Founded in 1973, the English major of Hubei University boasts two orientations (English Language Teaching or ELT; business English), two dual-degree programs (English plus International Trade and English; English plus Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language) and a programme for English minors. The year of 2007 witnessed an excellent performance ranking in the teaching evaluation of undergraduate program of English majors launched by the Ministry of Education of P. R. China. In recent years (2013-2016), the number of enrolled students in English majors amounted to about 120 with current English majors are 469 plus136 English minors in total.
1. Our Vision and Orientation
Vision: In scientific research, we aim to improve the academic level and influence; in teaching, we aim to develop the English major into a provincial brand with more distinctive features, more prominent advantages and some influence in China.
Programmes: We will take the high-quality undergraduate education as the major task, attach importance to the coordinated development of students' knowledge, competence and qualities, highlight the ELT-oriented characteristics, strengthen the development of Business English, expand the dual-degree talent cultivation programs, develop postgraduate program and Master of Education program, and moderately develop adult in-service education program.
Talents Cultivation: We aim to cultivate all round and application-oriented professionals with a solid foundation of English language, strong language communicative skills and broad social and cultural knowledge. Our graduates are expected to apply English proficiently and competently in education, foreign affairs, business, culture, science and technology and some other fields.
Orientation: Relying on Hubei University’s strength of comprehensive disciplines, we will attach great importance to quality-oriented education, and will focus on the cultivation of all round application-oriented talents of foreign language. By and large, we strive to be based in Hubei Province and central China to make contributions to the national development in a globalized context.
2. Our Staff and Teaching
The Department of English embraces 22 full-time English teachers (up to June 2017), making a team of reasonable ages, professional titles, educational backgrounds, degrees and academic qualifications. Among them, there are 12 professors and associate professors in terms of professional title, and 5 teachers with domestic or foreign doctorates as well as 3 PhD. candidates in terms of degree.
Our teachers are proficient in teaching that they receive good feedback with over 36% students rating ‘excellent’ in each semester's teaching evaluation. We have four university-level excellent courses, among which Advanced English is an excellent resource-sharing course; and An Introduction to Linguistics,English Phonetics and An Introduction to English Speaking Countriesare excellent MOOCs, available on the platform of UOOC.
In the past three years, we have published 5 textbooks and 13 papers, obtained 1 provincial-level award for scientific research achievement and 1 university-level award for teaching achievement and have granted 2 projects at provincial and ministerial level.
3. Cultivating Process and Teaching Effect
The current talent cultivation programme (edition of 2018) highlights the goal of "solid foundation, wide scope, multi-orientation, high competence" for the cultivation of all round application-oriented talents.
Solid Foundation: The first year and the second year of English majors are cultivated according to major categories, the general education platform and the basic platform of the discipline, aiming to lay a solid foundation for basic language skills.
Wide Scope: The third year and the fourth year of English majors are stratified and developed according to their personality and potential with various major-related courses. In the fifth semester, students are stratified to orientations of ELT or business English.
Multi-orientation: We adhere to the talent cultivation model of "English plus major orientation" and "English plus major" and improve the curriculum development of major orientations.
High Competence: We strive to develop students’ competence in practice and innovative spirit, offering a variety of practical courses for students in the senior grade to develop their comprehensive quality.
In the recent three years, our English majors have achieved good results in the national Test for English Majors, Band 4 (TEM-4) and national Test for English Majors, Band 8 (TEM-8), and the initial passing rate is much higher than that of other comprehensive universities in China.
English Majors’ High Passing Rate of TEM 4&8 in Hubei University
Examination Category
|
Year
|
Passing Rate of Hubei University
|
Passing Rate of National Comprehensive Universities in China
|
Written Test of TEM-4
|
2016 |
93.59% |
66.19% |
2015 |
95.68% |
66.66% |
2014 |
93.02% |
65.10% |
Oral Test of TEM-4
|
2016 |
84% |
62.3% |
2015 |
91.3% |
63% |
2014 |
83.1% |
65.03% |
Written Test of TEM-8
|
2017 |
82.5% |
51.57% |
2016 |
86.29% |
53.66% |
2015 |
86.55% |
52.70% |
Oral Test of TEM-8
|
2017 |
77.6% |
59.3% |
2016 |
81.7% |
59.6% |
2015 |
85% |
64.8% |
In the recent three years, the English majors have actively participated in all kinds of contests and won 66 national and provincial awards (26 at the national level and 40 at the provincial level). Additionally, they have actively participated in activities related to science, technology, culture and social practice, resulted in one national project and two provincial projects of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training for Undergraduates.
The English majors enjoy a high and satisfactory employment rate every year. With good comprehensive quality, excellent professional knowledge and expertise, graduates of English major are generally welcome and praised by their employers.
Statistics of Employment Destinations and Rate (2013-2016)
Year
|
The number of graduates
|
The number of those to be postgraduates
|
The number of those to be abroad
|
The number of
free employment |
The number of those between jobs
|
Employment rate |
2013 |
115 |
18 |
5 |
12 |
10 |
91.3% |
2014 |
94 |
18 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
91.5% |
2015 |
97 |
17 |
6 |
5 |
9 |
90.7% |
2016 |
104 |
11 |
8 |
21 |
15 |
85.6% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4. Characteristics and Strengths
Characteristics of Talent Cultivation: Application-centred talents oriented in ELT, business English and dual-degree serve for local economic development
Characteristics of Teaching Reform: Ideal teaching effect with renewed teaching belief and optimised teaching methods
Characteristics of Extra-curricular Activities: Remarkable achievements from SOMA Drama Club
Major Courses:
General English, English Listening, English Speaking, English Reading, English Writing, English Grammar, E-C/C-E Translation, E-C/C-E Interpreting, General Linguistics, History and Selected Readings of English and American Literature, Intercultural Communication, English Academic Writing.
Minimum Credits for Graduation:
1) Orientation of ELT: 154 credits (including 127 credits for compulsory courses, 23 credits for optional courses, and 4 credits for extracurricular innovation and practice)
2) Orientation of Business English: 154 credits (including 119 credits for compulsory courses, 31 credits for optional courses, and 4 credits for extracurricular innovation and practice)
Tuition Fee (per year):
1) Orientation of ELT: RMB 4500 yuan
2) Orientation of Business English: RMB 5850 yuan
