Thought Paper

In the field of English language education, various teaching methods

have emerged over the years, each with unique philosophies and

techniques. Modern approaches such as Communicative Language

Teaching (CLT) and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) have gained

more and more recognition for their effectiveness in cultivating real-world

communication skills and activating students’ interests. Although these

methods are becoming more and more popular in China and more and

more teachers are paying attention to them, grammar-translation method

continues to dominate English teaching in many contexts, particularly in

Chinese public schools. This article aims to give a brief introduction to

different teaching methods and analyze the reasons for the prevalence of

traditional method in Chinese public schools.

Teaching Methods Overview

Grammar-Translation Teaching Method

The grammar–translation method is a method of teaching foreign

languages derived from the classical or traditional method of teaching

Ancient Greek and Latin. This traditional method evolved into the

grammar translation method in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as

capitalism developed and other languages began to be taught (Fotos,

2005). It is a teaching method based on grammar and translation of the

written language. This method emphasizes the explicit teaching of

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grammar rules and vocabulary, often through direct translation exercises.

The core purpose of grammar-translation method is to help students

understand and read foreign language literature successfully (Richards &

Rodgers, 2001). The grammar-translation method has evolved over time

and developed the following key characteristics in its long-standing use in

English teaching in China:

1. Grammar rules from the text are thoroughly analyzed, followed by

exercises to apply and test the understanding of these rules.

2. After reading the text, each sentence is explained and translated,

with an emphasis on sentence-by-sentence translation between the native

and target languages.

3. The method prioritizes reading and writing, while placing less

importance on listening and speaking skills.

4. Vocabulary selection is based on the text being studied.

5. Instruction is primarily conducted in the native language, using it

to explain new content and draw comparisons between the target and

native languages.

From these characteristics, it is clear that the grammar-translation

method is grammar-focused, uses the native language as the medium of

instruction, relies on translation as a teaching tool, emphasizes reading

and writing, and encourages precise memorization of grammar rules and

vocabulary. The typical teaching process involves: teachers guiding

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students through vocabulary, translating the text, analyzing sentence

structures, practicing grammar points, doing translation exercises, and

having students recite the text.

This method is an efficient method for learning vocabulary and

grammatical structures. To focus on the rules of grammar in the target

language, students can properly recognize the features of two specific

languages which make learning easier (Akramy & Hashemi, 2022). The

grammar-translation method is easy to use and produces students with a

solid foundation and strong reading skills. Its disadvantages are also

obvious: it places too much emphasis on grammar analysis and text

translation, which makes students’ communicative ability weak.

Communicative Language Teaching

Numerous researchers have defined communicative language

teaching in various ways. Savignon (2002) states that “CLT refers to both

processes and goals in classroom learning” and that “the central

theoretical concept in communicative language teaching is

communicative competence” (p. 1). Communicative language teaching, or

the communicative approach, is an approach to language teaching that

emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of study.

It encourages students to engage in meaningful dialogues, practice their

speaking and listening skills, and develop their ability to express thoughts

and ideas in the target language effectively.

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 Adopting this method, the teacher usually focuses on the

communicative competence of students. A number of interactive activities

are held in classes, such as group work, pair work, and role play. It

emphasizes the fluency of the language rather than the accuracy of the

language. Students play an active role in their learning process, which

fosters greater motivation and engagement. CTM has gained popularity

for its effectiveness in developing learners’ communicative competence.

Task-based Teaching Method

Task-based Learning (TBL) is an English teaching approach that has

roots in the Communicative Language Teaching method, where the

teaching process is done entirely through communicative tasks.

With Task-based Learning, teachers ask students to complete

purposeful tasks with the use of the target language. The task is close

related to real-life, such as creating a poster, designing a map and so on.

The process may contain pre-task, task, and feedback. One of the key

features of TBL is its learner-centered approach. Students are actively

involved in their learning, working individually or in groups to complete

tasks. This not only promotes language use but also enhances

engagement and motivation. TBL also fosters collaborative learning. By

working together, students can share knowledge, provide support, and

learn from one another.

The Current Situation of English Teaching in China

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 In China, English has been a truly mandatory subject from

elementary school to middle school, and then to university. Realizing the

fact that after years of English study, many Chinese students still can not

speak much English or communicate with foreigners. Many scholars in

China also try to adopt interactive teaching methods. These interactive

teaching approaches have their advantages like activating students’

interests, creating a lively classroom atmosphere and fostering their

communicative competence. While the truth is that the traditional

grammar-translation teaching method stills plays the dominant role in

China’s education, especially in current Chinese public schools. I am going

to analyze the reasons from the following aspects.

The Influence of Current National Educational Policies

One of the primary reasons for the prevalence of traditional

teaching methods in Chinese public schools is the influence of current

national educational policies. The Ministry of Education in China has long

emphasized standardized testing as a measure of academic success.

Every student in public schools needs to take Zhongkao (the senior high

school entrance examination) to be admitted into Senior High school and

to take Gaokao (the National College Entrance Examination) to be

admitted into a domestic university or college. Both of them are

standardized examinations and held once a year. They are high-stakes

testings. If students fail in these exams, they can not go into any senior

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high school or university. They need to spend another year in preparing

for the exam again. Under the pressure of the high-stakes testing, most

teachers are teaching for tests, and students are learning for tests (Chen

et al., 2020) . The competition among different schools is also focused on

the test results of students. There are ranks of schools, classes and

teachers according to the scores of the students. If this school has more

students getting high scores and being admitted into universities, the

school will get fame and money reward. More parents are willing to send

their children to the top school.

