Abstract:The National Criteria of Teaching Quality for Undergraduate English Majors will be issued in 2017. To implement the National Criteria, universities need to make criteria and design syllabuses and curriculums for English major programs. This paper offers suggestions for universities to make their own criteria, design their own syllabuses and develop corresponding curriculums in accordance with the requirements in the National Criteria.
Key words:National Criteria; talent cultivation; program features

Abstract:The absence of critical thinking skills has been a recurring and conspicuous problem for English majors, and hence the National Criteria of Teaching Quality for Undergraduate English Majors puts forward specific requirements for the training of critical thinking skills. Based on the division of critical thinking skills into the subskills of logical reasoning, creative thinking, problem solving, comprehensive evaluation and practical operation, this paper explores how to integrate the cultivation of them into the design and teaching of curriculum modules including courses of language skills, language knowledge, language use, cultural appreciation and practice activities. The paper aims principally at enhancing students critical thinking awareness and skills, and promoting the reform of English major programs with their teaching quality improved.
Key words:National Criteria; curriculum modules; critical thinking skills; subskill cultivation

Abstract:Mr Lu Gusun was a prominent lexicographer, translator and literary researcher, whose reflections and suggestions on foreign language teaching (FLT) could serve as great food for thought on FLT theories with Chinese characteristics. This paper summarizes Mr Lus remarks and suggestions on FLT to throw light on how we could inherit useful insights from the traditional language teaching and incorporate them into FLT theory development in China. Some of his suggestions on FLT are: (1) one should not be too practical in learning a foreign language, or in other words, one should learn to enjoy the process of learning a foreign language instead of expecting immediate gains or profits from it; (2) linguistic competence should be cultivated in tandem with the cognitive and critical thinking development; (3) more touching and inspiring materials should be added to linguistic input; (4) mechanical imitation should not be completely “ruled out”  in learning a foreign language; (5) one should often make comparisons between a mother tongue and a foreign language; (6) one should learn about the history of the target language to make language learning more effective.
Key words:Lu Gusun; Chinese characteristics; FLT theories

Abstract:This interview study investigated the strategies and attitudes of blind reviewers in evaluating applications for the National Social Science Fund of China. Using a convenient sampling method, the study selected 14 experienced  reviewers as participants. Through a contentbased analytic approach, it identified two general strategies employed by the reviewers under the guidance of the national evaluation criteria. The first is labelled as  the“onecriterion elimination strategy”, which was adopted to screen out unsuccessful applications according to the critical criterion set up by individual reviewers; the second is the “comparison strategy”, which was used to select the best applications out of the ones with similar qualities based on the priority criteria perceived by the reviewers. In terms of attitudes, all the reviewers were found to treat the evaluation as a sacred mission, strive for fairness and objectivity, and make efforts to prevent misjudgement in the face of unfamiliar topics. The study finally summarized some useful recommendations for writing fund applications suggested by the reviewers.
Key words:the National Social Science Fund of China; blind review; evaluation strategies; evaluation attitudes

Abstract:From the perspective of English temporality and Chinese spatiality, this study  examines“runon sentences”  in the written language retrieved from Chinese Learner English Corpus (CLEC). As noteworthy errors of syntactical and textual nature, runon sentences have been frequently produced by Chinese EFL learners at different learning stages. By way of the analysis and qualitative survey of these errors and their counterparts in the learners mother tongue Chinese, the study further probes into the causation of these erroneous sentences. The results show that runon sentences in CLEC are a kind of unconscious and negative transfer incurred by the structural differences between English and Chinese. The root cause of the transfer lies in the English peoples preference for temporality and the Chinese peoples preference for spatiality in their thinking modes.
Key words:Chinese EFL learner; runon sentences; negative transfer; temporality; spatiality

Abstract:Based on the categorization of the main ideal L2 selves (IL2Ss) and through the questionnaire survey, paired samples t test and regression analysis, this study examines the intensity of different types of IL2Ss and their effect on motivational learning behavior (MLB) among sample EFL undergraduates from a university in China. The findings are as follows: there is significant difference between the means of the imagined and practical IL2Ss among the samples, but the means dont match their effect power on MLB; there is also significant difference between the means of the Eastern and Western IL2Ss, and the means do match their effect power on MLB. The study implies that its better to construct more identificationinternalized motivations than to explore theoretically as many motivations as possible, and MLB can be promoted effectively by deepening the internalization of motivations.
Key words:ideal L2 selves; types; test

Abstract:With the burgeoning development of translator education in China, translation teaching studies is becoming an area of increasing practical and theoretical significance. By resorting to Excel and CiteSpace, and based on the data from the Online Translation Studies Bibliography and SSCI database in Web of Science, this paper conducts a bibliometric analysis of translation teaching studies abroad over the past four decades. It analyzes the amount of annual publications, keyword clustering and cocitation references to provide visualized knowledge domains that show the focuses and trends of translation teaching studies. The paper is concluded with its implications for translation teaching studies in China.
Key words:translation teaching; knowledge domains; research focuses and trends; implications

Abstract:In the age of translation professionalization, information literacy has become an increasingly essential requirement for professional translators. This paper investigates the information needs of professional translators, interprets the concept of information literacy for translators based upon relevant studies on information literacy and translation competence, constructs a systematic model, and further discusses the pedagogical significance of information literacy for translators. It is suggested that information literacy constitute a metaliteracy for professional translators to succeed in the translation industry, and that the goal of translation technology teaching be upgraded from technology competence training to information literacy development.
Key words:information literacy for translators; translation professionalization; translation competence; translation teaching

Abstract:This article reports the procedures of developing the Reading Scale of Chinas Standards of English (CSERS) and its validation. First, from the view of the multidimensionality, the author defines the construct of reading ability, which consists of cognitive ability and reading strategies. Cognitive ability includes identifying and extracting, summarizing and analyzing, criticizing and assessing, while reading strategies include planning, executing, evaluating and monitoring. Second, the author introduces the general formats and specific procedures of descriptor compiling. The procedures comprise the preparation stage, construction of the descriptor pool, validation and revision of the descriptors, and publication of the descriptors. Finally, the author elaborates on the procedures and methods of validating the CSERS empirically.

