An Ecological Analysis Of The Transitional Bilingual Instruction Mode In The Western Region Of China

Guided by trend of globalization and documents issued by Ministry of Education in China, many universities began to promote bilingual courses among various academic disciplines. Especially in certain developed region of China, bilingual courses were carried out in full swing, being regarded as a significant means of promoting the internationalization of higher education in China. Compared with the rapid development in the developed areas, bilingual instruction in western region of China is not well organized. Some universities in this area just copied the instruction modes applied in key universities, which made bilingual teachers encountered many difficulties and led to some unsuccessful results. Then problems arise. Which bilingual instruction mode suits the specific situation of western China? Which perspective should we adopt to judge the appropriateness of a bilingual instruction mode under the background of western China?According to Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystem model (1979), the educational environment is composed of the macrosystem, the exosystem, the mesosystem and the microsystem. The classroom instruction is the microsystem formed by elements like teachers, students and teaching materials. Within the microsystem, exploring a suitable bilingual instruction mode for students in the west region of China is of great significance. Seeing from a perspective of ecological education, the author adopts the ecological concepts of integrity, unity, connection and balance, and focused on appropriateness of the transitional bilingual instruction mode in the western region of China.This research took the bilingual course International Relations as a case and the investigation of transitional bilingual instruction mode was carried out in the School of International Relations in Sichuan International Studies University (SISU). From the aspects of students, teachers and teaching materials, the appropriateness of the transitional bilingual instruction mode in the western region of China is examined. During the course of investigation, the following three instruments were adopted: questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations. The research result shows that the transitional bilingual instruction mode is appropriate for students and teachers, and the bilingual class achieves an eco-balanced state.By studying the appropriateness of the transitional bilingual instruction mode in the western region of China, this thesis aims to help directing the bilingual instruction in western China in a more effective way. It also gives suggestions to the problems existing in the bilingual instruction in western universities in hope that a better effect will be achieved for bilingual instruction in the region.