A Study On Current English Education Policy In China From Perspective Of Economics Of Language

The acceleration of globalization renders English a major factor of human capital and an indispensable role in the development of talents in various fields. With the transition of China’s economy and society, the traditional ways of investment in English education are finding it hard to fit in with current needs. On the one hand, the government has invested considerable resources into English language teaching; On the other hand, English education market has been a major industry in China. It is with no exaggeration to describe the investment in English-learning as crazy. Therefore, it is urgent to examine English education policy from the perspective of economics of language.As indispensable tools in human life, languages, like other skills, are economic resources which both individuals and the society can gain benefits through investment. It thus has the economic features as other resources, such as value, utility, cost and benefit. Such features provide theoretical support for all-round examination of English education policy in China. Through exploring economics of language theory, the thesis examines English education policy from the perspective of economics of language. By applying cost-benefit analyses in economics of language and an empirical research method with a combination of language use and economic benefits questionnaire and interviews, the thesis tends to identify four aspects of English education policy:economic features of English education in China; benefits of English language skills; English language use situation in the workplace and economic consideration in the adjustment of English education policy.The thesis firstly analyses the economic features of English education in China and makes an preliminary calculation to the cost of English education. Based on the previous research results in economics of language, English language use and economic benefits questionnaires are designed and sent by e-mail. Totally83were returned back and75were valid. Afterwards,2face-to-face interviews were carried out as supplementary. By analyzing the statistics of both the language use and benefits of the subjects in the workplace, the findings indicated that different social sectors require different English language skills and proficiency. There exists much discordance between English-learning at school and the actual practice in the workplace, which requires the adjustment of English education policy to adapt the demand and development of social economy.The thesis still has some problems. Firstly, due to the limitation of data resources and the nature of linguistics, the present thesis fails to meet a satisfactory requirement in the calculation of the data in cost-benefit analyses. Secondly, some research methods concerning language use and benefits are still to be improved. More empirical investigation and analyses are required in analyzing English education policy from the perspective of economics of language, and more practical and constructive suggestions are needed to improve English education policy.