Junior High School English Learning in Taiwan - Examining Traditional and Reform Based Beliefs about Teaching and Assessment

Studies of teacher beliefs about language learning, as compared to student beliefs, are relatively less common, especially concerning English language learning in Asian countries. The educational reform movement in Taiwan encourages learning English for communicative purposes and values individual interests. However, many current in-service English teachers and parents learned English via grammar translation method and testing, which focuses on the correction of language forms. As a result, these English teachers and parents may or may not share similar views about the changing trends in English learning. A survey and an interview protocol were served as data collection instruments. Teacher beliefs toward English learning in Taiwan were fully revealed in this book. The book provides the mutual understandings between eastern and western perspectives in terms of language education.