With the college entrance examination approaching, the question of “whether the English subject should be abolished” has once again become the focus of public discussion.

This topic has caused a lot of controversy and involves multiple points of conflict. In the distribution of educational resources, the gap between urban and rural areas is obvious; in terms of language learning, its nature and practicality have also triggered extensive discussions.

There is currently great controversy over the status of English as a subject, especially in the college entrance examination system.

Some people in society advocate the abolition of English classes or lowering its status as a major subject. At the same time, many people express strong opposition to this suggestion.

Xu Jin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, proposed that the setting of compulsory English courses in compulsory education should be adjusted because English learning is time-consuming and the frequency of practical application is not high.

In contrast, many experts and scholars, such as Professor Zhang Lianzhong of Beijing Foreign Studies University, believe that English plays many key roles, such as broadening horizons and improving cultural awareness.

This kind of controversy widely exists in the field of education, social public opinion and other levels.

In schools, many teachers, parents and students disagree. Some parents are in favor of canceling English as the main subject because they find that their children spend too much time learning English, but gain little, and unsatisfactory results may even affect their children's further education.

The opposing side considers many aspects such as long-term personal development and the country's foreign exchanges.

This controversy has also been fully reflected in online public opinion.

There are discussions on related topics on various social media and educational forums.

Everyone expressed their opinions from various positions and worked hard to collect more evidence to support their positions.

Many people advocate removing English from the status of a major subject, and some of them consider students' academic performance.

Many students face greater challenges in learning English, which results in poor performance in English, which in turn affects overall achievement levels.

Students generally have to invest a lot of time in learning English, especially to prepare for various English exams.

This results in a significant reduction in the time available for students to develop their artistic talents, sports skills and other comprehensive abilities.

There is also a practical aspect to consider.

A considerable number of people barely use English in their daily life and work.

In today's society, even if we need to communicate abroad, we can also use translation software and other tools.

In some traditional fields, workers may go their entire lives without having to communicate in English or read English materials.

English is an important window to understand foreign cultures.

Nowadays, the trend of globalization in the world continues to strengthen, and cultural exchanges among various countries become increasingly frequent.

English opens doors to other cultures.

People can experience Western culture by reading original English books, watching movies, listening to music, etc., which helps broaden their cultural perspectives.

And learning English is a kind of thinking ability training.

Research from Beijing Foreign Studies University points out that people who master multiple languages ​​often show greater advantages in logical thinking.

With the frequent increase in exchanges between our country and the world, English has become an indispensable bridge in international exchanges.

Today, our country is gradually moving towards the center of the world stage. Against this background, many diplomatic and international business activities urgently require our personnel to be proficient in English in order to communicate and negotiate effectively. For example, in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, staff from participating companies must use English to communicate with business partners from various countries on project cooperation.

At present, English education is exam-oriented to a certain extent.

Starting from elementary school, in English courses, teachers mainly explain grammar knowledge; in high school, students have to memorize a large number of words and learn to deal with various test questions.

In English classes in some schools, students often memorize words over and over again, while teachers impart grammar knowledge endlessly.

Teaching methods that improve students' practical English skills, such as speaking and writing, are not common.

Moreover, there are big differences in English education between urban and rural areas.

Schools in cities usually have better English teaching facilities, such as foreign teachers teaching, rich multimedia teaching tools, etc.

In rural areas, the level of English teachers varies, and some teachers' pronunciation is not standardized.

The survey results show that the English speaking ability of urban students is generally better than that of rural students, and this gap is still widening.

Mr. Xu Yuanchong has never directly talked about the college entrance examination and basic English education. However, his view on "the broader the knowledge, the better" provides a lot of reference for this controversy.

He emphasized that various words have their own history and functions, and English ideas should not and cannot be cancelled.

If certain elements of English thought are incorporated into Chinese thought, this shows the integration of different ideological systems. It is this diverse intersection of ideas that promotes the continued progress of human civilization.

This shows that we cannot understand the English course one-sidedly, and we cannot measure the value of the English subject only based on temporary test scores or short-term practical effects.

In China's modern history, many Western science and technology, culture and ideas were introduced into our country through the medium of English, which greatly promoted our country's modernization development.

Xu Guangqi introduced the famous Western mathematical work "Elements of Geometry", and Yan Fu translated "Tianyan Lun". In the dissemination of these two books, English played a key role.

The future development trend of the English subject is not as simple as canceling or maintaining its status as a core subject.

Reforming English exam-oriented education is a very critical point.

In the English curriculum, we can increase the proportion of training in oral communication, practical writing and other skills, while reducing the examination of rote memorization questions such as filling in the blanks in grammar.

English education resources need to be allocated appropriately to reduce the significant differences in English learning between urban and rural areas.

The education department should adjust English education policies in a timely manner according to the development and changes of society.

If technological advancement allows tools such as translation software to meet people's basic English communication needs, then English teaching can focus more on improving advanced English skills in the fields of diplomacy, business, and cultural exchanges.

In which direction do you think the English subject will develop in the future education system?