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China's English The officia l Englis h Languag e curriculu m fo r junior secondar y school s i n China is a product o f navigation, mainl y by the PEP, through political , socioeconomic an d educationa l currents . Ove r time , th e Englis h Languag e curriculum ha s reflected th e vagaries of the socio-politica l climat e i n China . The curriculum has served as a mechanism for the state to appropriate Englis h to serv e it s differen t aspirations , b e the y revolutionar y o r economi c i n orientation. Th e (ofte n sudden ) shift s i n stat e prioritie s hav e require d curriculum developers to be nimble-footed i n ensuring the political correctness of the resources, but within the constraints, they have maintained th e principl e of selective appropriation o f pedagogy and hav e evolved a system that allow s stakeholders a considerabl e rol e i n helpin g t o mak e sur e tha t th e finishe d product i s teachabl e a t th e chalkfac e i n China . Navigatio n ha s bee n particularly hazardou s a t time s becaus e o f th e controvers y surroundin g th e role and statu s of English in China: an alien language with negative historica l connotations, but viewed by the state as necessary for future prosperity . At times of politicization, th e statu s of English was extremely low, and becaus e o f th e grave politica l risk s tha t i t involved , Englis h Languag e teachin g wa s eithe r abandoned o r taugh t with a high degre e o f circumspection. A t other times , the stud y of English ha s been enthusiasticall y embrace d b y the stat e and th e populace. At present, th e role and statu s of English i n China is higher tha n eve r in history as evidenced by its position a s a key subject in the curriculum, with its growing us e a s a mediu m o f instructio n a s man y school s adop t a bilingua l approach t o education ; an d a s a crucial determinan t fo r universit y entranc e and procuring well-paid jobs in the commercial sector. CCP leaders value th e contribution tha t English can make to the nation's modernization programme , particularly with China's entry into the World Trade Organization, and, indeed, many politician s a t th e highes t level s ar e competen t i n th e language . Th e success o f bid s fo r prestigiou s internationa l sportin g events , suc h a s th e Olympic Games , has been dependen t t o some extent upon China' s ability to 8฀ 196 China' s English : A histor y o f English i n Chinese educatio n cater fo r th e linguisti c need s o f th e foreig n mas s medi a an d tourists . Despit e the occasiona l an d generall y ineffectiv e campaign s t o contro l th e diffusio n o f Western thought , mores and cultura l artefact s suc h a s po p music , films an d websites tha t ar e deeme d unsuitable , Englis h — onc e spoke n onl y b y th e despised socia l outcasts o f Chinese societ y — i s now the mai n secon d languag e of th e nation' s political , academic , industria l an d commercia l communities . Because Chin a ha s th e capacit y fo r producin g it s ow n schoo l textbook s — unlik e man y othe r developin g nation s — th e stat e ha s a degre e o f contro l over th e curriculu m (Altbach , 1991) . A s a result , bot h th e curriculu m development processe s an d th e product s — th e syllabus , textbooks an d othe r resources — reflec t th e contemporar y tensions , an d th e shift s i n th e curriculum ove r tim e ar e lik e a weathervan e indicatin g th e change s i n th e state's priorities...

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