Abstract:By adopting Skehan’s list of salient features for describing language tasks as the theoretical framework, the present study examines how CET 4 testtakers in China understand the descriptors of reading proficiency at the levels from B1 to C1 in the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). The study results show that the task features of code complexity (language difficulty), topic familiarity, time pressure and task control (task conditions and limitations) have significant impacts on the subjects evaluation of the descriptors. The effect of task processing complexity (cognitive loading) is, however, equivocal. The study is expected to provide insights for the development and revision of Chinas Standards of English.

Abstract:Integrated readingtowrite is indispensable to college English writing instruction in academic settings, while the confounding of skills in such tasks is a bottleneck in delineating the corresponding construct. Under the framework of China's Standards of English and with questionnaires and writing texts as information sources，this article makes an investigation into the readingtowrite construct and its components. Analysis of data from 205 teachers and 299 students yields the following results: 1) readingtowrite is a unique construct different from either reading or writing, with meditationtransformation as a core element; 2) writing ability, meditationselecting and constructing, readinggeneralization and evaluation, readingidentifying and comprehension, strategyplanning, strategyexecuting, and meditationtransformation are 7 factors contributing to the readingtowrite construct; 3) writing ability takes dominance on a taskspecific basis. The results might provide useful insights for writing instruction and assessment.

Abstract:The article sorts out the brief history of the convergence of SLA and Positive Psychology (PosPsy), and summarizes the main contributions of PosPsy to SLA research, namely from negative emotions to positive emotions, from negative emotions to emotional intelligence, and from PERMA to EMPHATHICS. It then proposes three prospects for future SLA research in the perspective of PosPsy in China: 1) involving more diversified, backgrounded and complex variables, 2) employing multivariate research methods and scientific research tools, and 3) encouraging more empirical studies and practice on the validity of PosPsy intervention in SLA. PosPsy will play a full role in broadening the scope of SLA research and facilitating humanistic EFL teaching in China.

Abstract:By employing the multimedia elicitation task, appropriateness judgment task and retrospective interview, this study investigated 50 Chinese nonEnglish major postgraduates competence in producing and understanding English routines. The results showed that: 1) the participants could not produce nativelike routines in certain contexts, but their utterances could be accepted by native speakers; 2) they could not fully understand the appropriate use of routines, due to insufficient English metapragmatic awareness and neglect of the multifunctionality of routines. The study suggests that teachers should enhance explicit teaching of routines, focus on the variances in different forms of routines with the same pragmatic function, and provide as many language materials containing various routines as possible.

Abstract:Through indepth interviews with 8 senior teachers at a key foreign language university in China, this study makes an investigation into the writing instruction practice in Chinas tradition of foreign language education (1949-1978). It analyzes the fundamental elements and features of their writing instruction, and reexamines the core concepts of foreign language writing and writing instruction. The study results show that the traditional writing instruction, oriented towards the wholeperson teaching and education, pursues authenticity and thoughts, emphasizes learner agency and interactions between readers and writers, and goes through formative teaching and learning processes. The study finally provides some implications for foreign language writing instruction in China.

Abstract:Using questionnaires and interviews, this paper investigates the features of citing practice in academic writings by Chinese postgraduate students of the English program. It shows that the students citations have various sources, clear academic orientations and strong source tendency, but are inadequate in overall performance. By establishing academic connections and paying due respect for authorities, their citations are basically intended for dissertations with good quality as the requirements for graduation, thus resulting in weak academic identity construction. Factors of relevance, authority, accessibility and timeliness are found to have effects on the students citation choices and behaviors. The paper concludes that the students citing practice possesses groupspecific, developmental, multifaceted and progressive features, and it involves tremendous training and repetitive practice to develop the multidimensional citation ability.

Abstract:This study conducts a metaanalysis of the task complexity effects on L2 writing by synthesizing 41 empirical studies published at home and abroad from 2007 to 2017. The results show that: 1) the studies are mainly singlefactor ones which mostly take resourcedirecting dimensions of task complexity as the independent variables; 2) the language assessment measures are diversified, unbalanced in distribution and probably uncomparable; 3) resourcedirecting task complexity exerts significant positive effect on complexity and fluency, but shows nonsignificant positive effect on accuracy; 4) while producing significant negative effect on accuracy and nonsignificant negative effect on syntactic complexity, resourcedispersing task complexity has nonsignificant positive effect on fluency and lexical complexity; 5) cognitive load is the mediating variable affecting task complexity effect, and writers L2 proficiency, language assessment measures and task complexity dimensions are the moderator variables.

Abstract:With 240 secondyear college English majors as the subjects, the present study constructs a survey scale of the inducing factors for the Chinese English learners classroom English writing anxiety, aiming to provide a scientificallyoriented and easilyhandled assessment tool for research on classroom English writing anxiety. The results show that English writing anxiety consists of the inducing factors from the language learners themselves and those from the writing process: the former refers to expression competence, language competence and discourse competence, while the latter involves evaluation feedback, written text characteristics and output modes; the ideal discrimination ability of the items in the survey scale meets the requirements of psychological measurement; the survey contents and items are closely correlated with ideal consistency and independency; the survey scale and items not only possess the predictive validity for assessing classroom English writing anxiety, but also have the potential ability in distinguishing individuals with different levels of English writing anxiety in the same English writing group.