This issue’s column features an impassioned essay by a teaching assistant who reflects on her educational journey from China to Japan. Studying to become a language teacher, Huang Siyuan is currently at the crossroads of debating whether it is better to employ traditional exam-oriented learning styles or more creative learning styles in her own classroom. The author assesses the problems of examination-oriented education in English teaching in China and puts forward teaching strategies that she has learned in Japan to synergistically improve the quality of English education.
I grew up in a very traditional Chinese family. My parents were both teachers: My father taught physical education, and my mother taught English. Because of my mother’s profession, I was exposed to the English language at a young age. Like everything I learned in my hometown of Hebei, China, I learned to read and write English by traditional methods. I can also recite long Chinese poems, I know multiplication tables by heart, and can rhyme off the capital cities of 100 countries. I adopted an exam-oriented memorization approach to learning English and all its grammatical forms. I never questioned this learning process. I was able to meet nationwide educational standards and achieved good grades. According to the English Curriculum Standards issued by China’s Ministry of Education (2022), which includes both the compulsory education and senior high school stages, students in the compulsory education phase are expected to comprehend spoken English at a speed of approximately 100–120 words per minute, possess a vocabulary of about 1,600 words, read at a speed of 50–70 words per minute, and be able to write narrative or practical texts of around 80 words with correct grammar. At the high school level, students should understand listening materials at 130–150 words per minute, have a vocabulary of about 3,500 words, read at a speed of 70–90 words per minute, and be able to write argumentative essays or reports of over 120 words with clear structure. However, my devotion to rote memorization began to change shortly after I moved to Japan.
Upon arriving in Japan, I noticed that the local language teaching methods—whether for Japanese or English—emphasized student autonomy. When I attended a language school in Tokyo, the teacher would ask each of my classmates and me to translate sentences or to construct sentences using picture prompts. I was surprised that not only was everyone’s answer different, but each answer was considered to be correct. Yet, I remained fixated on seeking a single correct answer from the teacher, as my traditional upbringing had conditioned me to believe that only the teacher’s answer was authoritative. This was a constraint ingrained in me by the conventional Chinese education system. It took me several months to fully adapt to this more individualized approach to learning. That said, as a beneficiary of Chinese-style education, I did not entirely dismiss its merits. When applying for graduate school, I took a TOEIC test to enhance my résumé, and the advantages of the exam-focused Chinese education became evident. Drawing on my lifelong habits, I quickly analyzed the test’s patterns, reviewed grammar in the way my mother had instructed me, practiced listening comprehension repeatedly, and relied heavily on intensive mock exams. Almost all of my tutors were Chinese, each highly skilled in test-taking strategies and familiar with question patterns. Through these methods, I managed to score 700 on the TOEIC after just a short preparation period of a few months. Although this score may not be exceptionally high, I was quite satisfied, especially considering that it had been six years since I had studied English systematically—I had barely studied English since high school. I believe that Chinese people truly excel at exams because they can decipher the underlying rules. I believe that it is precisely due to the rigorous demands of the Chinese education system that I was able to achieve a satisfying score on the TOEIC exam. My solid foundational knowledge, built through years of structured learning, played a crucial role in my performance.
My First Step in Western Education
In July, 2024, I passed the entrance examination and enrolled at a privately run graduate school located in Kagoshima. During orientation for the first semester, I selected an English course that promised to help enrollees understand and talk about a variety of special topics. The course instructor was a Canadian, who introduced me to Western-style education for the first time in my academic life. Initially, I struggled significantly with this new learning approach. I felt extremely shy about public speaking, feared opening my mouth in class, and avoided interacting with classmates from Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea. I relied entirely on translation apps, as if my brain had lost its ability to think independently. During my first presentation, the instructor not only pointed out my shortcomings but asked my classmates to also critique my presentation style. Admittedly, I had kept my head down reading mechanically from my script, failed to engage with the audience, and displayed stiff body language.
For my second presentation, I rebounded from these mistakes. From topic selection to content development, I crafted an entire speech independently without relying on translation tools or AI tools such as ChatGPT. I shared a story about stepping out on a city walk (a trending term on Chinese social media that literally means strolling around an urban area in a relaxed, aimless way). I talked about exploring a city and visiting temples to more deeply experience its history and culture. To add some personal interest, I included anecdotes about interactions I had with my boyfriend at that time, including our blessings for academic success rather than romantic relationships. Incidentally, we went our separate ways following that trip. Intrigued by my presentation in the classroom, the audience asked me to lead them all on a campus walk (see Figure 1). I got positive feedback and was praised for my presentation skills. To this day, I consider this to be my most interesting and satisfying presentation.
Negotiating My Identity as a TA and as a Participant in Classes
The second semester of my graduate studies brought an unexpected opportunity—the professor of the English class on special topics invited me to serve as a teaching assistant (TA) for two undergraduate English courses, each with 40 Japanese students. My initial apprehension about my linguistic capabilities (both English proficiency and Japanese ability to provide clear instructions) gave way to surprising competence during the first English session (see Figure 2). In a Travel English course, an engaging video introduction captivated the undergraduate students, and then I took the students on a campus walk through a forest to compose haiku about spring blossoms on the trees—an experience that dissolved my anxieties and instilled professional confidence. Together, the students and I disproved the idiom “can’t see the forest for the trees.”
