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Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract

The extent to which the communicative language teaching approach is a relevant and viable methodology for English language teachers to use in China is an issue that has generated considerable interest in recent years. The conclusions drawn in this article are based on experiences of teaching in an in-service course for senior middle-school teachers of English in Hangzhou, China. The paper suggests that the communicative approach does have a role in English language teaching in China but that aspects of the approach need to be applied selectively and with caution. Some of the reasons for this stem from the nature of the approach itself while others are associated with both the past traditions and present circumstances of English language teaching and learning in China. The claim is made that while it is important to educate Chinese teachers of English in the use of communicative methodologies, significant changes to current practice will not occur as a result of this development in teacher education. It needs to be complemented by changes in the wider educational environment in China.

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COinS
 

Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.14221/ajte.1995v20n2.1