Language is an important part of culture. Learning a foreign language includes learning a new culture. It should be a fun and interesting process. However, traditional Chinese English teaching is basically grammar and knowledge centered. And teachers have tended to pay too much attention to the correctness of English. Therefore many students lost their interest in learning English. They may get good marks in tests but their ability to use English; especially their listening and talking skills tend not to be adequate.

To solve this problem Chinese English teaching experts and officials from the Education Department have established a series of reforms of in the teaching of English in primary and high schools. One of the reforms allows the local education department to choose their own textbooks based upon the national teaching guideline.

Among many new textbooks the "Learning. English", which is edited by Hebei Education Publishing House and DC Canada International Corp, is a good example.

Interview Professor Tian Guisen, the editor in chief of the text book "Learning English" ：In the past most English textbooks in China are compiled by Chinese professors. They tend to emphasize on English knowledge, emphasizeaccuracy. After 1980's, we've imported some textbooks compiled by native speakers. However, because those writers are not very familiar with things in China. And therefore, if we use them directly in China, the contents of that textbook are not that appropriate to chinese students and teachers.

Editors from China and Canada have tried to find a new way of co-operation. Chinese professors have provided guidelines to the textbook writing. And Canadian professors would collect appropriate, current and idiomatic English materials and put them in unit form. After that they E-mailed them to Chinese professors. Their co-operation went smoothly. But of course there were also some problems.

Professor Tian：Occasionally we have heated discussion argument, for instance, they like to put some texts or stories, which emphasize individualism or Western culture, which we think it is not appropriate like fortune telling. So we give them our advice that these kind of materials be not included.

After five years of hard work they presented a high quality textbook, which consisted of six levels from grade 4 to grade 9. Since 1999, the book for primary schools has been put into experimental use in Hebei and Guangxi provinces. It was not only welcomed by many students and teachers but also highly praised by English teaching experts like Ms. Liu Daoyi. This November, the book was incorporated into the list of experimental English textbooks from the Education Department.

Professor Tian：This textbook possesses a new challenge to teachers of English in primary schools, because if they teach language communicatively, the teacher should be able to listen, to speak, to read and to write. And their language and linguistic competence should be improved.

To meet the requirements of this new textbook, the Hebei Education Publishing House and DC Canada International Corp, organized training courses this summer. Over one hundred English teachers from all over Hebei province attended the course. The teachers themselves found lots of interests in the course. And they were amused by the active content of the textbook.

After the training course, two Canadian experts continued on as advisers for improving the use of this new textbook. They travelled to dozens of primary schools in Hebei province to help the teachers and students.

Doctor Laura Morin：What is it?

Student：That is a pen.

Doctor Laura Morin：It is a silver pen.

Doctor Merle Otto-Steenbergen：

So this is wonderful when you take young students and to build that confidence that they're not afraid to speak. They are not afraid to use their English. And therefore their English speaking ability will improve, I think, at a tremendous rate.

Liping：The students learned this program they found English lessons very fun and easy.

To make study both fun and easy seemed to be a hard task. However, as more and more teachers and experts put effort into the course, we felt that we are getting nearer to our goal. We hope that more people will pay their attention to this area and give our children happier and more exciting classes.

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