Who Are Teachers In Bilingual Education

Foreign Languages are not only means for communication, information transmission and emotional expression, but also tools for us to learn advanced technology, experience and know-how as well as foreign customs. Mastery of the internationally used English has been a symbol of a learner's capability. With China's successful application for the EXPO 2010 as well as its entry into the WTO, trained talents with a better command of English is greatly needed. At the meanwhile, the globalization of economy, the multi-polarization of politics and the internationalization of information have turned the whole world into a "global village", and the importance of English education has received more and more attention accordingly. It is a big challenge to the English teaching in higher education. Obviously, one English class each day is far from enough, so the English teaching must be spread and extended infinitely. Hence bilingual education, aiming at increasing students' practical language abilities at the same time of developing their professional knowledge in English, emerges as times demand. The implementation of bilingual education in higher educational institutes is a must to cultivate internationally accepted talents, during the course of which teachers are facing the problems of teaching modes, cultural conflicts, etc. Therefore, they are required to be sufficient in both professional qualities and linguistic ones. Besides, they need to be provided with wide visual field, consciousness of "global village", gracious civilization and good judgment to meet the purpose of talent-cultivation. This thesis starts with some basic concepts of bilingual education, and then the most serious problems facing bilingual education in China --- the lack of qualified teachers --- are discussed and suggestions are made.