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CollegeEnglishCurriculumRequirements

WithaviewtokeepingupwiththenewdevelopmentsofhighereducationinChina,deepeningteachingreform，improvingteachingquality,andmeetingtheneedsofthearmy,thecountryandsocietyforqualifiedpersonnelandofficersinthenewera,CollegeEnglishCurriculumRequirements(Requirementshereafter)isdrawnup,providingtheguidelinesforEnglishinstructiontonon-Englishmajorstudents.

I.CharacterandObjectiveofCollegeEnglish

CollegeEnglishisarequiredbasiccourseforundergraduatestudents.Asasystematicwhole,CollegeEnglishhasasitsmaincomponentsknowledgeandpracticalskillsoftheEnglishlanguage,learningstrategiesandinterculturalcommunication;ittakestheoriesofforeignlanguageteachingasitsguideandincorporatesdifferentteachingmodelsandapproaches.

TheobjectiveofCollegeEnglishistodevelopstudents’abilitytouseEnglishinanall-roundway,especiallyinlisteningandspeaking,sothatintheirfutureworkandsocialinteractionstheywillbeabletoexchangeinformationeffectivelythroughbothspokenandwrittenchannels,andatthesametimetheywillbeabletoenhancetheirabilitytostudyindependentlyandimprovetheirculturalqualitysoastomeettheneedsofChina'smilitaryreform,socialdevelopmentandinternationalexchanges.

II.TeachingRequirements

TherequirementsforundergraduateCollegeEnglishteachingaresetatthreelevels,i.e.,basicrequirements,intermediaterequirements,andhigherrequirements.Allnon-EnglishmajorsarerequiredtoattaintooneofthethreelevelsofrequirementsafterstudyingandpracticingEnglishatschool.Thebasicrequirementsisagoalthatallcollegegraduatesmustachieve;Intermediateandhigherrequirementsarerespectivelysetforthosewho,havinglaidagoodfoundationofEnglish,canaffordtimetolearnmoreofthelanguage.Thethreelevelsofrequirements,whichincorporateknowledgeandpracticalskillsoftheEnglishlanguage,learningstrategiesandinterculturalcommunication,embodyqualitativelyandquantitativelytheobjectiveofCollegeEnglishteaching.(Higherrequirementsomitted)

Basicrequirements

1.Listening:Studentsshouldbeabletofollowclassroominstructions,everydayconversations,andlecturesongeneraltopicsconductedinEnglish.Theyshould,byandlarge,beabletounderstandSpecialEnglishprogramsspokenataspeedofabout130-150wordsperminute(wpm),graspingthemainideasandkeypoints.Theyareexpectedtobeabletoemploybasiclisteningstrategiestofacilitatecomprehension.

2.Speaking:StudentsshouldbeabletocommunicateinEnglishinthecourseoflearning,toconductdiscussionsonagiventheme,andtotalkabouteverydaytopicswithpeoplefromEnglish-speakingcountries.Theyshouldbeabletogive,aftersomepreparation,shorttalksonfamiliartopicswithcleararticulationandbasicallycorrectpronunciationandintonation.Theyareexpectedtobeabletousebasicconversationalstrategiesindialogue.

3.Reading:Studentsshouldbeabletoread,inthemain,Englishtextsongeneraltopicsataspeedof70wpm.Withlongeryetlessdifficulttexts,thereadingspeedshouldbeat100wpm.Theyshouldbeabletoread,inthemain,EnglishnewspapersandmagazinespublishedinChina,graspingthemainideas,andunderstandingmajorfactsandrelevantdetails.Theyshouldbeabletounderstandtextsofpracticalstylescommonlyusedatworkandinlife.Theyareexpectedtobeabletoemployeffectivereadingstrategieswhilereading.

