• Helmut Stein：Based on Learning
  • 作者：千课万人  发表时间：2015-06-23

  • Based on Learning
     
           The year 2014 is linked in Europe with the year 1914, the beginning of the first World War or the “Great War” from English viewpoint. The war ended with the breakdown of the German Empire, the Austrian-Hungarien Empire, the Osmanic Empire, and the Russian Empire. But also the European victors England and France were totally exhausted and nearly collapsed. They only survived because of the support from USA.  The US made big business during this war and a big step forward to become the follower of England as a leading military world power.
           Aside from these military facts very little is known today about the economical situation and performance of the European states at the beginning of the 20. century.
           Many people are surprised to learn that Germany (or the German Empire at that time) was the worldwide leading economy. Germany produced about 90 % of all colours worldwide,  had 87 % market share in chemistry and pharmacy, was leading in electric equipments, optics, mechanics, machinery, and science.  Most of scientific and technical literature was written in German language. You need to know German, when you wanted to get high level information. German technology and organisation was a role model worldwide.
           After the war ended 1918 defeated Germany lost all its worldwide markets, most of its patents and was forbidden to do international trading until anglo-american companies had taken over the former German dominated markets.
           The question is, what is the relation between this situation 100 years ago and the conference in 2014 about English teaching in Hangzhou ?
           The German success was based on learning and education. Germany had established an outstanding education system that brought superior results compared to the competing states like England, France, Italy or US. Already long time ago in Germany reading and writing was a common ability of people. Today this ability is still a problem in many third world countries. In Europe it was still a point even around 1850. In Germany at those times less than 1 % of the population was not able to read and write, in England and France about 10 %, in US about 12 % (coloured people about 49/ %), and Italy even about 47 % could not read and write.
           Today within the first or second world reading and writing ability is not a point any more. But additional abilities are necessary, one of them is knowledge of English language. Because of the worldwide military and financial Anglo-American dominance you have a deficit when you are not able to speak and write English. Most of scientific and technical literature is published in English, internet is in mainly English and so on. So English today is the language which is needed to get access to international knowledge in all kinds of technology, economics, and science. The ability to understand and use English is of course not the only ability which is needed to be successful in developing a country, but without English you have a much harder way to go.
           So to spread the knowledge of English language within a non English speaking country is a main contribution for the success of this country. In this way English teachers and their ability to teach efficiently with methods play a main role in the developing processes of this country.

    作者：Helmut Stein（同济大学教授）

  • 【上一篇】李 晨：教育神经科学对英语教学“学本课堂”的启示 【下一篇】褚金丽：义务教育《英语课程标准》及英语考试改革背景下

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