Mr. Wang Qiang is one of the founders of New Oriental Education Science and Technology Group, and also an educator who is well versed in Chinese and Western education. He believes that the current education in China has many drawbacks, and even the whole education is a failure. At present, the examination-oriented education system has not been completely changed, so we can only rely on family education to cultivate real elites. A few days ago, our special correspondent interviewed him
What is an elite?
Reporter (hereinafter referred to as reporter): You are a famous expert in English teaching, but today we won't talk about how to learn English. Let's talk about family education, shall we
(hereinafter referred to as Wang): I'm glad that I'm a father, too.
Reporter: Do you think family education is important? What role does it play in the process of cultivating children?
Wang: Family education is very important. Theoretically speaking, education has three levels: school education, family education and social education, all of which are indispensable. From the educational practice, family education is more important to China's education, because there are too many problems in China's school education, which is almost a failure, and there is no sign of change in the short term, so we can only rely on family education.
Reporter: Some people say that the exam-oriented education in China is actually elite education. Do you agree with this statement?
Wang: China's primary and secondary schools pursue the rate of enrollment, while China's parents want their children to succeed, which gives people a feeling of cultivating elites, but elites are not synonymous with college students, but have a deeper meaning.
Reporter: It is generally believed that those who study well since childhood, get admitted to universities, preferably famous universities, find high-paying jobs after graduation, get ahead and become rich as officials are elites.
Wang: The word "elite" first appeared in France in the 7th century A.D./KLOC-0, which means "selected few outstanding figures". For the elite, I understand it this way: first, the elite is selected. Examinations and competitions are both ways to choose. Second, the elite is one in a million, and it is impossible for everyone to be an elite. Third, the elite should have outstanding ability. Fourth, the elite is the elite of society. They should bear social responsibilities, have high moral standards and spiritual demands, and are not used to pursue personal enjoyment.
Reporter: The last point reminds me of the word "self-denial".
Wang: Yes, elites need the spirit and consciousness of self-denial, just like the famous saying in the movie Spider-Man: "Ability is great, and responsibility is great."
Reporter: If parents are asked now, are they still willing to let their children become elites? What will parents say?
Wang: I believe that parents in China will still choose to train their children into elites.
Reporter: Are you so confident?
W: Certainly. Look at the parents' investment in education in China now, and you will know what it means to spare no effort. Which nation in the world can do it? At the moment when the national education investment is obviously insufficient, it is actually parents who support the national education. Parents in China do this not only by feeding and warming their children. They have a lofty sense of social mission and national responsibility in their bones.
Reporter: So, how do you think parents should train their children to become elites? You have been engaged in education for so many years, and you must have gained a lot in this respect.
Wang: First of all, I think family education should play a leading role in cultivating elites. Secondly, the elite are outstanding because they have three abilities: strong language ability, advanced learning ability and strong creativity.
Strong language ability
Reporter: Then let's talk about language ability first. Why put language ability in the first place?
Wang: Language has two uses in life, one is self-expression and the other is communication with groups. We basically think that a person without language ability has an autistic tendency. Autistic people may make earth-shattering achievements by themselves, such as Einstein and Beethoven, but they belong to people who can't cooperate with others in social groups. Although he is a genius, he is a lonely genius. Most people can't reach the level of genius, so we should communicate, because we are animals of communication, animals of society, not individual animals.
Reporter: Do you mean your mother tongue or a foreign language?
Wang: Both languages are important. Mother tongue is more important than foreign language.
Reporter: You are an authority on learning foreign languages. Excuse me, what do you think of the increasing bilingual teaching in primary and secondary schools?
Wang: According to my observation, bilingual teaching in primary and secondary schools in China is not called bilingualism at all, because mother tongue and foreign language are separated. The so-called bilingualism means that two languages correspond to the same thing, that is, mother tongue and foreign language can exchange knowledge with each other. Even in universities in China, bilingualism is just a form. College students are mentally mature, but their language is not yet mature. They don't think and practice when learning English, which is one of the symptoms of educational failure. When China learns English, he still stays in the basic stage of memorizing a large number of words and then corresponding them to Chinese one by one. The greater the number of words, the higher the test scores and the more efforts. Longman English Dictionary, as thick as bricks, always uses 2,500 non-repetitive words, which emphasizes the application of English and shows that language is a life skill and a communication tool, not a rigid thing to test memory.
Reporter: Is there any way for parents to correct it?
Wang: For primary and middle school students, there is a very effective way, that is, parents force their children to express everything they encounter in life with English knowledge and think in English. That's what I did. My son grew up in America. His mother tongue is English. Usually I always let him express himself in Chinese, and English and Chinese are used alternately. One day, I taught him China's nursery rhyme: "red rooster has a green tail and plunged into the ground." I asked him how to say "tie the ground" in this nursery rhyme in English. He immediately replied, "enlarge the ground." I was taken aback. I am a professor of Foreign Languages Department in Peking University. This is the first time I know that I can say this, but it is really accurate. This is life English, witty, interesting and effective.
I have studied English for so many years, and my experience is that it must be described in two languages at any time. Once, I don't know how to say the rail that can be lifted at the toll booth in English. The son said without thinking, "Dad, this is called stop-and-go." I was overjoyed and boasted, "Thank you so much! Dad didn't find it in the dictionary. "
Advanced learning ability
Reporter: Everyone knows the importance of learning ability. Why emphasize the advanced nature of learning ability? Is there a backward learning ability?
Wang: Bacon's famous saying "knowledge is power" is often quoted, but now it needs to be reconsidered. Before the internet appeared, the connotation of knowledge was closed and arbitrary, and it belonged to a few people in books. As long as you have read through a few well-known books, you are qualified to be an intellectual. The same is true in ancient China. After reading four books and five classics and writing eight-part essay, you will have the opportunity to enter the elite class and complete the dream of education. "The book has its own golden house, and the book has its own Yan Ruyu." "Everything is inferior, only reading is high." Traditional ideas are deeply rooted. If you still learn by rote, it will be inefficient and a dead end.