4.Writing:Studentsshouldbeabletocompletewritingtasksforgeneralpurposes,e.g.,describingpersonalexperiences,impressions,feelings,orsomeevents,andtoundertakepracticalwriting.Theyshouldbeabletowritewithin30minutesashortcompositionof120wordsonageneraltopicoranoutline.Thecompositionshouldbebasicallycompleteincontent,appropriateindictionandcoherentindiscourse.Studentsareexpectedtobeabletohaveacommandofbasicwritingstrategies．

5.Translation:Withthehelpofdictionaries,studentsshouldbeabletotranslateessaysonfamiliartopicsfromEnglishintoChineseandviceversa.ThespeedoftranslationfromEnglishintoChineseshouldbe300EnglishwordsperhourwhereasthespeedoftranslationfromChineseintoEnglishshouldbe250Chinesecharactersperhour.Thetranslationshouldreadsmoothly.Studentsareexpectedtobeabletouseappropriatetranslationtechniques.

6.RecommendedVocabulary:Studentsshouldacquireatotalof4,795wordsand700phrases(includingthosethathavebeencoveredinhighschoolEnglishcourses),amongwhich2,000areactivewords.Studentsshouldnotonlybeabletocomprehendtheactivewordsbutbeproficientinusingthemwhenexpressingthemselvesinspeakingorwriting.

Intermediaterequirements：

1．Listening:Studentsshouldbeabletofollow,inthemain,talksandlecturesbypeoplefromEnglish-speakingcountries,tounderstandlongerEnglishradioandTVprogramsproducedinChinaonfamiliartopicsspokenataspeedofaround150-180wpm,graspingthemainideas,keypointsandrelevantdetails.Theyshouldbeabletounderstand,byand1arge,courseintheirareasofspecialtytaughtbyforeignteachersinEnglish.

2.Speaking:StudentsshouldbeabletoholdconversationsinfairlyfluentEnglishwithpeoplefromEnglish-speakingcountries,andtoemployfairlywellconversationalstrategies.Theyshould,byandlarge,beabletoexpresstheirpersonalopinions,feelingsandviews,andtostatefacts,eventsandreasonswithcleararticulationandbasicallycorrectpronunciationandintonation.

3.Reading:Studentsshould,inthemain,beabletoreadessaysongeneraltopicsinnewspapersandmagazinespublishedinEnglish-speakingcountriesataspeedof70-90wpm.Withlongertextsforfastreading,thereadingspeedshouldbe120wpm．Studentsshouldbeabletoskimorscanreadingmaterials.Whenreadingsummaryliteratureintheirareasofspecialty,studentsshouldbeabletogetacorrectunderstandingofthemainideas,majorfactsandrelevantdetails.

4.Writing：Studentsshouldbeabletoexpresspersonalviewsongeneraltopics,composeEnglishabstractsofthesesintheirownspecialization,andwriteshortEnglishpapersontopicsoftheirspecialty.Theyshouldbeabletodescribechartsandgraphs,andtocompletewithin30minutesashortcompositionof160words.Thecompositionshouldbecompleteincontent,clearinorganizationandcoherentindiscourse.

5.Translation:Withthehelpofdictionaries,studentsshouldbeabletotranslatetextsonfamiliartopicsinnewspapersandmagazinespublishedinEnglishspeakingcountries,totranslateonaselectivebasisarticlesofpopularsciencerelevanttotheirownspecialty.ThespeedoftranslationfromEnglishintoChineseshouldbe350EnglishwordsperhourwhereasthespeedoftranslationfromChineseintoEnglishshouldbe300Chinesecharactersperhour.Thetranslationshouldreadsmoothly,conveytheoriginalmeaningandbefreefromseriousmistakesinunderstandingorexpression.

6.RecommendedVocabulary:Studentsshouldacquireatotalof6,395wordsand1,200phrases(includingthosethathavebeencoveredinhighschoolEnglishcoursesandtheBasicRequirements),amongwhich2,200areactivewords(includingtheactivewordsthathavebeencoveredintheBasicRequirements).

Higherrequirements：

1．Listening:Studentsshouldbeabletounderstandlongerdialoguesandpassages,andgraspthekeypointsevenwhensentencestructuresarecomplicatedandviewsareonlyimplied.Theyshould,byandlarge,beabletounderstandradioandTVprogramsproducedinEnglish-speakingcountries.Theyshouldbeabletounderstandlecturesrelatedtotheirareasofspecialtyandgraspthegistandmainpoints.

