[Vox pop] Do Chinese still need to learn English?
In China, English has long been a core subject from primary school to university. But years of exam-focused learning have led many to question its value. ThinkChina’s Lu Lingming and Yi Jina speak with some Chinese to find out their thoughts.
Chinese people have spent years learning English. Starting from Year 1 in primary school and continuing all the way to the College English Tests (CET-4 and CET-6) at university, English has been treated as a core subject in China, on the same level as Chinese and Mathematics.
But in an exam-oriented system like China’s, especially with the zhongkao (high school entrance exam) and the gaokao (college entrance exam), the focus is overwhelmingly on what can be tested on paper. That means listening and reading comprehension in fill-in-the-blank formats, and essay writing, take centre stage, while speaking, a core component of any language and the very basis of human interaction, is often sidelined.
As observed by video journalist Lingming Lu through conversations with his peers, Chinese students often spend years perfecting grammar and memorising obscure, rarely used words for exams — only to freeze when asked a simple question in English. This “mute English” phenomenon has long been a reality in China, leading many to question the value of learning English at all. That doubt has fuelled a long-running debate: do Chinese still need to learn English?
So, is English still a must-have skill in China today? Watch the video to hear what some Chinese have to say.
