Declaration outlines opportunities for educators

Attendees pledge to build a world-class system for the teaching of English

Attendees of a conference on language teaching have issued a call to build a modern, world-class system of English-language education with Chinese characteristics by merging Chinese and international wisdom and experience, and by embracing current realities and future trends.

The Hangzhou Declaration of the 2019 Global English Education China Assembly said the current age offers new opportunities for English-language education professionals, but also poses the challenge of considering English education from a historical and international perspective, and understanding that it needs to develop, especially with regard to improved quality, efficiency, equality and sustainability.

"We will integrate core socialist values in English education and teaching, tap the resources of other disciplines and traditional Chinese culture to raise students' pride in their Chinese identity, strengthen their cultural confidence and literacy, foster their moral integrity, and cultivate their fine character," said the declaration issued at the conference in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, which concluded on Sunday.

It added that the educators share a common goal of promoting overall personal growth by the improvement of morality, language skills, cultural awareness, critical thinking and learning ability through English education.

The three-day assembly themed "English Education in China: A New Era, A Shared Vision" was attended by nearly 3,000 school teachers and leading experts in English-language teaching from home and abroad. It was jointly hosted by China Daily, the Hangzhou municipal government, Shanghai International Studies University, the National Association of Foreign Language Education at the Chinese Society of Education, and the TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) International Association, an organization in the United States that is committed to advancing excellence in English-language teaching.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Christopher Powers, executive director at the TESOL International Association, said, "I have long believed that when we work together to learn languages and overcome barriers that drive us apart, we are helping to make the world a safer and better place to live.

"Especially today, when there are so many forces that drive people apart, the work you do - the work we do - to bring them together is more important than ever."

Mei Deming, a professor of English and linguistics at Shanghai International Studies University, said it is always important for English teachers to bear in mind that foreign language education is never about cultivating "foreigners", but Chinese with Chinese identities and capabilities, and a vision that bears fruit across civilizations.

"English education in China must have a strong identity rooted in China and a vision looking far into the future. English education must be carried out via middle-and long-term plans," he said.

Gong Yafu, president of the National Association of Foreign Language Education, said that a world-class English-language education system also requires frontline school teachers to read extensively and stay up to date with the latest international methodologies.

"It's also important for primary and middle school teachers to promote critical thinking and inclusiveness," he said.

Kong Qinghao, an English teacher at Shanghai Fuxing Senior High School, said that currently "putting together Chinese and international wisdom and experience" is mostly embodied by comparing traditional Chinese and foreign festivals in English textbooks, but without in-depth discussion or understanding culturally.

"So I encourage my students to read newspapers and literature extensively. I urge them to make extracts from newspapers and write down their thoughts with the hope that English can really work as a window for them to become connected to more knowledge and information," he said.

The Shanghai Declaration of the Assembly released at last year's conference in Shanghai focused on the need to cultivate a sense of community and cross-cultural communication skills. It attracted widespread attention and achieved a number of results in basic English education, according to the assembly's organizers.

Many training workshops have been organized for English teachers on the 2017 edition of the new curriculum standards for high school English, new textbooks and new teaching methods. It is believed that the application of these new standards will boost the development of English education in China, they said.

Zhi Yuan contributed to this story.