Introduction of English Immersion in China: A Transplant with Modifications

This article presents an overview of replicating the French immersion model used in Canada to English immersion programs in China. It provides the Chinese context of this program highlighting the importance of English education and the defect of traditional English teaching and learning. The paper explains the borrowable features of the French immersion model which account for the attraction to the Chinese reformers. With a focused discussion on the differences between the traditional and immersion English teaching approaches, the paper argues that, to sustain an effective transplanted English immersion program, necessary modifications must be made to respond to the social and educational contextual restrictions in the “borrower” country.