Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
Editor and Book Reviews Editor: John Edwards (St Francis Xavier University, Canada)
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Volume: 24 Number: 4 Page: 290–318
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English Language Teaching in China: Regional Differences and Contributing Factors
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Guangwei Hu
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In response to an escalating demand for English proficiency brought about by the rapid economic, social, and cultural development in China, there has been a massive drive to expand and improve English language
teaching (ELT) since the mid-1980s. Tremendous efforts and resources have been expended on upgrading the various components of ELT, including curriculums, syllabuses, textbooks, tests, and teachers' professional
competence. However, not all parts of China have benefited equally from the invested efforts and resources. The economically and socioculturally developed regions differ notably from the less developed
ones in the development of ELT. This paper examines regional differences in ELT in China. First, it reports on a study of 439 post-secondary Chinese students, which found clear region-based differences
in their English proficiency, previous learning experiences, classroom behaviours, and language learning and use strategies. Next, it explores how a range of economic, social, cultural and pedagogical factors
have jointly created such differences. The paper concludes with a critique of some recent top-down efforts directed at reducing regional disparity in ELT.
Keywords: ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING, REGIONAL DIFFERENCES, SOCIOCULTURAL INFLUENCES, CURRICULUM, SYLLABUS, PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
© Multilingual Matters 2003
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