This paper discusses some of the unfounded beliefs in current foreign language education policy and English language teaching, i.e. learning a foreign language will make a person cleverer; learning a foreign language ...This paper discusses some of the unfounded beliefs in current foreign language education policy and English language teaching, i.e. learning a foreign language will make a person cleverer; learning a foreign language will improve one's potential power and creative ability; the younger the child learns a foreign language, the better he will learn the language. In the light of the problems in current foreign language teaching and foreign language education policy, the paper has put forward some reform proposals including 'differentiating cities from rural areas, stressing teaching efficiency and cutting down class hours, and offering a foreign language in schools either as a compulsory or as a selective course according to different needs of students'. In conclusion, the paper holds that the reform measures will bring benefit to the country as well as to its people and should be a guide to the reform of China's foreign language education.展开更多
文摘This paper discusses some of the unfounded beliefs in current foreign language education policy and English language teaching, i.e. learning a foreign language will make a person cleverer; learning a foreign language will improve one's potential power and creative ability; the younger the child learns a foreign language, the better he will learn the language. In the light of the problems in current foreign language teaching and foreign language education policy, the paper has put forward some reform proposals including 'differentiating cities from rural areas, stressing teaching efficiency and cutting down class hours, and offering a foreign language in schools either as a compulsory or as a selective course according to different needs of students'. In conclusion, the paper holds that the reform measures will bring benefit to the country as well as to its people and should be a guide to the reform of China's foreign language education.