English Is Not Math
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Date
2011-06-??
Authors
戴禮
Nigel P. Daly
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
英語學系
Department of English, NTNU
Department of English, NTNU
Abstract
自2001年以來，針對臺灣的中小學教育體系，教育部已執行實質的改革，其中包括公佈課程綱要，以規範課程內容和教學方法。這些改革乃因應教育系統改革的國際趨勢，以順應全球化的影響力，讓學生和國家勞動力在21世紀的知識經濟下轉型成功。教育部的課程綱要反應了全球化趨勢的英語教學需求，亦即以學生為中心和展現聽說讀寫四項技能為導向的教學法，但在大多數的臺灣課堂教學中，它所發揮的作用甚微。本文將教育部課程綱要實踐失敗的原因，歸諸於高中和大學入學考試採用了「高風險測驗」，而其測驗格式和內容所導致的負面「回沖效應」。然而有人亦主張這些高風險測驗的格式和內容不僅提供且可彰顯其文化、社會與經濟背景，即使改變高風險測驗的內容也無法證明教育改革得以成功落實。
Since 2001, the MOE has made substantial reforms to Taiwan’s K-12 education system, including the release of Curriculum Guidelines that prescribe content and approaches to teaching. These reforms can be seen in light of international trends of reforming education systems to respond to the forces of globalization and to enable students and national workforces for success in the 21st century knowledge economies. Although the MOE Guidelines echo global trends in their call for English language teaching that is more student-centered and 4-skills performance-oriented, they have had little impact on the teaching in most Taiwanese classrooms. This paper attributes the failure of the MOE’s implementation of teaching guidelines to the negative washback of high stakes senior high school and college entrance examinations due to their testing role, format and content. However, it is argued that the format and content of these high stakes tests both contribute to and emerge from a cultural, societal and economic context, and that even changing the content of high stakes exams may prove unlikely to realize the successful implementation of educational reforms that are aimed at preparing countries and their citizens for the challenges of the 21st century.
Since 2001, the MOE has made substantial reforms to Taiwan’s K-12 education system, including the release of Curriculum Guidelines that prescribe content and approaches to teaching. These reforms can be seen in light of international trends of reforming education systems to respond to the forces of globalization and to enable students and national workforces for success in the 21st century knowledge economies. Although the MOE Guidelines echo global trends in their call for English language teaching that is more student-centered and 4-skills performance-oriented, they have had little impact on the teaching in most Taiwanese classrooms. This paper attributes the failure of the MOE’s implementation of teaching guidelines to the negative washback of high stakes senior high school and college entrance examinations due to their testing role, format and content. However, it is argued that the format and content of these high stakes tests both contribute to and emerge from a cultural, societal and economic context, and that even changing the content of high stakes exams may prove unlikely to realize the successful implementation of educational reforms that are aimed at preparing countries and their citizens for the challenges of the 21st century.