Time to Cool Down?

[Randy W]

There's a couple of new articles in the last couple of days - I'm not sure what the new news is, but here they are, if anyone is interested (or even if you're not)

 

English test reform aims at multiple goals

 

English test to split from gaokao

 

Generations of students and society as a whole have paid a heavy price for the college entrance exam. Exam-oriented education has gone to the extreme. Reform has to strike a balance between ensuring the fairness of the exam and improving educational quality. But it is difficult to maintain a perfect balance between the two goals.

Reform of the English test in gaokao is the result of compromise, but it won't alter the core of the college entrance exam. Pressure for learning English has extended the length of time spent on studying by students, starting at kindergarten for many children. Reform of the English test is expected to affect other issues in China's basic education. It should be supported and encouraged.

A few worry that reform of the English test may create more unfairness in the education sector. That might be possible, but it only mirrors the whole picture of unfairness in Chinese society. Kids from rich families enjoy better resources in many sectors. We don't need to single out their English learning advantage to disapprove of the necessity of reforming the English test.

The reform will empower public institutions to run English tests for high school students. Whether it will uphold the principle of fairness is no doubt an issue of concern.

We hope the government will make full preparations. Reform of the English test is a big issue in overall Chinese educational reform. Its success will have wide significance.

 

[Greg.D.]

I read both articles - maybe too quickly. I think they are saying (now) that the English exam will be uncoupled from the June Test gaokao marathon and the student can begin taking it rather early in their high school career (and as many times as is necessary to earn a passing grade). One of the implications is that it is now up to the schools to proctor these exams on their own, applying whatever rigor they can muster and perhaps a less controlled exam environment than what will happen for the gaokao.

 

As others here (including earlier in this thread) have already said: the actually teaching methods probably need reform. Still, exams in China are something unto themselves and actual English competence may be secondary. My fiance always did poorly in her English courses and exams but is a natural and fluent English speaker.

 

I wonder what the exams are like?

 

Greg

[Randy W]

I read both articles - maybe too quickly. I think they are saying (now) that the English exam will be uncoupled from the June Test gaokao marathon and the student can begin taking it rather early in their high school career (and as many times as is necessary to earn a passing grade). One of the implications is that it is now up to the schools to proctor these exams on their own, applying whatever rigor they can muster and perhaps a less controlled exam environment than what will happen for the gaokao.

 

As others here (including earlier in this thread) have already said: the actually teaching methods probably need reform. Still, exams in China are something unto themselves and actual English competence may be secondary. My fiance always did poorly in her English courses and exams but is a natural and fluent English speaker.

 

I wonder what the exams are like?

 

Greg

 

 

I've seen similar exams at the University level - they're basically reading comprehension questions where a story is presented, and you answer questions about the story. The story, questions, and answers are all in English. At the University, the students were required to read and write English basically at the newspaper level. But there were never more than 2 or 3 in any of my classes who could converse at any level.

 

At the English Corner things (usually held weekly), there were usually several who had become fluent through watching movies or through travel to English speaking countries. One of the teachers was VERY fluent after having spent barely a month in England.

[Doug]

A program on PBS yesterday showed how China is #1 in the world for taking tests, but they have only 1% of their research papers published. All of the true R&D universities are in the USA and Europe, I think none in China compare at all it said.

 

It showed some parents taking their kids out of Chinese schools an putting them in INternational schools. I saw some classes totally being taught in English in other subjects than English.

 

The program was geared toward (well heck, I can't cut and past in CFL like I can CFV, I keep forgetting.) Anyway if you look up at 5PM on Sunday May 18, there was China's Challenges......China can produce, can china create?

 

It was geared toward the patent issues and enforcing patents, changing the education system from leaders down and getting parents to believe their kids are better off with school work from 7-7 instead of present 7 to 10PM, and then doing things that give a child more control over his subjects, and time to create and be inventive. It showed how they copy everything and are great at manufacturing. It needs to begin to invent their own things. dah dah dah...