudes and values are required for individuals’ sustainable development. This paper provides an overview of key competencies for China’s Secondary Vocational School English Curriculum Standards. The research panel of 11 members entrusted by the Ministry of Education of China (MOE) carried out a project of the key competencies in secondary vocational English since the official launch of the research project in May, 2017. On this basis, the research panel had China’s Secondary Vocational School English Curriculum Standards released in May, 2020. The key terms of competence and competency are first defined. Studies on key competencies abroad and at home are then reviewed. Four key competencies for China’s Secondary Vocational School English Curriculum Standards (2020) are then extracted from the review. These are workplace language communication, perception of thinking mode differences, cross-cultural understanding and autonomous learning – which are relatively independent but mutually integrated in that they form an organic whole. The criteria and process of extracting the four key competencies of secondary vocational English are described and the formulation and interpretation of the key competencies are elaborated upon. While the proposal concerning the key competencies provides conceptual support, the transformation from idea to practice needs considerable effort, especially in integrating these key competencies in curriculum design.