英语这门学科也在悄悄变化

英语教育在中国的演变反映了国家文化和社会的重大变革。

The evolution of English education in China over the decades mirrors the country's significant cultural and societal transformations.

图源：受访者供图

今年是中华人民共和国成立75周年。中国在普及、加强英语学习，促进跨文化交流方面成效斐然。

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The country has made tremendous progress in popularizing and advancing English learning, as well as fostering cross-cultural communication.

田丽君出生于20世纪70年代，来自辽宁大连，90年代毕业于中国传媒大学，初一时第一次接触英语。

Tian Lijun, born in the 1970s in Dalian, Liaoning province, graduated from the Communication University of China in the 90s. She was first introduced to English during her first year of middle school.

1978年改革开放后不久，田丽君开始上初中。大连是港口城市，当地学校不久就把英语和日语纳入课程。

Tian began middle school a few years after the launch of reform and opening-up in 1978. As Dalian is a port city, the school soon included English and Japanese in the curriculum.

“看到周围社会的变化，我学习英语积极性很高，”田丽君说。

"Seeing the societal changes around me, I felt a strong urge to learn English," Tian said.

接下来的几年，英语教育开始得更早，变得更加有意思。

In the following years, English education began at earlier stages and became more engaging.

北京的小学英语教师张智斌，六年级时第一次接触英语，但对于像王萌琦（27岁）这样的Z世代而言，小学之前就接触到了英语。

Zhang Zhibin, 44, is an elementary school English teacher in Beijing with 24 years of teaching experience. He was first introduced to the language in sixth grade. For Gen Zers like Wang Mengqi, 27, exposure to English came even before elementary school.

“幼儿园的教材很可爱，字母的形状颜色各种各样，词汇也配有图片，”教龄三年的北京高中英语老师王萌琦说。

"In kindergarten, we had those cute textbooks where the letters were drawn in different shapes and colors, and vocabulary came with pictures," said Wang, now a high school English teacher with three years of experience in Beijing.

自80年代以来，课程教学方法和技术也变化巨大。田丽君的第一位英语老师是中文授课，而王萌琦和同事们现在鼓励学生在课堂上只说英语。

The classroom environment, in terms of teaching methods and technology, has also changed drastically since the 1980s. For example, Tian's first English teacher taught in Chinese, but Wang shared that she and her colleagues now encourage students to switch to an English-only mode during class.

20世纪80年代、90年代，老师们主要用黑板，一些大城市用过时的幻灯片投影仪，而王萌琦所在学校的高中生现在用计算机完成多媒体课堂上的听说练习。高年级学生还有机会用AI答题器练习口语：学生读一段文字，设备进行评分，列出优点和不足。

While teachers in the 1980s and 1990s primarily relied on blackboards and, in some larger cities, outdated slide projectors, Wang noted that high school students at her school now frequently use computers in multimedia classrooms to practice listening and speaking. Seniors even have the chance to use AI devices for speaking practice: after students read a passage, the device scores their reading, highlighting both their strengths and areas for improvement.

“我发现，把技术融入课堂，学生会特别专注，参与感更强，”王萌琦说道。

"I've found that students are especially attentive and engaged when we incorporate technology into the classroom," Wang said.

中国学生英语水平的提高不仅是科技和课程安排的进步，还有教科书和课程标准的发展，张智斌认为这些标准不断进步，既满足教育需求，也反映了社会风向。

图源：受访者供图

The improvement in Chinese students' English proficiency is not only a result of advancements in technology and classroom arrangements but also the development of textbooks and curriculum standards, which, according to Zhang, are constantly evolving to meet educational needs and reflect societal trends.

主题变化彰显文化自信

17岁的雷晨翔是陕西西安的一名高中生，他发现了教科书的更新。“新的国际事件可能会出现在新版的教科书中。内容真的与国际时事紧密相连，”他说。

Lei Chenxiang, 17, a high school student in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, has noticed this ongoing evolution of his textbooks. "A recent international event may appear in the next printed edition of the textbook. The content is really connected to what's happening in the world," he said.

英语学习的另一个变化是学生短文写作的焦点，通常会出现反复出现的人物——李华。

Another change in English learning is the focus of students' short essay prompts, which often feature the recurring character, Li Hua.

王萌琦回忆道，当她在学校时，作文通常围绕帮助李华展开：他即将去别的国家，但不会用英语写信，需要帮助他起草一封给外国笔友的信，问当地天气和风俗。然而，如今的作文，学生变成帮助李华向他的外国朋友讲中国故事。

Wang recalled that when she was in school, essay prompts often revolved around helping Li Hua, who was about to visit a foreign country but couldn't write in English, and needed assistance drafting a letter to his foreign pen pal to ask about the local weather and customs. Nowadays, however, students are more likely to help Li Hua tell Chinese stories to his foreign friends visiting China.

雷晨翔提到，他最近的写作作业要介绍传统中国音乐的发展和中国文化遗产。

Lei mentioned that his recent writing assignments included introducing the development of traditional Chinese music and China's cultural heritage.

王萌琦认为，作文题目的演变与社会变化和中国人民日益增强的文化自信密切相关。“中国国际地位的提升，以及与其他国家的互动增加，都是关键因素，”王萌琦说。

Wang believes this shift in essay topics is closely tied to changes in society and the growing cultural confidence of the Chinese people. "China's rising international status, along with increasing interactions with other countries, are key factors," Wang said.

张智斌认为，从超市的标签到电影的字幕，从玩具说明书到国际友人的问候，英语无处不在，我们应该更努力地学习英语。“英语不仅是一门学科，更是通向世界的钥匙，”他说。

Zhang believes that since English is everywhere — from labels in supermarkets to subtitles in movies, and from toy instruction manuals to greetings from international friends — we should enhance our efforts in learning English more than ever. "English is not just a subject; it is a key to the world," he said.

来源：China Daily Z Weekly 2024年9月25日第17版

编辑：鲁蒙海

审核：海 新

终审：张 扬