ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: STUDENT AND TEACHER PERSPECTIVES, EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS

Recent educational policies of the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC): (1) encourage the study of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), (2) see English study as an essential part in China's development and modernization, and (3) include plans to send greater numbers of scholars, students and technicians to English speaking countries to study science, technology, business and various other disciplines. Individual language specialists along with government and university sponsored English language training programs are being imported to help meet China's increasing demands for qualified English teachers and fluent speakers of English for a variety of purposes, such as tourism, trade, banking and diplomacy. The increased presence of foreign expertise in China brings concomitant problems for both the foreign instructors and their students.;The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions and expectations of Chinese EFL teachers, Chinese EFL students, and foreign EFL teachers in the PRC. The data seem to indicate a number of differences in the perspectives of each group with regard to what they consider to be important to quality language instruction. A variety of cognitive and affective classroom behaviors were identified which each of the three groups believe are characteristic of outstanding foreign language teachers. Student learning style preferences and teacher disposition toward those learning styles were also identified. The findings supported the researchers hypotheses which assumed that the foreign teachers would stand out as having different expectations from their Chinese colleagues and students.;The study presents a theoretical perspective which proposes that the perceptions of each group are inextricably bound to the reference groups of which they are members, and that the impact of language, culture, and history of both the student and teacher can affect the success of the language acquisition process in the classroom.;The information provided in this study should aid future foreign teachers and language programs, as well as the students of those teachers and programs in China. The work is considered to be of particular significance owing to the paucity of empirical data about language teaching in China and about student and teacher expectations of the foreign language teaching-learning process.