Bilingual Teaching in Chinese Universities: Problems and Solutions

In recent years, exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries have become increasingly frequent; consequently, the demand for bilingual talents has increased year by year. In order to adapt to the development of the times and improve the quality of higher education in China, the Chinese Ministry of Education has been promoting bilingual teaching as a priority among priorities of education reform. This paper first clarifies the connotation of the term “bilingual teaching” in comparison with “bilingual education”, from which the Chinese version of “bilingual teaching” originated. Then it discusses the significance of carrying out bilingual teaching in colleges and universities in China and analyzes the differences between bilingual teaching in China and bilingual education abroad. Finally, it identifies five major problems in bilingual teaching in Chinese universities and puts forward tentative solutions accordingly. It is hoped that our analysis of these problems and solutions would not only aid sustained development of bilingual teaching in China but also provide inspiration for other countries in their effort toward similar practice.