ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the theoretical and practical developments in English language teaching (ELT) in contemporary China, with a focus on the past 15 years. Such events as China’s entry into the WTO in 2001 and the hosting of the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008 greatly stimulated English language learning and teaching in the country. In return, the progress made in ELT has also contributed immeasurably to the social and economic development of the country. Along the way, there have been incessant discussions and changes concerning the objectives, content, methodologies and assessment of ELT in China. Some of the discussions and changes reflect the general trend of ELT development in the world, such as the pursuit of the cultivation of students’ communicative competence or of greater positive washback effect from assessment, but most of them bear distinct Chinese characteristics. They either reflect the changing social and economic environment or demonstrate the growing maturity of the ELT profession in China.
