Sound bites

Lowering the proportion of English used in gaokao does not mean we should lower our demands on our students to learn English. English is an important skill, but it's not only a subject to be tested. Our school always pays a great deal of attention to a student's abilities in English. No matter how much gaokao covers the English language, it will be an important part of a student's knowledge base.

Li Jinmiao, English teacher at Tianjin Foreign Lauguages School, on lowering the proportion of English used in gaokao, the Chinese college entrance exam.

We, teachers and students, all oppose the decision to cancel the English listening test in gaokao. The cancellation is contrary to the process of learning a language. Students need to practice listening, speaking, reading and writing in learning a language. If there isn't a listening test, students will pay less attention to that skill.