2.Speaking:Studentsshouldbeabletoconductdialoguesordiscussionswithcertaindegreeoffluencyandaccuracyongeneralorspecializedtopics,andtomakeconcisesummariesofextendedtextsorspeechesindifficultlanguage.Theyshouldbeabletodeliverpapersatacademicconferencesandparticipateindiscussions.

3.Reading:Studentsshouldbeabletoreadratherdifficulttexts,andunderstandtheirmeanings.Withthehelpofdictionaries,theyshouldbeabletoreadoriginalversionsofEnglishtextbooksandarticlesinnewspapersandmagazinespublishedinEnglish-speakingcountries,andtoreadliteraturerelatedtotheirareasofspecialtywithoutmuchdifficulty.

4.Writing:Studentsshouldbeabletoexpresstheiropinionsfreelyongeneraltopicswithclearstructure,richcontentandgoodlogic.Theyshouldbeabletowritebriefreportsandpapersoftheirareasofspecialty,andtowritewithin30minutesexpositoryorargumentativeessaysof200wordsonagiventopic.Thetexthascompletecontent,logicalthinking,andclearexpressionofideas.

5.Translation:Withthehelpofdictionaries,studentsshouldbeabletotranslatefairlydifficultyEnglishtextsonpopularscience,culture,andreviewsinnewspapersandmagazinespublishedinEnglish-speakingcountriesintoChinese,andtranslateChineseintroductorytextsontheconditionsofChinaorChinesecultureintoEnglish.ThespeedoftranslatingfromEnglishintoChineseshouldbe400EnglishwordsperhourwhereasthespeedoftranslatingfromChineseintoEnglishshouldbe350Chinesecharactersperhour.Thetranslationshouldconveytheideawithaccuracyandsmoothnessandbebasicallyfreefrommistakesandmisinterpretation.

6.RecommendedVocabulary:Studentsshouldacquireavocabularyof7,675wordsand1,875phrases,amongwhich2,360areactivewords(includingtheactivewordsthathavebeencoveredintheBasicRequirementsandIntermediateRequirements).

III．CourseDesigning

IndesigningCollegeEnglishcourses,requirementsforcompetenceinlisteningandspeakingshouldbefullyconsidered,andcorrespondingteachinghoursandcreditsshouldbeadequatelyallocated.

CollegeEnglishcoursedesigningshouldgiveafullplaytothestrengthsoftraditionalclassroomteaching,andencourageexcellentteacherstooffercoursessuitedtoclassroomteaching,thusformingacombinationwithcomputer-andWeb-basedcourses.

CollegeEnglishisnotonlyalanguagecoursethatprovidesbasicknowledgeaboutEnglish,butalsoacapacityenhancementcoursethathelpsstudentstobroadentheirhorizonsandlearnaboutdifferentculturesintheworld.WhendesigningCollegeEnglishcourses,therefore,itisnecessarytotakeintofullconsiderationthedevelopmentofstudents'culturalcapacityandtheteachingofknowledgeaboutdifferentculturesintheworld.

IV．TeachingModel

Inviewofthemarkedincreaseinstudentenrolmentsandtherelativelylimitedresources,theexistingunitaryteacher-centeredpatternoflanguageteachingshouldremouldedbyintroducingnewteachingmodelswiththehelpofmultimediaandnetworktechnology.Teachingmodelshouldcombinetheprinciplesofpracticality,knowledgeandinterest,mobilizetheinitiativeofbothteachersandstudents,andattachparticularimportancetothecentralroleofstudentsintheteachingandlearningprocess.

Tosuitourownneedsinlinewiththeconditionsandstudentsituation,ouruniversityhasdesignedmultimedialisteningandspeakingteachingmodeltodeliverlisteningandspeakingcourseviathecomputerandtheIntranet.And,theteachingofreading,writingandtranslationcanbeconductedeitherintheclassroomoronline.Ineithercase,however,enoughteachersareguaranteedforinstructionsorlectures.

Changesintheteachingmodelbynomeanscallforchangesinteachingpracticesorapproachesonly,but,moreimportant,consistinchangesinteachingphilosophy,andinashiftfromtheteacher-centeredpattern,inwhichknowledgeofthelanguageandskillsareimpartedbytheteacherinclassonly,tothestudent-centeredpattern,inwhichtheabilitytousethelanguage