English as a Barbarian Language: Prof. Bob Adamson’s talk about Chinese textbooks

by Xi Li

On May 8th, 2024, the HoLLT Research Circle had the honor of hosting Prof. Bob Adamson, author of China’s English: A History of English in Chinese Education and Visiting Professor at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, for a public talk at the University of Warwick titled "English as a Barbarian Language". The lecture provided a historical overview of changes in English textbooks in China.

In his talk, Prof. Adamson shared his experiences teaching English in China, using them as a springboard to discuss the evolution of English education, especially the English textbooks, in the country. He explored the impact of different ideologies on English education in China, focusing particularly on characteristics and trends in the compilation of English textbooks since the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

Prof. Adamson's talk sparked enthusiastic responses from attending students, leading to extensive discussions on topics such as the history of English education, English textbooks, and teacher-research. Following the public talk, Prof. Adamson visited the ELT Archive, where he engaged in deeper discussions with HoLLT Research Circle members on these subjects, greatly enriching their understanding. He also donated some books for our developing historical collection of Chinese school and college English.

Richard Smith : 21 May 2024 23:57 |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem