On April 16, the 14^th National High-Level Forum for Chairs of English Departments, themed on “We and Future”, took place in Xiamen. The forum was jointly organized by the Ministry of Education’s Steering Committee for Teaching Foreign Languages and Literatures in Higher Education Institutions, Shanghai International Studies University and Xiamen University. Focused on higher foreign language education, the forum explored the future development of English programs in the context of new liberal arts. Attendees in the forum included Sun Youzhong, Director of the Steering Committee for Teaching Foreign Languages and Literatures in Higher Education Institutions; Zhang Rong, President of XMU; Chen Zhiwei, Secretary of the CFLC Party Committee; and Chen Jing, Dean of CFLC. 

Attendees pose for a group photo

XMU President Zhang Rong addressed the forum on behalf of XMU. He said that on the occasion of the XMU centenary, the 14^th National Senior Forum for Chairs of English Departments played a significant role in promoting the reform of higher foreign language education and had far-reaching implications for the cultivation of English talent in the new era. Looking back on the century-long history of XMU’s foreign language discipline, President Zhang Rong expressed his hope that through this forum, the participating experts and academics could conduct in-depth exchanges and contribute their expertise to the innovation of English programs in the context of new liberal arts, cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary development of foreign language programs, intelligent education, and innovation of foreign language teaching.

XMU President Zhang Rong addresses the forum

CFLC Dean Chen Jing shared her insights into the prospect of English programs. She stated that in the face of the unprecedented changes as well as the opportunities and challenges brought by global governance, English programs had entered an important period of transformation and development, placing higher requirements on the central task, reform, innovation and training mode of English programs. The training of students in English programs should be transformed from the dissemination of simple language knowledge to the construction of a comprehensive humanistic knowledge system, from the cultivation of language skills to the enhancement of cross-linguistic and cultural competency and interdisciplinary ability, and from classroom learning ability to social practice ability. To this end, she advocated the “integration view”, “characteristic view” and “tiered view”, stressing the need to recognize that the development of different abilities is complementary and mutually transforming. She stated that it is important to preserve individual characteristics, draw up top-level designs, set categorical training goals, identify the most efficient course of action, and establish a balance between the necessity and feasibility of transformational change.

CFLC Dean Chen Jing speaks at the forum

The National High-Level Forum for Chairs of English Departments, now in its 13^th year, bears witness to the development of English programs across the nation over the past decade. The forum is a significant platform for the reform of the teaching of English programs. As a co-organizer of the forum and a school with two national first-class bachelor’s programs in foreign languages, CFLC is committed to tapping into academic strengths for the benefit of the further development of English programs with Chinese characteristics in the new era in the context of new liberal arts.