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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 1
Publication Date: January 25, 2024
DOI:10.14738/assrj.111.16263.
Wu, Y., Fu, P., & Hall, T. (2024). Reflections of Chinese Middle School English Instructors and Learners on Efficiency of English
Education. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(1). 154-174.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Reflections of Chinese Middle School English Instructors and
Learners on Efficiency of English Education
Yiqiang Wu
The College of New Jersey
Ping Fu
Hunan First Normal University
Timothy Hall
The College of New Jersey
ABSTRACT
This article sheds light on a survey study on the reflection of English teaching and
learning by teachers and students in high schools in China. Forty-Two English
teachers and 156 students from four high schools in Hunan Province participated
in the study. They responded to questions through an online survey about their
English learning and teaching experience. The survey also asked the participants to
share their comments and opinions on how to make improvement and changes to
make English education more effective and efficient. The data were discussed and
analyzed in comparing with English learning experience and process of native
speakers of English in the United States. Findings of this study suggest that more
exposure to authentic English, extensive reading, and daily oral communication be
enhanced to improve the learners’ proficiency. This study indicates that the current
learning process and instructional sequence are not effective and efficient. Some
fundamental issues related to learning sequence, learning efficiency, curriculum
policy and design are addressed, and suggestions are made for future research and
English education reform.
Keywords: Learning efficiency, elementary and secondary education, English education
reform
INTRODUCTION
Learning English has become a huge investment for almost every household in China.
Instructors, English learners (ELs), and ELs’ parents spend countless amounts of time, effort,
and money toward this endeavor. However, in most cases, the results disappointing. Failure is
an overwhelming reality for a majority of the learning population. According to an online
survey (Fang, 2013), only 11% of parents are satisfied with the current state of their children’s
English education in China, and 89% of them believe that the current English education system
does not work. The notion of “earlier is better” for English language learning does not seem to
yield adequate results. The majority of learners have studied English for more than ten years
but nonetheless have failed to develop basic English communication skills. One underlying
reason for such failure is that despite learner intentions for proficiency in oral communication,
the system emphasizes reading and writing for the purposes of being a good test taker.
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Wu, Y., Fu, P., & Hall, T. (2024). Reflections of Chinese Middle School English Instructors and Learners on Efficiency of English Education. Advances
in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(1). 154-174.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.111.16263
Furthermore, classrooms have very limited resources, few qualified teachers, limited or
misguided instructional materials, and a mismatch between teaching style and desired
outcomes. It is clear that the current policy and practice are neither cost-effective nor time
efficient. Therefore, there is an urgent need to reexamine and rethink the current practice of
the English language teaching and learning in China.
This article reports on results from a survey-based study that documented high school teacher
and learner reflections on English teaching and learning efficiency and efficacy in China. Forty- Two English teachers and 156 students from four high schools in Hunan Province participated
in the study. They responded to questions from an online survey about their English teaching
and learning experiences. The survey also asked participants to suggest how to make English
education more effective and efficient. Findings of this study are discussed and analyzed in
comparison with learning experiences of native English speakers in the United States. Some
fundamental issues related to learning sequence, learning efficiency, and curriculum policy and
design are addressed. Finally, suggestions are made for future research and English education
reform in China.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Investigation of Problems
In order to evaluate the efficiency of learning English in the elementary and secondary schools
in China, it is necessary to understand the learning process, learning sequence, degree of
exposure to authentic resources, and how often English is used for communication. Many
researchers have revealed the inefficiency in learning English in China at various educational
levels from elementary, secondary, to college and adult settings (Zhao, 2001). Chinese ELs
spent considerable amounts of time and effort, but the results have been disappointing and it
has been difficult to identify individual causes (Ma, 2008). Researchers and English instructors
have identified many factors that might have inhibited learning results, such as different
learning styles, study habits (Liu, 2014), learning interest (Zhao, 2011), reading strategies
(Cheng, 2007), and learning environments (Yan, 2018). Many research studies have discovered
some challenges related to the English learning and instruction in elementary and secondary
school. Dai (2001) identified common phenomena or practices that contribute to low efficiency
in English learning, such as repetition, multimedia equipment, high score and low energy,
disjointed learning, multitudinous data, and waste of time. It has been found that the causes of
wasteful learning experiences in middle school’s entail: 1) lack of appropriate social and
cultural environment, 2) misunderstanding of the teaching objectives and educational
evaluation of English education, 3) inadequate resources 4) lack of syllabus and management
systems, 5) low unskilled teachers, 6) students’ inappropriate attitude towards English, and 7)
improper instruction and learning methods. Wang (2003) also pointed out similar "waste" in
English teaching in middle schools. However, few studies have examined the role of textbooks,
learning sequence, and process in English learning. People take for granted the current
textbooks, rarely question them, or any other related materials such as teachers’ guides to
textbooks, related exercises books, workbooks, etc., and seldom shift their focus away from
what have been told to teach and learn.
