The 2022 High-end Forum on the Reform and Development of Foreign Language Teaching in Basic Education opened on May 13. The event was hosted by Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), supported by the Chinese Society of Education (CSE) and organized by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP) and the BFSU Admission Office for Undergraduate Students.

The 2022 High-end Forum on the Reform and Development of Foreign Language Teaching in Basic Education is held on May 13. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

The livestreamed opening ceremony, which was presided over by Sun Youzhong, member of the standing committee of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university, drew attendance of officials from education departments at all levels across the country, as well as principals and teachers from nationwide elementary and middle schools, researchers in English teaching and international education, and members of the BFSU International Talent Training Bases Alliance and of the CSE.

Lyu Yugang, director-general of the Department of Basic Education at the MOE, gives an address at the forum. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Lyu Yugang, director-general of the Department of Basic Education at the Ministry of Education (MOE), delivered a speech entitled "Making Innovations on the Basis of Tradition and Promoting the High-quality Development of Basic Education".

Lyu said standing at a new historical starting point, the country should firmly grasp the latest requirements of high-quality development, meet the general public’s aspiration for a broader access to high-quality education, narrow the educational gap between different regions and rural and urban areas, stick to the overall leadership of the Party in basic education, promote students’ well-rounded development and attach importance to family education.

Efforts should also be made to consolidate progress in the reduction of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for students, press ahead with the reform of curriculum and teaching and implement a digital-driven development approach. Full use must be made of the national smart education platform for primary and middle school students, the guiding role of feedback and assessment in education quality improvement must be leveraged, assessment factors refined and a scientific assessment mechanism reflecting the requirements of contemporary development established, according to Lyu.

Zhu Yongxin, member of the standing committee and deputy secretary-general of the National Committee of the CPPCC and vice-chairman of the CAPD, delivers a speech at the forum. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Zhu Yongxin, member of the standing committee and deputy secretary-general of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD), said the reform of basic education should be designed to meet the changes and challenges in the new era with a global view and promote all-around growth of students.

Noting that the world has been confronted with frequent extreme weather events and a worsening ecological environment, Zhu said it is of great importance for the country to carry out ecological education, enhance students’ environmental protection awareness and encourage them to adopt an environmentally friendly lifestyle in future education.

Zhu also emphasized that the country should give equal attention to social and emotional learning and stressed the importance of students' writing competence.

Wang Dinghua, Party secretary of the CPC BFSU committee, gives a keynote speech at the forum. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

In his keynote speech entitled "Missions and Responsibilities of Chinese Foreign Language Teachers in the New Era", Wang Dinghua, Party secretary of the CPC BFSU committee, said foreign language teachers in basic education are expected to fully understand national education policies, develop the necessary competence and integrate global trends to fulfill their missions.

Wang noted that foreign language teachers in basic education should have deeper love for the country, incorporate the cultivation of humanistic competence into practical learning, follow the development of society, show respect to students, develop a global vision and encourage students to think in big-picture terms. They should also make consistent efforts to consolidate their professional skills, pay attention to the latest development of the academic world, and make Chinese stories better heard by overcoming the differences and barriers in cross-cultural communication. It is also up to them to ignite students' creative mindset, implement the Party's education policy, promote quality education and cultivate a new generation of youth who are equipped with moral grounding, intellectual and physical ability, aesthetic sensibility and work skills and are well-prepared to join the socialist cause.

Wang hailed the contributions and sacrifices made by foreign language teachers and called on them to forge stronger momentum and enthusiasm at their workplace, fulfill their missions and blaze a fresh chapter of foreign language education in the new era.

Yang Yinfu, secretary-general of the CSE, said he hopes the forum will create a platform for foreign language teachers and researchers from primary and middle schools to conduct exchanges and facilitate the interaction between academic findings and teaching activities.

Liu Yuexia, deputy head of the MOE Institute for Curriculum and Textbooks, and Zhang Zhiyong, executive director of the Chinese Institute for Education Policies at Beijing Normal University, shared their views on educational reform, the restructuring of basic education ecology, teachers' professional development and other topics.

A release ceremony of several annual reports on foreign language teaching in China's basic education is held at the forum. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

The forum also saw the release of several annual reports on foreign language teaching in China's basic education system including the 2021 Report on the Development of Chinese Foreign Language Textbooks, the 2021 Report on English Testing and Teaching, and the 2021 Report on the Development and Research of English Reading Education in Chinese Primary and Middle Schools, as well as digital solutions proposed by the FLTRP to improve education services.

The forum included nine thematic forums that explored theoretical innovation and practices in the high-quality development of foreign language teaching in basic education and cultivation of top international talents in the new era, as well as four sub-forums for in-depth discussions on innovations in the field.