A Study of Chinese College Athletes’ English Learning

Wei+Liu+Jianmeng+Wu

【Abstract】As a special English learning group， Chinese college student athletes only account for a tiny percentage of the total English learners in China， but their number is still on the rise. Their English education has its unique characteristics， different from the ones of regular students. Therefore， a research to understand and analyze Chinese college student athletes English learning status quo and to put forward a proper learning strategy for them have vital practical significance to their English study. Based on literature review and onsite investigation， this paper analyzes the English learning status quo of Chinese college student athletes and finds out the major problems.

【Key words】Chinese college student athletes， English learning， new learning approaches

【中圖分類號】H319

1 INTRODUCTION

As an athlete student from China Renmin University， Yang Chao is the shooting guard of China University Basketball team and scored 31 points in the match against a Canadian team. He was called the “scoring king”. But when the enthusiastic fans came to talk to him with great admiration， they only found that he could not communicate in English. This embarrassment also made him jealous of Zhang Zhaoxu from Berkeley of UCLA talking with foreign players with no difficulty at all.

Like Yang Chao， most players on the China university students sport team are unable to make successful communication with foreign players or volunteers. Such language barriers have severely affected the communication between Chinese and foreign players and caused their unconfidence though they came for friendship and exchanging.

Though 75% of the Chinese college student athletes representing China to compete at the 2011 FISU are from Chinese colleges and universities where they have studied English for many years， their actual English level is still rather low.

This paper analyzes the problems Chinese college student athletes encounter in learning English and provides relevant approaches for improvement.

II RESEARCH OBJECTS AND METHODS

2.1 Literature review： to use CNKI and Wanfang Data along with various websites to search for relevant literature and materials on Chinese college student athletes English studies to lay a foundational work for the background and issues put forward by the paper

2.2 Case study： to use Zhang Zhaoxu as a study case and deconstruct his English learning results， effects， experience and process.

3. RESEARCH RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

3.1 Chinese college student athletes learning status quo and analysis in English

3.1.1 status quo

Chinese college student athletes have limited time for English education and their learning time is also obviously inadequate， which has caused a prevalent weak English foundation. In terms of their English education， their English teachers usually adopt textbooks for most college students， not specifically designed for the athletes level， and teaching schedule and objects also are not different from other students. In addition， “athletes feel it a heavy task and nervous， and later bored and finally tend to give up. Lose confidence in learning English. They tend to retreat in face of any learning setbacks， and their learning emotion is very unsteady.”

3.2.2 Problems

The excellent Chinese athletes had spend long time in training at youth. Their lack of time studying the liberal art courses such as English causes their weak English foundation. Sports schools and training teams arrange English classes into their students off-training periods with the prerequisite of not competing their training time or matches. This usually leads to very little amount of time left for English learning， sometimes even the incompletion of the designed teaching schedule. And the athletes are usually have a poor spirit in the class， no time to preview or review the knowledge.

4 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Chinese excellent student athletes English study path can be widened. Before their retirement from their sport career， they can adopt the method of self-study and after that they can go to school to improve their language. In terms of the teaching content， emphases should be laid on strengthening sports-items related vocabulary and English speaking to improve their overall English application ability for a better career prospect.

Chinese college student athletes should have a higher level of English language to cope with the increasing number of international sports exchanges and events as well as the gloomy employment market. Currently Chinese college student athletes English is at a low level. To adapt to the international and national situations， their English learning path should be explored and improved. In their future English education， a combination of degree education and non-degree education with other approaches can ensure a better communication in international sports events and a better career prospect.

【REFERENCES】

[1] Zhang Xiaofei， Lan Feng. The Problems and Tactics of English Education among the High-level Athletes in the universities of Heilongjiang Province[J] Journal of Harbin Institute of Physical Education.2012，30（05）：102.

[2] Zhang Jie. The Psychological characteristics and Tactics of College Student Athletes in Learning English. Journal of Wuhan Institute of Physical Education. 2010，44（03）：79.