Globalization and English in Chinese higher education

ABSTRACT:  This paper sets China's education of English majors within the changing global and national context. It examines the impact of accelerating globalisation and the rise of global English, the adjustment of China's English language policy, the growth of the education of English majors and the challenges faced by this sector of education. To adapt to the changes, efforts have been made to change the training models, revise the national curriculum and update textbooks. The introduction of six new training models is significant: “English major plus courses in other specialisms”, “English major plus an orientation towards other disciplines”, “English major plus a minor”, “A major plus English language”, “English language plus another foreign language”, and “Dual degree: BA degree of English language and literature plus another BA degree”. Turning out ‘composite-type’ graduates has become a training objective of the curriculum for English majors, with consequent implications for the future development of this sector of education in China.