Feng Yu and Principal Li finished discussing business and started to chat. Principal Li mentioned that many students could not even pass CET 4, and some universities had linked CET 4 with their graduation certificate. As a result, the passing rate of CET 4 had increased significantly.
When he said this, Headmaster Li's expression seemed to suggest that this was a good move. But he saw a trace of disdain on Feng Yu's face.
"Why? You seem to have a different opinion on this?"
"No. I don't know anything about education." Feng Yu might be saying this, but his disdainful expression is more obvious.
Feng Yu had heard about this from Li Na, and many universities in Feng Yu's previous life had implemented this method. But most of them were stopped because the higher-ups realized this problem.
"Is there anything that General Manager Feng doesn't know?" Principal Li purposely teased.
"Since Headmaster Li has said so, then I'll share my personal opinion. It's just a humble opinion, just for reference."
"What is English? It is a language that originated from England and is the official language of many countries. Even the world's most powerful country, the US, uses English as their official language. But what is the essence of English? It is a language. "
"We are from Hua Xia, and our mother tongue is Mandarin. I am curious why our Mandarin is not linked to our graduation certificate. Most of the majors in our universities do not require us to learn Mandarin, but we need to learn English. Also, CET 4 is linked to our graduation certificate."
"What can CET 4 prove? Prove that you know this language? Or prove that you know these words? Do you think you can tell the meaning of a sentence just by knowing so many words? "
Principal Li heard Feng Yu's tone and retorted. "I remember you were guaranteed a place in our University, right? You are proficient in Russian and English. Since you belittle English, why did you learn it in High School? "
"I am not belittling English. English is the most widely used language in the world. This is because England was the most powerful navy in the past, and the Queen of England had many colonies. Even now, countries like Canada, India, and Australia still follow the Queen of England. "
"I am learning English because I can use it. Language was a skill, a skill for survival, a skill for life. It could help people communicate and reduce communication barriers. I'm going overseas to do business, so I learned this language. This will make it easier for me to discuss cooperation with business partners. "
"But what about the other students in our university? How many of them can use English? To put it bluntly, more than 90% of people probably wouldn't be able to use it in their lifetime. Even for those who have passed the fourth or even the sixth level, do you think they can really learn how to read and write? Can you communicate with people in English as easily as I can? "
"I remember that many professors in our school do not know English, right? It could even be said that they didn't know a single foreign language. Was this interfering with their education? How much money did those students spend to learn a language that they might never use in their entire lives? Buying reference books, reading English newspapers, listening to English radio, watching English movies and TV series … All of these bring about another big problem. "
Headmaster Li frowned and asked, "What problem?"
"The spread of ideas. They watch English movies, TV series, read English novels, newspapers, and most of what they accept are Western ideas. For example, American heroism, money-oriented capitalism, etc. These will deeply influence many students' thinking. "
"Why do so many students want to study abroad? Is the education abroad really good? Why do they want to live abroad? Is the life abroad really so good? Because the media only shows the positive image of those countries, and the dark side of those countries will not be exposed. "
"Actually, many students are not interested in this. But because they want to learn English, they are forced to read these materials by their teachers and parents. From then on, they want to live abroad."
"For example, there is not much pressure on their studies, it is easy to get into a university, there is not much pressure on their lives, and they can find jobs everywhere. Everyone is equal, and there are no corrupt officials, etc. These are all very one-sided, and they might be creating an illusion. "
"In the US, it is easy to get into a university. If you can get into a college, you can apply to a university in the US. This is because there are many private universities in the US, and the entrance requirements are very low. But it is also not easy to graduate from those universities. Even if you graduate, you might not be able to find a job. Many Americans do not want to go to those universities. The youth crime rate in the US is much higher than in Hua Xia. Also, there is a lot of corruption in the US. But because they are two political parties, and they supervise each other, it is not easy for them to be greedy. "
"Nowadays, a lot of so-called international students go to private universities, or the kind of universities that you can go to as long as you pay, which is specially for people in developing countries like us to gild their money. How many of them do you think will be able to make it? In fact, many of the people who came back from the gilded period were not fluent in their language. To be frank, it depends on how hard they work. "
Headmaster Li said unhappily, "From what you're saying, it seems like the English class should be canceled?"
"Not really. I have said that English is also a skill. It is like a carpenter. If you know how to saw wood, you cannot be considered a carpenter. If you know how to make furniture, you can be considered a carpenter. If you know how to make exquisite items, you will be considered a master carpenter. English can be learned, but you must master it. At least you must be able to communicate with others. If not, it is just a certificate to prove that you have learned it before. There is a huge difference between learning it and mastering it! "
"Not everyone needs English. We have not even mastered Mandarin. Why should we learn English when we might not be able to use it? Look at the English training schools now. After English Proficiency Level 4 is linked to the graduation certificate, those schools charge more. Do the so-called foreign teachers hired by the school have the qualifications to be teachers? Have they learned how to teach? Do they have any morals? "
"That's why I think it is ridiculous for students to start learning English in primary schools or even kindergartens. Even in our middle school, English is the same as Chinese and Mathematics, the proportion of marks is too high. Do you think it is good to equate English with our mother tongue? "
Principal Li lowered his head and is in deep thoughts. Feng Yu's words are reasonable. There are some scholars in China who said English should not be emphasized. But their explanations are different from Feng Yu's.
This problem should be considered carefully. It should be brought up for discussion during the next education work meeting. It was outrageous that the parents of Zhonghua paid more attention to their children's English results!
Perhaps English should be treated as an ordinary subject, just like other foreign languages.
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