| English teaching in China was dominated by the grammar-translation and intensive-reading method until the communicative approach was introduced in the early 1980s. There has been heated debate on the effectiveness of these two approaches for Chinese students, but I found learners' voices were largely absent from the literature. To fill this gap, I conducted in-depth interviews with 15 Chinese young adults who took English as a compulsory course in China and were pursuing graduate studies in the U.S. I explored not only their classroom experiences, but also the influence of the sociocultural context. My goal was to investigate their perceptions of their learning experiences in China based on how they actually used English in an English-speaking country.; My research yields three major findings. First, teachers' attitudes, students' self-confidence, and real-life application of English are indispensable in nurturing intrinsic motivation, which is crucial for improving learning outcomes. Second, the traditional Chinese pedagogy contributed to these students' lopsided English proficiency: most could read, but felt handicapped in listening, speaking, and writing. Some Western teaching approaches were more practical and efficient in enabling immediate use of the language, but did not provide as much structure and grammar foundation as some participants wished for. Third, the public examination system in China had an overwhelming influence on learning and teaching. Studying for the standardized tests gave these students a solid foundation in grammar, but did not encourage them to apply book knowledge to real-life situations.; This study has four educational implications. First, teachers need to promote confidence and authentic application of the language in order to enhance students' intrinsic motivation. Second, language arts skills should be integrated to develop students' well-rounded proficiency in English. Third, as each student has a unique profile of intelligences and ways of approaching learning, a pluralized teaching approach is needed to tap into a wide range of leaner needs and preferences. Only through a student-centered curriculum can we fully develop students' individuality and critical-thinking abilities. Finally, alternative assessment, which emphasizes continuous and performance-based procedures, must be introduced to promote the process as well as the product of learning. |
