A heavy burden

He Yaowei (epaper.xkb.com.cn): In recent years, when people mention foreign language learning, it basically equals English, which most learners find cumbersome.

The current Chinese education system demands that students learn English from primary school to college. Even in graduate school entrance examinations, English is still a required subject. English classes have even entered the realm of kindergartens while some pregnant women use the language in prenatal education.

Apart from schooling, people face many English-related tests when applying for work or when traveling abroad.

With so many people engaged in English learning, how many are really proficient in the language, and how many will have to use it in daily life?

Wang Xinlu (www.ifeng.com): It's time to take English away from the altar. As a tool of communication, the function of English should be respected. However, to exaggerate its significance is harmful to Chinese economic and social development.

What if English stops being a compulsory course in college entrance examinations? Some will still choose to learn and become proficient in the language. In this way, whether or not to learn English will depend on work. Students will not be forced to learn a foreign language in this way.

It's Okey to let students choose whether they want to pick up the English or ancient Chinese language test. A diversified model of talent is what modern society needs.

In colleges, many students who do not major in English have to waste a lot of time on English learning. Of many graduates, less than 10 percent still use English. In many cases, students may not be good at English, but might be better at other subjects. However, under the current education system, many fail college or graduate school entrance examinations because their English test result is poor, thus losing the opportunity to follow further academic studies.

The current education system, particularly concerning English, needs to be adjusted to better serve the country's economic and social development. It's unfair to judge a student's academic ability by looking at whether they are good at English or not. Students should be given the freedom to choose to take English or other subjects according to their interest and ability.

Yuan Guang (www.cnhubei.com): Generally speaking, three serious problems exist in China's current English education system, which directly lead to the less satisfied result of English education.

Firstly, learning English needs the right environment. After one or two English classes a day in school, students seldom have the opportunity to use the language at home or in social life. In the 1980s and 1990s, English education did not start until junior high school. In order to speed up China's modernization, we must learn English. The best time is during early education. To start English classes in middle school goes against the basic rule of language acquisition. For students to learn English, the earlier, the better.

Secondly, in China, the basic guiding principle for English learning is wrong. To learn a foreign language, the purpose is to improve people's skill in communication with people of other countries. However, for many students, the purpose of studying English is to cope with college entrance examinations and various other tests.

Thirdly, many Chinese schools, especially those in less developed regions, English teachers are poor at speaking the language themselves. Most conduct English classes in Chinese. As a result, students receive inadequate exposure to English. Middle school is also an important period for English learning and acquisition, but due to the lack of proficient teachers, students miss another opportunity for improvement. Sometimes, English teachers' poor pronunciation influences pupils for the rest of their lives.

If these problems remain, no matter how much work they have done, the result will always be disappointing.

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