Insights On The Historical Development Of College English Textbooks In China

A textbook is the key book providing information on a subject used in the classroom by teachers and students for educational purposes. Textbooks are an important resource for teachers in the process of teaching as well as for students in the process of learning. They are the primitive reference for teachers to organize their classroom activities, and the foundation stone for students to construct their knowledge system and achieve their learning objectives.In China, English teaching has become more and more important especially in colleges and universities due to the fast development of the society and the increasing demands for international communication. Therefore, the significance of college English textbooks has been recognized by more and more people. Various kinds of textbooks sprang up from different presses to meet the needs of college English teaching and learning, which makes it difficult for teachers and students to choose the best textbooks available.Since textbooks play such an important role in college English teaching in China, and it is difficult to choose the most suitable textbooks, it is necessary to have a review of first the theories that contribute to the development of textbooks, then the historical development of the college English textbooks in China, and finally the way of compiling and selecting high quality college English textbooks.The development of textbooks was influenced by many factors such as linguistics theories, language learning theories, teaching methodology, syllabus theories and evaluation theories. It is the development of these theories that brought the consistent improvement and perfection of textbooks.Linguistics theories such as traditional grammar, structural grammar, transformational-generative grammar and functional grammar influenced the compilation of textbooks and different phases of textbooks lay emphasis on different kinds of linguistics theories. Language learning theories such as behaviorism, cognitivism, humanism and constructivism also play a crucial role in the founding and writing of textbooks. Teaching methodology such as grammar-translation method, audio-lingual method and communicative language teaching have also influenced the compilation of textbooks since each textbook has its explicit or implicit preference to particular language teaching method.Syllabus defines the way a textbook is compiled. When producing a textbook, compilers are in fact designing a syllabus as well. Textbooks are the production and embodiment of the syllabus. Different kinds of syllabuses such as grammatical syllabus, function-notional syllabus and multi-dimensional syllabus give birth to different kinds of textbooks.Textbook evaluation is crucial for both teaching and learning. It identifies particular strengths and weaknesses in textbooks to help with the selection and adoption of textbooks so that the best and most appropriate materials available can be selected, and optimum use can be made of their strong points, while the weak areas can be adapted or replaced by other materials in classroom teaching. Since the evaluation process can show the strong and weak areas of textbooks, it also contributes to the reformation and development of textbooks.In China, the historical development of college English textbooks can be divided into four stages, each having features of its own. At the first and second stages, textbooks were compiled on the grammatical syllabus, some stressing pattern drills on the basis of the theory of structural linguistics. Ability training was mainly in the aspect of reading, other aspects being hardly balanced. The third stage began to emphasize the development of communicative competence. The compilation of textbooks was no longer confined to one-volume paper book but was led to the development in series. In addition, the concept of textbooks had extended from books to multi-media designs. During the fourth stage of textbooks, the concept of the compiling greatly changed. It put more emphasis on students' ability to exchange information and it set concrete requirement to the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.During the process of development, college English textbooks in China tend to be more and more comprehensive and more teaching methods are being integrated into the textbooks. Although new textbooks keep emerging like bamboo shoots after a spring shower, they are always built up on the foundation of the previous ones. The national syllabuses also play very important roles which reflect the development of college English teaching and the changes in methodological thinking in China. In the 1985 and 1986 syllabuses, speaking is ranked as the third in the five skills with "basic competence in writing and speaking"; in the 1999 version, the original three levels of skills are rearranged into two levels. Speaking and writing are emphasized, and they are upgraded to the same level as listening. In the 2004 and 2007 versions, listening and speaking are given the first priority and the competence of intercultural communication is one of the ultimate goals in college English.From the consistent reformation and development of college English textbooks, it can be obviously seen that a lot of progress has been made. First, the focus of the textbook compilers shifted from the teacher to the students. Previously textbooks were meant to provide enough materials for teachers to explain linguistics structures. Later, the needs of the students to learn in real-life contexts began to dominate textbook compilation. Second, the content of textbooks changed. Language skills such as listening and speaking were regarded as more important than reading; the subject matter changed from science and technology to real and varied topics related to life; more classroom activities took the place of mechanical pattern drills and grammar exercises. Third, the design of textbooks became more user-friendly and colorful. Last but not least, educational technology became an important part of textbook packages which intrigued great interest of the learners.Although great achievements have been made, some problems can not be overlooked. First, the textbooks are greatly influenced by CET-4 and CET-6 which lead to the exam-oriented teaching in China. Second, contemporary college English textbooks in China are devoid of classic works which can offer a great many stimulations to motivate students in their English learning and enrich their background knowledge of the target society and culture. Third, the textbooks are short of texts relevant to Chinese culture, history and people's everyday life, which brings obstacles in the communication and expression of the students. Fourth, the educational technology application is not satisfactory due to limited resources. Finally, many textbooks in use are not qualified due to chaotic competition and piracy in the textbook market.All of the problems mentioned above seriously impede the development of college English teaching and the perfection of college English textbooks. Therefore, great effort should be made to change this situation so that college English textbooks can really do their job, College English Teaching can make much bigger progress, and students can make the most out of the college English teaching system.First of all, it is better to be clear about the features of good textbooks and the procedures and principles of evaluating and compiling good textbooks so that the best plan can be made. Then relevant actions should be taken to solve these problems. First, professional panels of textbook compilers should be set up so that they can pilot the navigation of College English Teaching and therefore high quality textbooks can be published. Second, more texts related to English classic works and Chinese culture can be systematically arranged into the textbooks so that the students can pay more attention to these contents and they can learn the knowledge in a more systematic and scientific way. Third, educational technology should be applied in a controlled way. The compilers should take different practical situations of the students into consideration and apply educational technologies according to their situations, and balance the relationship between the form and the content of the textbooks. Finally, the publication and procurement of textbooks should be regulated by authorities so that the teachers and students are more likely to get qualified textbooks.