Abstract
This chapter offers an overview of continuing professional development (CPD) for Chinese teachers of English. We examine reasons for the growth of English teaching and the importance attached by the Chinese government to the role of CPD in the implementation of educational reform. We discuss early responses to these developments in the form of in-country collaboration with overseas partners, courses delivered by Chinese providers, and overseas programs. An overview of research points, on the one hand, to the willingness of teachers to embrace reform and, on the other hand, the limited evidence of change in the classroom. Resistance to reform is explained in terms of preoccupation with examinations by the society at large and the particular difficulties facing the less-developed western provinces and rural areas. Particular challenges facing CPD delivered in China include the low levels of linguistic and cultural competence of English teachers. These limitations are minimized when CPD takes place in English-speaking countries where benefits include increased proficiency in English, as well as heightened awareness of pedagogical choices and intercultural understanding. However, the associated challenges include sustainability and the need for overseas providers to work together with participants to ensure that content and delivery match actual needs. Directions for future research are suggested, with particular attention to the needs of multilingual ethnic minority and rural communities.
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Li, D., Edwards, V. (2017). Overseas Training of Chinese Secondary Teachers of English. In: Van Deusen-Scholl, N., May, S. (eds) Second and Foreign Language Education. Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02246-8_21
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