A Study On The Theory And Content Of The National English Curriculum Standards For China's Basic Education

The 21^st century is the era of knowledge-based economy, and knowledge innovation and scientific and technological development have become important symbol of measuring a nation's comprehensive strength. Era has put forward higher requirements for the foreign language education in middle school and a national reform of English teaching in middle school is extremely urgent. In order to coordinate with the curriculum reform of China's basic education, the National Ministry of Education issued English Curriculum Standards for compulsory full-time High school (trial version) (hereinafter referred to National English Curriculum Standards) in July 2001. The National English Curriculum Standards pointed out: the focus of the English curriculum reform is to change the phenomenon of over-emphasis on English grammar and vocabulary, and target at cultivating students' actual language use ability. Therefore, it carries out reforms to teaching concepts, curriculum objectives, content objectives, and teaching evaluation and some other aspects.Based on the English Teaching Syllabus and the National English Curriculum Standards, the author longitudinally analyzes English Curriculum Standards for China's??ic education and explores the characteristics and advantages of the National English Curriculum Standards. Through the investigation on its feasibility and application, the author wants to verify the feasibility and deficiency of the National English Curriculum Standards, and the author makes the corresponding suggestions on these deficiencies for the government to revise and perfect the National English Curriculum Standards.The thesis is composed of five chapters. Chapter one is the definition of the confusing concepts involved in the thesis. The author reviews the related research on curriculum standards at home and abroad and comprehensively introduces the purpose and significance of the thesis. Chapter two is the longitudinal analysis on the English Curriculum Standards for Middle School in 1948 and the representative syllabi since the foundation of new China, and introduces foreign language teaching trends of basic education in China. Chapter three is the core of this thesis; the author focuses on the analysis of the social background, theoretical foundation—humanism, constructivism and multiple intelligence theory, and the main contents and characteristics of the National English Curriculum Standards. And the author makes the statistical analysis on the implementation of the National English Curriculum Standards in the form of questionnaire survey. Chapter four aims at the issues reflected in the National English Curriculum Standards, and the author puts forward some opinions and suggestions, hoping to improve the National English Curriculum Standards. Chapter five is the conclusion of this thesis.Through the analysis and questionnaire survey of the National English Curriculum Stan??s, the National English Curriculum Standards can be improved from the following aspects: 1) Enhance the awareness on English education. We need to enhance awareness for why we should study English, and strive to enhance interests in learning English. 2) Strengthen the guidance of theoretical basis. If a special section is given to the description of theory or rationale involved in the China's standards, teachers and specialists may have a better understanding for the standards themselves. 3) Increase sample lessons. Designing more sample lessons is a powerful tool to incorporate the National English Curriculum Standards into real classroom teaching and learning. 4) Increase teaching approaches. No single teaching method or approach can fit all kinds of lessons. More sample lessons organized in different teaching methods should be given. Some rural middle schools or minority middle schools may be not suitable to use such teaching methods for many objective reasons, so teachers are responsible to find the ones that can promote teaching most effectively. 5) Subdivide content standards. If we could divide all aspects of the content standards into nine levels and explore in great details, English education will make greater progress.