It might be the winter holidays now, but many students, especially college students, are spending their vacation time improving their English skills. Dr. Wang, a Chinese language professor at a Beijing-based university, sighed, almost regretfully, "More and more Chinese college students speak fluent English, but this has had an effect on their Chinese language skills. Many of them make mistakes when writing Chinese characters." 

English as a top priority

Dr. Li, a professor in history at a Shanghai-based university, said, "In the 1990s, the most mischievous and curious students read novels for fun in class, but today's history majors read English textbooks as part of the curriculum."

English has become a top priority for many non-English majors; they spend a lot of their spare time learning English.

As a result, many of the private English training schools and centers fulfill their enrolment quotas even before the vacation begins. Many of the better-known schools are headquartered in Beijing and Shanghai, and it is not uncommon for students to travel into these cities just to attend classes. Mr. Zhao, a philosophy major, commented, "English is very important for me. Without it, it will be impossible for me to find a good job." If the recruitment classifieds are anything to go by, English language skills have, in recent years, become a pre-requisite.

College students have to pass a national College English Test (CET) as part of their studies, and many of them hope to study abroad for their higher degrees. A slogan that is gaining popularity on college campuses around the country is, "An English and computer artist lives everywhere."

To be or not to be an English bookworm

While college professors encourage the learning of English -- it is accepted that English is an important communications tool as far as globalization is concerned -- they believe that students might not focus as much on their majors as a result, which ought to be the top priority.

Miss Yang, who majored in journalism, worked in a TV station for two years after graduation. She said that she spent almost all of her spare time at college learning English, which left her little time to focus on her major. She added, "Compared to my colleagues, I lacked the professional knowledge that was key to my job. I tried to do well in my job, but the responsibilities exceeded my ability."

Zhang Xiong, a school director of the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, said that college students should focus on gaining knowledge and insight to a wide range of subjects. He added, "TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and GRE (Graduate Record Examination) should not and is not the be-all and end-all. It is the students who realize this from the outset who will survive in this increasingly competitive climate."

However, there is a school of thought that suggests that the current college education system is flawed and in need of reform. Students are paying less attention to their majors because the courses on offer are outdated and have little or no relevance to their professional futures. A reform of the college education system is a serious issue facing Chinese universities today.

(China.org.cn by Wang Sining, February 12, 2005)