New English textbooks to be used
Starting this fall, the English textbooks, called "Chinglish
textbooks" for primary and secondary schools in Guangzhou,
will be replaced by a brand-new version compiled by native
English-speaking experts who are invited and organized by the
city's education departments.
The set of Guangzhou Junior Middle-school English Textbooks
(trial edition), compiled jointly by Guangzhou Teaching and
Research Section and British Oxford University Press, consist of
three books---basic book, listening and speaking practices and
reading and writing practices---for every semester. Sources from
the Teaching and Research Section said that this set of textbooks
is very idiomatic compared with the traditional one.
Understanding of English highlighted
The dialogs, like "How old are you?", which violate the taboo in
Western cultures and those sentences organized on the basis of
Chinese thinking, can no longer be found in the new version. The
books highlight the communicating means of the language and
substantial information, covering the fields of Chinese and foreign
history, geography, astronomy, environmental protection,
traditional holidays, cultural customs, etc.
Research staff said the new version not only can enrich students'
knowledge, but also can improve their understanding of English and
enhance the applied capability in the course of learning
English-speaking countries' culture and folk customs.
New English teaching method to be brought in
Meanwhile, the books bring in a new English teaching method
differing vastly from the one presently being used in domestic
primary and secondary schools. That is, it cultivates students'
language ability by raising diversified topics and encouraging
students to discuss them.
Sources also said another set of new English textbooks compiled by
Guangzhou Teaching and Research Section and British Leeds
University Course Research Center for primary schools are being put
into use from this fall. Quite different from the traditional
textbooks, the books for the first year contain only the listening
and speaking part, with an aim to stimulate children's instinctive
feel for the language and interest in studying. The books do not
involve written English until the students advance to the third
year and equal importance is attached to the requirement of
literary language and study fun.
Moreover, a set of oral English textbooks, to be compiled by
Guangzhou Teaching and Research Section and Canadian education
experts for the first and second year students of primary schools,
are expected to be completed within this year.
( March 11, 2002)