China's English fervor under scrutiny

Though the word "promontory" may sound unfamiliar to many native English speakers, Luo Jia, a 13-year-old Chinese student, knows its meaning, spelling and the exact sentence in the textbook where it appeared.
"I know the word even better than the uncommon Chinese character with the same meaning," said Luo, as he located the synonym for "cape" while flipping through New Concept English, a textbook widely used in China's English training programs.
Though he is more interested in biology and chemistry, the middle school student in Fujian province attends English classes every weekend upon his mother's order. The class teaches advanced English with a rich vocabulary containing words like "bedraggled," "outlandish" and "parquet." More...