Shenzhen's SUAT pilots intercultural communication course to replace College English from fall 2026, first in China, with AI support and CET/IELTS retained.
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Source: OT-Team(G), 南方都市报
A proposed reform to replace traditional College English courses with an intercultural communication curriculum at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT) has sparked widespread public discussion after the university's Provost, Zhao Wei, revealed the plan in a recent public statement.
The proposal quickly drew mixed reactions online. Supporters described the initiative as forward-looking and innovative, arguing that meaningful intercultural communication requires a higher level of English proficiency and broader global competence than conventional language instruction. Others questioned whether eliminating College English courses would weaken students' English skills, asking how students could engage in intercultural communication without strong language foundations or prepare for postgraduate entrance exams.
In response to the debate, Li Ji, Director of the English Center under SUAT's Department of General Education, explained the university's educational rationale, curriculum design, teaching arrangements, and assessment methods in an interview.
Pilot Program to Run Through 2028
Li emphasized that the university is not abolishing English learning. Instead, beginning in the fall semester of 2026, two experimental classes will replace the traditional College English course with an Intercultural Communication course as part of a pilot program. The trial will continue through the end of the 2028 fall semester, after which the university plans to expand the curriculum across the institution.
Students enrolled in the pilot will still be expected to take standardized English examinations, including China's College English Test (CET-4 and CET-6), postgraduate entrance examinations, and international tests such as IELTS and TOEFL.
For students who need additional language support—particularly in listening and speaking—the university will continue to provide small-group tutorials and one-on-one office hours outside regular class time.
According to Li, the reform is designed to strengthen rather than diminish students' English proficiency by integrating language learning with authentic communication scenarios and the study of both Chinese and international cultures.
"Our experience has shown that this approach enhances language development," he said.
As evidence, Li noted that among SUAT's 2024 cohort, the first-time CET-4 pass rate reached 99.12%, with 50% of students achieving an excellent score, while the CET-6 pass rate reached 80%, well above the national average.
Unlike traditional examinations focused primarily on language knowledge, assessment in the new curriculum will be task-based and process-oriented, evaluating students' performance in intercultural communication activities, competitions, and future academic exchanges.
A National First in Foreign Language Curriculum Reform
Established in 2024 as a new research-oriented university, SUAT has been tasked with exploring innovative approaches to higher education and institutional reform.
The university believes that engineers and scientists in the AI era should possess not only technical expertise, but also a strong sense of social responsibility, an understanding of different cultures, and the ability to collaborate across cultural boundaries.
Li argued that advances in artificial intelligence and increasing global interconnectedness are driving a broader transformation in foreign language education.
"In the AI era and an increasingly interconnected world, not only College English but foreign language education as a whole—including English majors—needs to evolve," he said.
While some universities have experimented with reforming individual language courses, Li said SUAT is the first university in China to formally propose replacing the traditional College English curriculum with a comprehensive intercultural communication curriculum, supported by a clear implementation timeline and institutional plan.
The university hopes its experience will serve as a model for broader reform in foreign language education nationwide.
English Learning Will Continue Alongside AI-Assisted Instruction
University officials stressed that replacing the traditional College English course does not mean students will stop learning English.
During the transition, conventional instruction in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translation will continue alongside the new intercultural communication curriculum.
Li explained that AI will increasingly take over routine aspects of language learning, allowing classroom teaching to focus on areas where human instruction remains essential.
"The reform removes the parts that AI can readily assist with while preserving the most valuable classroom learning—what AI cannot adequately explain, interpret, or refine," he said.
To support the initiative, the university has introduced AI-powered software covering listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translation. The new curriculum will place greater emphasis on intercultural knowledge, communication skills, and students' ability to understand and express both Chinese and international cultures.
Echoing that view, Zhao previously remarked that while AI can easily replace much of traditional language knowledge acquisition, it cannot teach genuine intercultural communication or human judgment.
"In the future, learning a language may become more of an art or a personal pursuit," Zhao said.
The university also plans to create more diverse learning environments by combining AI-assisted learning with faculty guidance, peer collaboration with interactions involving international scholars and professionals, and classroom simulations with overseas study experiences.
This summer, SUAT will send six study groups to destinations including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and several African countries for international exchange programs.
New Textbooks and an "English Plus" Faculty
Developing new teaching materials is another key component of the reform.
SUAT has been building its intercultural communication curriculum and textbook system simultaneously. A draft of its new reading and writing textbook has already been completed and is undergoing final editing before being introduced this autumn.
The curriculum will consist of both required and elective components.
Required courses, worth six credits, include Intercultural Communication Reading and Writing, Intercultural Communication Listening and Speaking, and Guided Readings in Chinese and International Cultural Classics.
Elective courses, totaling four to six credits, will cover both Chinese and international culture through offerings such as Selected Readings in English Literature, Classic British and American Film Appreciation, English Translations of the Four Books, Intercultural Communication Scenarios and Practice, English Public Speaking and Debate, and Advanced Interpretation.
Compared with traditional College English programs, Li said, the new curriculum significantly expands cultural content while using intercultural communication as the central framework for language instruction.
The reform is also reshaping faculty recruitment.
According to Li, all instructors at the university's English Center have overseas study or professional experience, and most hold doctoral degrees from universities in English-speaking countries or Hong Kong.
Rather than recruiting faculty solely with backgrounds in linguistics, literature, or translation, SUAT increasingly seeks "English Plus" educators—teachers with strong English expertise combined with specialization in another academic discipline or in Chinese and international cultural studies.
"The foreign language teachers of the future should possess expertise in one or more fields related to Chinese and international cultures and academic disciplines, as well as intercultural communication competence, strong academic training, and critical thinking skills," Li said.
Faculty members currently include scholars specializing in U.S. East Asian Studies, Sanskrit and Indian culture, media and intercultural communication, as well as political science and public administration. The university believes this interdisciplinary faculty structure will better prepare students to communicate effectively and think critically in both real-world and simulated intercultural settings.