◆Photo and text by Bruce Connolly

　　In August 1992 as part of a twinning relationship between Southern China's Guangdong Province and Scotland's Strathclyde Region, I was seconded for one year to Guangdong Foreign Languages Nor-mal School (GFLNS) - a college dedicated to the training of English teachers for schools throughout the province. It had a pleasant campus - swaying palm trees rising above decorative scenic spots, fishponds, traditional Chinese rock sculpting and attractive buildings. I enjoyed my teaching. The students were attentive, highly articulate and very keen to learn. It was a pleasure to work with them. Within the confines of the curriculum then in operation the system produced good results.Most teaching was conducted in a formal manner - teacher-led with considerable use of rote learning. I was impressed at the level of both spoken and written English that had been achieved by my students.

　　Through many return visits I have followed the school's progress into one of China's leading English language institutions. It opened in 1979 at a time of great change. Through the leadership of Deng Xiaoping the doors had been opened to the outside world. The country had embarked on a massive modernisation programme that towards the end of the century would not only transform many aspects of life but would also produce phenomenal economic growth. This would take China forward and ultimately lead to its present economic position within the Pacific region. For international trade and to effectively learn from the West it is essential for young Chinese to be able to communicate on equal terms with foreigners. English is the language of international communication.

　　Throughout China, to facilitate the effective teaching of English within middle and elementary schools, institutions such as GFLNS were established where students who had satisfactorily completed three years of junior middle school study went on for a further three or five years of intensive study of English. They had been selected from districts throughout Guangdong Province and on graduation would return to their hometowns as English teachers. Until recently teaching was by traditional methods long utilised in China and surrounding countries. China was still a country of Intermediate Technology However, with its rapid development came a greater use of computer-based technology - much imported but an increasing amount domestically produced. This economic growth also provided essential cash for investment in education. There was a growing awareness of the need to produce students familiar with IT training. There was also a realisation that the application of technology into education could have benefits within language teaching. However, it would also lead to different teaching methodologies.

　　The introduction of詓tate of the art?technology fortunately coincided with the implementation of expansion plans for GFLNS. The construction of an entirely new teaching building in the late 1990's meant it could have bright, modern classrooms and be designed with technology in mind. The alternative was fitting new equipment into an older building. Today it is one of the tallest schools in China - a 12-storey white-tiled building with green tinted windows rising above beautifully tended grass lawns. On a wall is the school's slogan in Chinese and English Empowering with knowledge, exemplary in behaviour?

　　Today walking through its glass doors is almost like entering one of the better downtown hotels. The foyer has a spacious, airy feeling - a grand piano sits in the middle of its patterned cream-tiled floor. An ornate Grandfather clock, adorned with dragons, stands to attention near the lift entrance. Hanging from the ceiling a large bronze chandelier resembles a flock of flying birds. An interactive video system provides information about the school and its buildings. Wide stairs lead up to several large lecture theatres.

　　The foyer is open up to the twelfth floor where a museum traces the school's development from simple beginnings in 1978, through periods of expansion up to the present. Featured also are the achievements of the teaching staff, many of whom have travelled abroad, and the success of the students both within Guangdong and other places.

　　On each floor tiled balconies connect various office and teaching rooms entered through solid wooden doors Enhancing the impression of quality are two air-conditioned reception rooms on the second floor, fitted out with sumptuous light-tan leather armchairs and polished wood fittings - a quality normally associated with high-class companies. The school can therefore easily receive guests, no matter how high their position. They could receive a president!

　　On the third floor is a world of high-tech education - a revolution in teaching equipment and methodology. Several suites of rooms are called Micro Teaching Rooms In a central control room teachers sit in front of computer consoles, keyboards, VCRs and a bank of seventeen television monitors all linked to the classrooms. A ceiling-mounted video camera allows close-ups of objects such as text. The pupils practice teaching in these small rooms in front of their fellow-students. Their instructors without being physically present in the room can appear on television monitors to give instructions. The students are video taped to allow later self-appraisal or criticism.

　　A large teaching lab seats 30 students. Outside its entrance is a darkened room with cinema-style seats facing a one-way mirror glass window. Teachers or students can discretely watch the class. The air-conditioned blue-carpeted room is furnished with smart metal desks topped with light-coloured wood. Walls are wood panelled and long, heavy red curtains conceal the windows. Several video cameras cover all angles in the room. The teacher, if present, works from a long lecture bench containing a computer console. He or she could bring into use the video cameras, control television output, operate a concealed VCR, a video compact disc player, raise the screen, call-up the overhead projector or put on/off the lights - in other words, control the lesson by recording the students and playing back images. A small section of the teacher's monitor shows what is active on the main TV screen. It relays recordings of the students?role-playing exercises or shows live action within the classroom. A special overhead projector sits on the desk. Connected to it is a computerised light plate through which images from compact videodiscs can be relayed and projected onto the screen incorporated into the blackboard system.

　　Along the corridor are the small rooms where up to ten students can practise while cameras relay their efforts to the central control. In an adjacent room a couple of engineers control television distribution for the entire campus. They sit in front of twelve monitors and a bank of VCRs linked into a sophisticated computer system through which they organise the input and the output to classrooms and accommodation units.In the principal language labs teachers also have computer consoles and video camera/projector facilities similar to those found in the micro-teaching rooms. Each room can hold 48 students although I only ever saw classes of thirty students. Wearing headphones they sit at individual workstations equipped with two-way interactive cassette recording and playback systems. All information and instructions are in English.

　　Each class still has its own normal classroom with the students desks traditionally piled high with books and study materials. The rooms have two large television monitors linked to the TV control centre. For specialised teaching they go to the high-tech rooms.

　　Computer training is a major area of student instruction. Large rooms are filled with modern domestic produced computers. Students sitting at individual machines practise programming, database management and word processing. Some training is also aimed at improving English proficiency.

　　The school's library is computerised. Students search for texts on electronic catalogues - computers dedicated to Search and find They indicate the number of the book and its physical location. The books have been詁ar-coded Each student has a personal computerised library card. The book and the cards are both scanned and a record of borrowing is set up. The system also allows the library to run off a list of defaulters - students who have not returned their books on time. Even the catering system has become computerised. The school provides three meals daily for 2,000 students and a large number of staff - a lot of food and a lot of people. Everyone has a card with a preset electronic value. The card is presented when purchasing food and the value is automatically deducted from the holder's account.

　　The emphasis on technological developments inevitably causes problems and challenges for teachers and students alike. Recently, newspapers proclaimed訲eachers go back to school Teachers who for much of their career have taught in a formal Whole-class?situation now require different approaches - interactive teaching, small groups, individualised learning and the use of modern technology within the classroom. Course material requires interaction between students in role playing exercises, small group discussions and thought-producing exercises. Technology, particularly using computers, requires individual work and decision-making. Students are often given the responsibility to work in small teams where they will criticise each other's efforts.

　　The changes I have witnessed in education over the last few years are a reflection of the colossal changes happening to the infrastructure of China. The need to improve the delivery of education is essential to keep pace with the modernisation of the country. China has long been strong in certain aspects of education particularly mathematics and science despite a previous lack of modern technology. That shortage is rapidly be remedied with the introduction of some of the finest educational equipment available. If China can combine this investment with its existing good practices in education then the country inevitably must benefit significantly.

　　The changes I saw at Guangdong Foreign Languages Normal School are a glimpse into what can be done with commitment. Guangdong is investing in its skilled youngsters and in its future. I have witnessed those changes and I have been proud to be associated with a school that shows the direction that Modern China is going in.