The Changing Role of English Teachers in China as a Result of Curriculum Change

This chapter sets out to examine the revised English Curriculum Standards, looking critically at the direction of travel of this educational reform and reports upon the results of research to find out how teachers have understood and fared the changes in the curriculum. This is an issue of considerable importance because across the PRC there are in excess of 9 million full-time teachers of English working within the compulsory education system, so any change to the roles and expectations of those teachers represents a huge endeavour of reform. Another purpose of the chapter is to guide English language readers through an important ministry of the education policy document. In educational research relating to Chinese education, there is often insufficient attention given to what the Chinese Government is actually saying and instituting.