《英语》（新标准）外方专家回忆合作过程(68996)-英语教育-(221)-21英语网

本文作者： 21st

作为麦克米伦出版公司的前任掌舵者，Christopher Paterson给予了《英语》（新标准）项目最有力的支持。

Christopher Paterson：麦克米伦出版公司前主席

I suppose it was 14 years ago when I first came to China, and I wanted to identify those who might be successful partners for Macmillan. It quickly became clear that there was just one publishing house at the top of the mountain, which was likely to be the most effective partner for Macmillan, and that was Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. The second British Publishers Mission was our opportunity — when Mr Li Pengyi sought me out, and we had the chance to discuss new publishing possibilities for the first time. It was clear to me that FLTRP had real strategic vision. We started the first readers programme initially, but it was always clear that what was needed was not local reprints or adaptations of overseas materials but books specifically written and edited to suit Chinese conditions and aspirations. It was also clear that the professionalism of the FLTRP team was second to none. So when the Ministry of Education decided to offer English at primary level and Mr Li offered us the opportunity to invest together in a new primary English course, we were not slow to accept!

I believe the co-publishing of New Standard English courses with FLTRP is unique in Macmillan’s history. It has been a genuine cooperation that has not only created learning materials specially developed for schoolchildren in China learning English but has also fostered an intense and open collaboration between our two publishing houses that has changed and allowed all the individuals involved in the project to grow professionally and personally. Both our organisations have had to change during this period to adapt to the world changing around us. This project has opened our minds to new ways of working and collaborating on an international basis, a relationship that has changed Macmillan in a very positive way.

Macmillan has gone to great lengths to find highly experienced and well-renowned authors, editors, trainers and expert advisors who are able to bring to China the best of international teaching and learning pedagogies and apply these to the unique needs in Chinese schools. The success of our English projects has depended on the teams working together on the basis of mutual confidence and friendship. These teams have all been welcomed as true friends by their editorial colleagues in Beijing and at all levels. I would like to thank them all for their ongoing dedication, commitment and creativity over the years.

作为《英语》（新标准）教材的英方执笔者，Simon Greenall与中国编者共同创作了一套真正符合中国国情的教材。

Simon Greenall：英国英语教育专家、《英语》（新标准）系列教材英方总主编

NEW Standard English uses the most tried and tested methodology of communicative language teaching. Some of the words we use to define and describe communicative include learner-focussed, integrated skills development, language in context, language usage, and everyday English. My role was to explore with my friend and colleague Professor Chen Lin and his team, the relevance of every aspect of this approach in the context of Chinese classrooms. Everything we did reflected the intentions and aspirations of the new curriculum, introduced from 2004. Its objectives include not just a focus on language knowledge but on language skills, on learning strategy, on cultural consciousness, and on affect and attitudes, including national commitment and international vision. Our job was to take this set of theoretical objectives and turn it into a practical classroom course which considers the needs of the learners, the expectations of the teachers, and the aspirations of a national education curriculum. I’m very proud with how successfully we were able to achieve this in New Standard English, but much of the credit must go to the curriculum document itself.

While trying to bring to China some of the best teaching practice through the coursebook, we also encountered some difficulties. Class size in China is perhaps the most significant issue which challenged the introduction of communicative methodology into China. But generally, pair- and groupwork is a device which is commonly used to manage a large class, and during our many weeks of classroom observation, we were delighted to see how well the teachers were integrating it into their work.

For about seven years I came to China from my home in Oxford, UK, every six or seven weeks, and over the past ten years, I’ve spent more than a year living in China. My work in China is the most substantial aspect of my professional life. It has been so for the past ten years, and I expect it to continue. I’ve spent more than one third of my professional life working with my Chinese colleagues, and for Chinese teachers and learners. No other project in my career has required the same commitment from me and I’m very proud of this.

作为《英语》（新标准）项目的推动者，姚希勤见证了双方合作编写教材的全过程。

姚希勤：麦克米伦（中国）出版有限公司原董事总经理

1999年，教育部开始制定国家《英语课程标准》，英明的李朋义社长便决定要开发自己的中小学教材，而麦克米伦出版集团很荣幸地被外研社基础英语教育事业部选为外方的合作伙伴。2000年1月21日徐秀芝书记、申蔷，我和我的另外一位同事在外研社签署《英语》(新标准)合作协议的那一瞬间似乎已经成为历史性的一刻。在这十逾年时间里，双方的真挚合作与配合使《英语》(新标准)成为中国基础英语教育领域举足轻重的一套权威性教材。

麦克米伦出版集团是国际性的出版社，它在不少国家根据当地的课程纲要及当地情况出版英语教材供当地使用。这些教材有一个共同的特色:将全球最流行、最新颖、最有效的英语教学方法与当地的实际情况紧密结合。几十年来，它积累了颇为丰富的合作编写与出版教材的经验。其中一个宝贵经验是，一套合作出版的教材，它在创新和凸显特色方面是否做得成功，在很大程度上受两个关键因素的影响:双方投入的规模和力度是否够庞大，以及合作编写的过程是否够顺畅。

外研社是中国最大的出版机构之一，在英语教材出版方面，它更是首屈一指的。而且在过去三十年中，它也积累了非常丰富的中外合作经验。它在选定与麦克米伦合作编写《英语》（新标准）后，便倾全力投入，组织了庞大的编写团和编辑团，务求每一个环节都达到国际一流水平。而我也意识到这个项目的合作意义非常重大，所以便以总公司名义来签订这份重之又重的合约。只有这样，我才能更容易地动用总公司、以至它在世界各地的分公司的专家和资源。

同时，麦克米伦出版集团很有信心确保合作编写过程顺畅进行。经过几十年与世界各地的专家们合作编写教材，它对合作编写的所有环节，以及可能要克服的困难，都是熟悉的。于是，擅长与外国出版社合作的外研社与富有国际合作编写经验的麦克米伦出版集团开始了历史性的合作。

在《英语》（新标准）的编写过程中，每套教材都经过了主编、作者、编辑等不断沟通与协作的漫长过程，尤其是在起步时，还经历了一段磨合过程。幸运的是，中外专家们都能虚心听取对方的意见和建议，调整自己的看法，抚平自己的情绪。而经过磨合之后，大家都成为很好的朋友。

最终，经过每一位成员的不懈努力，这个中外合作的项目——《英语》（新标准）终于顺利完成了,每一套教材都及时运用了全球英语教学最新、最好的方法，并且用地道、优美的英文编写，而它的内容又是完全符合中国国情、适应中国教师们的教学习惯与能力的。对学生们来说，它也是一套十分有趣的英语教材。其实，在我眼中，每一套教材都完全可以跟世界任何地方的英语教材相媲美。

可以说，《英语》（新标准）是我三十八年出版职业生涯中最成功的项目。在我心目中，它的成功不在于项目的规模，不在于教材的销售数量，而在于它对国家的英语教育能做出一点点贡献。每当我想到全国有两千多万学生正在使用这套教材学习英语——地球村的通用语言时，我就感到无比快慰。

但同时我也感到惶恐，因为，一套教材初版时由于受到各种因素的限制，多多少少都有不足之处，所以我非常期盼教师们能够多多指正，同事们能够精益求精地把每一套教材修订得更完美。我能够在退休之前完成一项最满意的工作，是我的福气。请允许我借这个机会，向每一位参与该项目的外研社同事，致以诚挚的谢意！