Research On Compilation Of An English Textbook For Insurance Majors

The fact has been emphasized in the national college English syllabus that "the college student must turn to learn specific English after finishing the task in the basic stage and passing CET-4 and CET-6 in order to transfer to the applying stage from the learning stage"(The National College English Syllabus, 1998). As usual, more value has been placed on the applying stage of English teaching relating to the learned specialty. At present, certain universities or colleges are required to teach students English for their specific purposes after finishing the basic English teaching. The model with English and specialty for fostering students is often adopted in these universities or colleges for English teaching. Today, the requirement for graduates' ability to use English by the society is becoming higher and higher. The employer requires that the graduate has not only daily communicative skills but also strong communicative skills in specific technology.However, due to the lack of specific teachers and teaching materials for a long time, in addition to the factor of seeking the pass rate of CET-4 and CET-6 by universities and colleges, the teaching for specific English did not obtain proper attention. Nor did the insurance English teaching. Now, although there are a few English textbooks for insurance majors, the systematic and scientific natures of the content are not good. The forms of exercise and the content of the textbook are dull and uninteresting, which can not meet the need of English teaching for insurance majors and fit the development of insurance education in China as well.Insurance English teaching is a necessary part of insurance teaching. This paper, based on the theories and principles of needs analysis andmaterial design in ESP, functional and communicative approach, deals with the necessity of English teaching for insurance majors and the current situation of insurance English textbooks. Through the analysis of the features of insurance English and the research of the relation between insurance English teaching and insurance English textbooks, the paper discusses the ways insurance English textbooks are compiled and what principles the writer for insurance English textbooks should comply with. A model for compiling an English textbook for insurance majors is designed in the paper so as to overcome the shortcomings of traditional specific English textbook, such as the preference on reading and being dull and uninteresting. A variety of exercise form is created in it, which will make the textbook interesting, develop the students' thinking and train their communicative ability in English.There are many cases in insurance practice, which are the best examples for insurance teaching. Every case contains plenty of insurance knowledge. Case study is added to the insurance English textbook, which can be seen as a big step in insurance English teaching. In case study, the teacher can apply the incomprehensible insurance principles and clauses to English teaching. When the students analyze and discuss the case, they will be active in thinking and stating the occurred event in English. For example, in the study of an insurance principle "proximate cause", the teacher can give the definition of "proximate cause" first, then some cases about this principle in English. After the case study, the students can master the incomprehensible principle in a very comfortable atmosphere. Creating the case study for English teaching for insurance majors can help the student consolidate the original language knowledge, master the specific terms and the expressions of specialty as well as enhance the ability of the student to acquire insurance knowledge and do insurance business in English.