Teaching and Learning Efficiency and Effectiveness
Teachers are aware of the importance of teaching and learning effectiveness. Few of them have
a clear notion of what effectiveness and efficiency mean in their classroom teaching. Meng
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Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
(2017) indicated that many teachers worry about the effectiveness of classroom teaching and
feel they lack of methods to improve the effectiveness. In their article on “Teaching
effectiveness and improving strategies’, Cheng and Zhang (2009) defined the teaching
efficiency which covers both effectiveness and efficiency or a combination of quantity and
quality results. It discussed the relationship between input and output or cost and effect.
Teaching effectiveness is the maximization of results with minimum cost, time, materials,
efforts, etc. Optimization of teaching can only be achieved through a scientific planning and
managing of teaching process and activities. They discussed some strategies to make learning
effective in high school English classroom through curriculum reform. It is a process of
operation, determination, teaching, observation, analysis and evaluation. Teachers define
personal teaching styles and qualities diversify the effective teaching strategies of primary
schools, and the teaching environment and the cultural background of English-speaking
countries affect the teaching strategies of primary school English.
Improving Learning Efficiency and Effectiveness
Recognizing the low efficiency in English learning and instruction, researchers and instructors
have devoted great effort in improving the learning efficiency in various aspects. Li and Liu
(2001) pointed out the English education should emphasize education for all-around
development or quality education. Yue-Tian-Yi Zhao; Zi-Yang Jia; Yong Tang; Jason Jie Xiong;
Yi-Cheng Zhang (2018), in their paper on Quantitative learning strategies based on word
networks, introduced strategies in learning vocabulary more efficiently. Ma (2011), introduced
the content of learning efficiency and the criteria of high-efficiency learning for middle school
students, including the criteria of quantity and quality. Then she analyzed the main factors
which can affect middle school students; English learning from different perspectives, including
physiological factors, psychological factors, students; learning factors and teachers; teaching
methods, and then pointed out some factors which could influence middle school students;
English learning. For example, English teachers can increase students; interest and motivation
in English by improving the relationship between teachers and students. They can improve
students; English learning efficiency by carefully selecting English language activities in class,
and help students improve their memory capability. Zhang (2006) thought that learning should
be a process of cultivating creative consciousness, developing creative thinking, and improving
creative ability. Teaching should be a process of actively guiding students in participating in
learning practice. She summarized classroom teaching modes to cultivate students; innovative
consciousness and creative ability in recent years, and divided them into four types, namely
stimulating interest, inspiration, exploration and evaluation. Sun (2010) showed several ways
to raise the efficiency in an English classroom, such as Habit, initiative, and persistence of
concentration on stimulating interest in learning. Wu (2001) suggested that in the teaching
design and implementation of grammar, vocabulary, listening, reading, oral and writing,
teachers can adopt the following foreign language teaching strategies: complete step-by-step
teaching strategies, training effective memory strategies, sorting out classified and
differentiated treatment strategies, and comparing and generalizing strategies; establishing
and expanding schemas; training students; listening and reading skills, teaching them fishing
strategies, enriching language input strategies, communicative strategies in ingenious teaching
process, and active strategies in the practice mode. Yu (2011) described some strategies for
improving teaching effectiveness, including activation of motivation and alternating learning
methods. She emphasized group activities, social interactions, and enrichment of classroom
contents. Zhong, et al (2002) suggested some steps to prevent waste in English language