English around the world

The Asian Association of Teachers of English as Foreign Language, China National Advisory Commission on Foreign Language Teaching, College English Teaching and Research Association of China, China Research and Development Center for Foreign Language Teaching and Learning and Higher Education Press of China jointly organised an international conference in Beijing from November 4 to 6 at China Resource Hotel to exchange views and ideas about how to develop the standard of English in Asian countries. More than five hundred scholars, researchers, teachers, educationists and critics gathered in the conference. More than one hundred papers were presented in the conference. The world famous professors from Asia, Europe, America and Africa attended the conference. This writer also presented a paper. The participants shared and exchanged their views and ideas about teaching, learning, teaching methodology and overall situation of English in non-native countries. On the basis of this conference the writer has tried to focus some light on the situation of English in China and Japan, the two giants of Asia in respect of resource, economy and industrial development.

Complaints often arise when people come to talk about English learning. Students spend many years learning it, usually from junior middle school in the past and now from elementary school grade 3, but their ability of using the language is limited. How to learn English more effectively and efficiently has become a great concern to the people of China. In Xi'an there are 14 kindergartens under experiment, 3 in Shenzhen, 1 in Beijing, I in Wuhan, some other kindergartens from Shanton, Guangdong, Ningbo, Zhejiang, Fuzhou and Shenda are also involved in the programme. The English Immersion Programmes are also being carried out in many elementary schools, one of which is Luojiashan Elementary School in Wuhan. The first immersion kids are now junior middle school students whose English capability has been recognised not only by their parents but also by the schools and education authorities.

Immersion refers to the language learning model of using the second language as the teaching language. This turns the second language teaching to the integration of language teaching and curriculum subjects. This division depends on the following four principles. First, the curriculum subjects in school offer the natural basis and settings for the second language acquisition and give children chances to communicate in the languages where children can learn the second language effectively. Second, the important and interesting learning contents give the children the motivation to master the second language and stimulate them to use it. Third, the acquisition of children's first language is the process of combining the language and the cognitive contents in which their cognitive and communicative abilities develop at the same time. So does the second language. Fourth, the regular and functional characteristics of language change with the situation. The teaching model of combining the language with the curriculum subjects offers children broad and different situations to use the language.

Computerized Assessment System for English Communication (CASEC) is a computer adapted test developed in Japan which aims to measure English communication proficiency.

Bangladesh can share some experiences of these two countries.