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A middle school English teacher in Shaanxi province, found herself at the center of an unexpected controversy when a student's homework submission sparked a heated debate about patriotism and language education.
On September 20th, the teacher shared on social media that one of her students had completed an English assignment entirely in Chinese. Seeking to address the issue, she reached out to the student's parent, only to receive a cryptic "smile" emoji in response.
The situation took an intriguing turn when the parent later posted on their social media account: "When the homework requires you to answer in English, you insist on using Chinese. When the homework asks for humility, you choose to be proud. Your confidence stems from the greatness of our motherland. Keep it up, boy!"
The assignment in question asked students to identify countries where English is the primary language and to explain why Chinese people should learn English. Instead of providing the expected answers, the student's responses were decidedly patriotic.
To the question "Which countries use English as their mother tongue?" the student simply listed "America, England, Canada." When asked "Which language is widely used in the world?" the answer was a bold "It must be Chinese!" Perhaps most tellingly, in response to "Why do Chinese people need to learn English?" the student wrote, "Because our ancestors weren't strong enough to include Europe in Chinese territory."
This incident has ignited a fierce online debate about the role of English education in China and the balance between patriotism and global engagement. Some netizens praised the student's nationalistic fervor, viewing it as a sign of growing confidence in China's global standing. Others argued that mastering English remains crucial for international communication and career prospects.
Educators find themselves caught in the crossfire, struggling to navigate between fostering national pride and preparing students for a globalized world. The teacher, unsure how to proceed, turned to social media for advice, asking, "What should I do? Am I being criticized?"
