Journal Article

Perceptions and suggestions on English education in China: insights from Chinese international students’ intercultural communication

Jiang, Jing, Lim, Jia Wei, Balakrishnan, Vishalache

2025

Overview

PurposeIn the context of international education and English as a global language, this paper focuses on the perceptions of English education in China from the perspective of Chinese international students to analyse further and derive valuable educational perspectives and methods for English education.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a qualitative research methodology (Salkind, 2010) and focused on four Chinese international students as case studies. The primary research methods encompass semi-structured interviews and journal entries. The data were processed through various steps (Creswell, 2010), including organizing field notes, transcribing video recordings, translating data, conducting multiple reviews of raw data, classifying data using thematic analysis and open coding (Mojtaba and Sherrill, 2019), refining codes, constructing categories, interpreting data (Chen, 2004) and addressing the research questions.FindingsAlthough China’s English education provides students with basic English skills, its criteria for “being good at English” differ from international standards. China’s English education presents an imbalance of linguistic skills cultivation, with an overemphasis on grammatical accuracy, rigid linguistic rules and a formulaic knowledge system. Evaluation standards in China’s English education contain minimal content related to intercultural communication competence (ICC). Therefore, the obstacle to students’ intercultural communication is rooted in evaluation standards, not merely in the often-criticized exam-oriented education system. Greater attention should be directed towards revising these evaluation standards rather than focusing solely on constructing an ICC framework, as such competence is emphasized at the policy level but is largely overlooked in practical implementation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study presents implications and suggestions for the improvement of English language education in China.Originality/valueThis study offers a nuanced and student-centered perspective on English education in China by foregrounding the lived experiences and reflections of Chinese international students. Unlike previous research that often critiques exam-oriented instruction in a generalized manner, this study reveals that the core limitation lies in the evaluation standards, which neglect intercultural communication competence at the practical level. The research contributes original insights by shifting the focus from commonly discussed systemic features (e.g. rote learning, testing) to the deeper implications of how “English proficiency” is defined and measured. By employing qualitative methods and thematic analysis, this study highlights the disconnect between educational policy rhetoric and classroom realities, offering valuable implications for curriculum developers, educators and policymakers aiming to foster globally competent English learners.

• Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subject: Asian students / Barriers / Case Studies / Cognitive Ability / Communicative Competence (Languages) / Competence / Compulsory Education / Cross Cultural Training / Cultural Awareness / Cultural Context / Cultural Influences / Culture / Curricula / Curriculum Development / Educational Environment / Educational Facilities Improvement / Educational Methods / Educational Research / Educational Strategies / English / English Curriculum / English language / English Learners / Foreign Culture / Foreign language learning / Foreign students / Globalization / Intercultural communication / International education / Interpersonal Relationship / Knowledge / Language / Language Acquisition / Linguistic Competence / Qualitative research / Research methodology / Teachers / Teaching methods