Cultivating Global Competence for English (Teacher Education) Majors in Contemporary China and for the World: A Review and Path Exploration

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jhet.202615337

Author(s)

Dingkun Wu1,*, Dinglun Wu2

Affiliation(s)

1School of Overseas Education, Sanming University, Sanming, Fujian, China 2School of Humanities and Law, Fuzhou Technology and Business University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

Against the backdrop of China's 15th Five-Year Plan and the 2026 White Paper on global governance, global competence has emerged as a strategic priority for higher education. This paper argues that the English (Teacher Education) Major, while structurally positioned to cultivate such competence, remains constrained by a narrow language-skills paradigm that limits graduates' professional scope across all specialisations. Drawing on analysis of related documents, employment data, and three institutional case studies: Beijing Foreign Studies University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, and East China Normal University — it reviews the theoretical dimensions of global competence and proposes reform pathways through the "English plus" interdisciplinary model, encompassing curriculum reconstruction, pedagogical innovation, and multi-dimensional assessment. The paper concludes that global competence should be treated not as a curricular add-on but as the organising purpose of English (Teacher Education) Majors programmes, connecting individual professional development to China's commitments in global governance.

Keywords

Global Competence; English Majors; Pre-Service Teacher Education; “English Plus” Model; Intercultural Competence; Global Governance

References

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