In the second course, English Education, the students practiced role-playing simulations. Everyone adopted teaching personas such as a parent, a principal, or a junior high school student. I was a TA, but in class I became an assistant language teacher. By fully immersing myself as both participant and observer, I gained multidimensional insights into pedagogical effectiveness and learner needs. The instructor differentiated his approach between these courses: Travel English emphasizes conversational fluency through relaxed atmospheres, whereas English Education maintains rigorous standards for prospective classroom instructors.
From my new perspective, the role of a TA represents a unique third-party vantage point in the classroom dynamic—one that facilitates the instructor’s achievement of pedagogical objectives while actively promoting student engagement throughout the learning process. There is a profound Chinese proverb that states, “Those closely involved cannot see as clearly as those outside” (dang ju zhe mi pang guan zhe qing), which perfectly encapsulates why educational settings require an observant outsider to objectively identify potential disconnects between educators and learners. Furthermore, for aspiring language teachers like myself, the opportunity to observe seasoned professors in action constitutes the most accelerated form of professional development. This triangular dynamic—encompassing instructors, students, and teaching assistants—creates mutually beneficial synergies that elevate the entire educational experience.
Collision or Harmony
As someone who embodies an amalgamation of Eastern and Western educational philosophies, the stark contrast in pedagogical approaches has granted me exceptional insight into developing more effective, learner-centric teaching methodologies. The Chinese education system, with its examination-oriented focus, emphasizes standardized answers and knowledge transmission, cultivating formidable linguistic foundations and exceptional test-taking abilities through intensive drilling exercises. Conversely, western education seems to prioritize practical applications, emphasizing the cultivation of critical thinking and individual expression through immersive, context-rich learning experiences that develop real-world language competencies. My personal journey as a learner has empirically demonstrated how perfectly these two systems can complement each other: Chinese education provides the structural framework and foundational knowledge, while Western approaches promote creative potential and practical skills.
An ideal foreign language education system can strategically integrate the strengths of both paradigms—not only establishing comprehensive knowledge networks, but also intensifying the development of applied competencies. The ultimate purpose of language acquisition extends far beyond mere academic study; it aims to culminate in practical implementation. This principle of learning for application represents not just the essence of English education, but indeed the fundamental objective of mastering any language. The Chinese approach builds the cognitive architecture through systematic repetition and precision, while Western methods bring this architecture to life through authentic communication scenarios. Zhang and Hui (2024) suggested that with the increasing intensity of social competition, the issue of exam-oriented education in English teaching has become increasingly serious. Although exam-oriented education can, to some extent, help select English talents and improve students’ knowledge of the language, its excessive emphasis on test scores has led to negative consequences, such as continuously escalating competition. The researchers also suggested that more attention should be paid to cultivating students’ creative thinking in English rather than focusing solely on exam results. Allowing students to use English in various real-life contexts not only enhances their practical language skills but also stimulates their imagination and creativity.
Chinese language teachers are gradually transforming their teaching methods, according to Chen (2023) who critiqued The English Curriculum Standards for Senior High Schools set by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (2020). The standards explain the basic principles that should be followed in grammar teaching practice under the background of the new curriculum stan-dards. For example, it includes a design for teaching the cases of modal verbs in senior high school English classes based on these principles. Teachers are encouraged to explore the combination and application of the basic principles in the teaching of new curriculum standards and senior high school English grammar teaching by following these cascading four steps in each class:
- introduce the topic while exploring the grammatical form
- explore the topic while identifying the grammatical form
- expand the topic while exploring the grammatical rules
- sublimate the topic while applying the grammatical rules
These steps can enable students to understand, analyze, summarize, and use the grammatical rules in the context of the theme and cultivate their comprehensive language skills.
Of Course Harmony
The dual perspective I have gained allows me to identify precisely when students need the disciplined structure of Eastern methods versus the creative freedom of Western approaches. During grammar instruction, the meticulous Chinese focus on form and accuracy prevents fossilization of errors. Yet, when developing communicative competence, Western-style task-based learning and project work prove indispensable. My experience as a TA has shown me how to artfully transition between these modes—perhaps beginning a lesson with explicit grammar instruction (Eastern approach) before transitioning to student-led discussions or presentations (Western approach).
The metacognitive awareness developed through this cultural and educational duality represents an invaluable asset in contemporary language education. It enables me to diagnose whether a student’s difficulty in language acquisition stems from insufficient foundational knowledge (addressed through Eastern methods) or lack of practical application opportunities (remedied through Western techniques). By offering precise diagnosis and enabling the application of tailored instruction, this approach establishes optimal language acquisition conditions that surpass the capabilities of either system alone.
Ultimately, the synthesis I have developed suggests that language education must be both systematic and organic, precise and creative, and structured and spontaneous. The Eastern tradition provides the necessary scaffolding, while the Western approach teaches learners how to build creative structures to implement in real-world contexts. In light of the continued globalization of education, such integrative models will become increasingly vital in preparing students not just to learn a language as defined by vocabulary and grammar, but to live and work through it—truly fulfilling the highest purpose of language learning.
References
Chen, M. (2023). Study of English grammar teaching practice in senior high school under the background of new curriculum standards. Frontiers in Science and Engineering, 3(8). 45–52. https://doi.org/10.54691/fse.v3i8.5526
Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. (2020). English curriculum standards for senior high schools (2017 Edition). People’s Education Press. https://basic.smartedu.cn/
Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. (2022). English curriculum standards for compulsory education (2022 Edition). Beijing Normal University Publishing Group. http://www.moe.gov.cn/
Zhang, Y., & Hui, X. (2024). Research on English teaching issues and countermeasures under examination-oriented education. Advances in Social Sciences, 13(12), 204–208. https://doi.org/10.12677/ass.2024.13121096
