ABSTRACT
Humans live in a world with languages. Their possession of languages distinguishes them from other animals. Moreover, many individuals have a mastery of two or more languages, which not only demonstrates the great plasticity of the human brain but also empowers humans in many ways. Teacher shortage is the first and foremost challenge for English education in China. Take 2002 as an example 121.57 million pupils were enrolled in 456.9 thousand primary schools in China. The availability of opportunities for using a second language, or even just being exposed to it, would be a key factor in second-language learning. However, unlike the case in India and the Philippines, where English is one of the official languages, Chinese students’ English learning occurs in a largely non-English environment. Limited learning resources are another significant problem that has seriously impeded the progress of English education in China. There are few high-quality instructional resources and learning materials.
