A Comparative Study of Second Language Programs for International Students in Chinese and American Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

With the continuous progress of internationalization, the number of international students is gradually increasing, and the development of foreign students’ second language courses in colleges and universities is also flourishing. The development of foreign students’ second language has been paid more and more attention by educators. The United States, as an economic power, has a good development of its foreign students’ second language courses, while China, as the world’s second largest economy, is also in full swing in its language courses. In this paper, we compare the second language courses of international students in Chinese and American universities, and find that there are similarities and differences in the second language courses of Chinese and American universities. The similarities are that this course is offered to all international students who have a basic knowledge of the first language. The students’ learning needs are enthusiastic, and the purpose of this course is the same. The differences lie in the curriculum objectives, content and teaching mode of Chinese and American universities. The reasons for these differences are nothing more than the qualification level of students, the difficulty of learning Chinese and English, the teaching level and concept of teachers, the education system and philosophy, and the national conditions of China and the United States. Naturally, from the comparative study of the two, we can find the advantages of American colleges and universities in the teaching of foreign students’ second language courses, so that Our country can learn from the methods of American colleges and universities in the treatment of the same problem, and achieve some teaching improvements according to China’s national conditions.