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Beijing education authorities plan to de-emphasise English scores on standardised tests, a sign that China's obsession with the language may be waning.
北京的教育官员计划降低英语在高校标准入学考试中的重要性，这一举措或标志着中国的英语热开始降温。 The Beijing municipal commission of education plans to reduce the English section of the all-important college admissions test, the Gaokao, from 150 points to 100 points in major cities by 2016, China's official newswire Xinhua reported. 据中国官方媒体新华社报道，北京市教育委员会计划减少英语科目在高考中的分值，从150分下降到100分，这一政策将自2016年起在全国主要城市开始实施。 It will boost the value of the Chinese section from 150 to 180 points. Currently, the test weighs English, Chinese and maths equally. 高考改革还会将语文科目的分值从150分提高到180分。目前，英语、语文和数学三门科目的分值是相同的。 Officials have spun the proposal as both a practical decision and a matter of national pride. "The change highlights the fundamental importance of mother tongue in the curriculum," a representative from the commission told Xinhua. 中国官员称此举既是从实际需要出发，又可以弘扬国粹。北京市教育委员会一位发言人对新华社记者说，“这个改革将凸显高中课程中语文学科基础性的重要地位。” Education authorities are also considering scrapping mandatory English lessons before the third grade. They currently begin on the first day of primary school. 教育官员还考虑去掉小学阶段三年级以前的英语课程。目前小学课程中的英语课是从入学第一天就开始的。 Shandong and Jiangsu provinces, as well as Shanghai, may remove English from the Gaokao entirely. Public consultation on the proposal began on Monday, Xinhua reported. 据新华社报道，山东、江苏、上海等省市可能将英语考试从高考中彻底去除。关于这一举措的公众咨询将于下周一开始。 Xinhua called the proposals "no more than a minor tweak", emphasising that they would change the way that English is taught without diminishing its importance. 新华社称高考英语改革“仅仅是一个小调整”，并强调英语教育方式的改变并不会减少英语教育的重要性。 |