Under such circumstances, parents and teachers all focus on the

exam. Schools and teachers pay closer attention to learning and

memorizing knowledge instead of training students’ skills, attitudes,

independent thinking and other non-cognitive attributes (Han & Yang,

2001). Schools only concentrate on the subjects and knowledge that must

be examined in the promotion examination. Students are trained

particularly to do the test. They are examined through a large number of

tests, such as class weekly, mid-term and end of term tests, all of which

place great pressure on the students.

English is a key subject in these examinations. During the

examination, there are the following types of questions: listening

comprehension, reading comprehension, multiple choice, sentence

translation and writing. The grammar-translation method tends to lead to

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strong results in exams focused on grammar, translation, and reading.

Therefore, teachers often prioritize traditional methods that prepare

students for the test rather than fostering communicative competence.

The Unequal Teaching Resources and Fixed Teaching Arrangement

China is a country with large population and unequal economic

development. The teaching resources distribution is unbalanced. Urban

areas, especially first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai, have access to

better funding, facilities, and experienced teachers, while rural schools

often struggle with basic resources. Many rural schools lack adequate

buildings, classrooms, and learning materials. Many English teachers in

rural areas primarily learn traditional grammar teaching methods during

their learning and training, lacking training and practical experience in

modern communicative teaching methods. Teachers in big cities may have

knowledge of interactive teaching method. They may take some activities

in class to improve students’ communicative competence. However, it’s

still very hard for them to have a student-centered classroom when they

have a lot of teaching tasks from the education bureau.

In China’s public schools, the textbook of each subject is set by the

education bureau, with specified teaching syllabus and progress

requirements, leaving little room for teachers to make independent

decisions. In the textbook, there are a lot of exercises about vocabulary

dictation and sentence translation. It heavily relies on the grammar-

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translation method, leading teachers to depend on this approach in their

teaching.

The Large Scale of Classroom

In China, from primary school to high school, there is often a large-

scale classroom. Class sizes can vary widely, but it is common to find

classes with over 35 students. Due to the large number of students, many

teachers adopt the grammar-translation method as it allows teachers to

cover a significant amount of material in a limited time. In China, it is not

practical to use the communicative method for such a large number of

students. Grammar translation method is more suitable for such a large

class, where the students learn more content and the teaching efficiency

is high (Wang, 2010). Teachers in large classrooms often face significant

workloads, which can lead to stress and burnout. The demands of

preparing materials, managing classroom behavior, grading assignments

for a large number of students and meetings have taken up almost all the

teachers’ energy and time.

The Impact of Traditional Culture

The influence of Chinese traditional culture on education in China is

significant. China, as the birthplace of Confucian Heritage Culture, has

been deeply influenced by its ideology since the Han Dynasty (206 BC–

220 AD). During this period, Confucianism became highly respected, and

Confucian classics were used as the foundation for the Kejǚ—an imperial

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civil service exam system for selecting government officials. This

centuries-old tradition placed great emphasis on exams in education and

the practical benefits of achieving high scores (Han & Yang, 2001).

Success in these exams could bring examinees and their families

advantages such as social prestige, wealth, and higher status, while

failure often resulted in poverty and disgrace (Chen, 2016). Though Kejǚ

had been abolished in 1905, it profoundly influenced the emphasis on

exams in Chinese education and people’s concept of education.

Examinations in China remain widely accepted and recognized by society

as a fair means of selecting top talent for advancement within the social

hierarchy (Cheng & Qi, 2006). Education is used for selecting talent rather

than for the holistic development of individuals. The learning content and

exam is primarily focus on rote memorization. Chinese people usually

view education as a way of getting better employment and higher social

status.

Traditional Confucian values emphasize respect for teachers, seeing

them as the bearer of knowledge and a figure of authority (Deng, 2023).

This leads to a teacher-centered classroom where the instructor is the

primary source of knowledge. Students are not encouraged to have

different opinions from the teachers’. In classes, students need to raise

hand to answer teachers’ questions. Not only English teaching is teacher-

centered, the teaching of other subjects is all teacher-centered. The

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student-centered communicative approach requires students to think

independently and actively participate in classroom activities, which may

take time for Chinese students to get used to.

The Purpose of English Learning in Public Schools

In China, from elementary school to middle school, and then to

university, extending through master’s and doctoral programs, English has

become a truly mandatory subject in all curricula for nearly 20 years of

education! Under the great pressure of exam, most students lose their

interest in learning English. For most Chinese students, the purpose of

learning English is to prepare for these exams. As a result, their learning

tends to be passive. It also makes very hard for teachers to have activities

in class. If the students have no intention to travel abroad or study

abroad, there are few chances for them to use their oral English especially

in the inner parts of China.

For parents, if they want their children to have overall development

of English, not just getting high scores in the exam, they will send their

children to English training centers. In the training center, a variety of

classes are provided to meet different needs of students. There are

grammar courses, oral English courses, pronunciation courses and so on.

The training schools often offer classes with small sales.

Conclusion

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 Due to the above reasons, the teacher-dominant grammar-

translation method will still prevail in Chinese public schools. It has

advantages like laying students a solid foundation of reading and writing

and preparing for the exams. Its drawback is also obvious like having little

focus on students’ communicative competence. In recent years, more

educators are attempting to break away from traditional models and

promote student-centered teaching methods. However, under the present

situation, unless the national educational policy changes, the teacher-

centered grammar-translation method still plays a dominant role at

China’s public schools.

References

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