Are Chinese students learning English just to ‘tell China’s story’?

In recent years, Chinese school children's English textbooks have undergone a significant transformation, shifting their focus towards Chinese culture and the country's "story of national achievements." This change, which began in stages in 2024 and was fully implemented at the start of this year's autumn semester, has sparked debate over the purpose of English education in China.

The revised textbooks have removed much of the content on foreign cultures from older editions, as Beijing seeks to align education more closely with national priorities, including strengthening patriotism and boosting China's image overseas.

Supporters of the revisions argue that the changes will boost students' cultural confidence, while critics worry that they will limit children's exposure to the wider world and hinder their English proficiency. Integrating Chinese cultural content into English courses has become a growing education trend, with state news agency Xinhua reporting on the changes in April 2025.

The new textbooks emphasize traditional festivals, Chinese historical figures, archaeological discoveries, and the country's modern economic, social, and technological developments, as well as contemporary government policies such as the "new socialist countryside" and the goal of building a "community of a shared future for mankind."

While many English teachers have welcomed the shift, expressing their long-standing desire for such changes, others question whether the new textbooks have gone too far. Some argue that there is too much Chinese culture, ideological content, and local elements in the textbooks, suggesting that building confidence in Chinese culture should not come at the expense of exposing students to foreign cultures and customs.

Critics contend that without such exposure, students may struggle to develop a sense of curiosity about the language and might find studying English dull and formulaic.