The 16th SFLEP National Foreign Language Teaching Contest (College English Category) -Beijing Regional Event Held at Beijing Jiaotong University

From June 7 to 8, the 16th SFLEP National Foreign Language Teaching Contest (College English Category) — Beijing Regional Semifinal, Final, and Award Ceremony was successfully held at Beijing Jiaotong University. The event was guided by the Higher Education Department of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, organized by Beijing Association of Higher Education and Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, co-organized by the College English Research Branch of the Beijing Association of Higher Education and the Beijing College English Education Development Center, and hosted by Beijing Jiaotong University.

The award ceremony took place on the afternoon of June 8. Distinguished guests included Professor Li Guoxiu, Vice President of Beijing Jiaotong University; Mr. Xian Lianping, President of the Beijing Association of Higher Education and former Director of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission; Mr. Li Jingtao, Director of the Higher Education Department of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission; Mr. Ye Qing, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Organizing Committee of the Contest; Professor Li Shujing, Secretary of the CPC Committee of the School of Foreign Languages, Peking University, member of the College English Teaching Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education, and Chair of the College English Research Branch of the Beijing Higher Education Society; Professor Zhang Xihua, Standing Committee Member of the CPC Committee, Head of the United Front Work Department, and Director of the Academic Affairs Office of Beijing International Studies University; as well as deans and experts from over ten universities, including China University of Political Science and Law, Communication University of China, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), People's Public Security University of China, North China Electric Power University, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Capital Normal University, Capital Medical University, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing Information Science and Technology University, Beijing Wuzi University, and Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication.

In his opening remarks, Professor Li Guoxiu, Vice President of BJTU, emphasized the university's long-standing commitment to reforming College English education and promoting teacher development. He introduced BJTU's international competence-based teaching framework — the "3 Connections, 4 Levels, 5 Modules, and 6 Dimensions" system — and the university's exploration of an integrated "Teaching–Learning–Assessment–Testing–Guidance" model, as well as its signature course series themed "Telling China's Stories Well". Professor Li highlighted that, under China's "Education Power" strategy, College English education must embrace reform in concepts, content, and models. He called on teachers to use the contest as an opportunity to achieve the goals of "promoting teaching through competition, advancing reform through competition, and enhancing excellence through competition", thereby improving both teaching competence and educational quality.

Mr. Xian Lianping, President of Beijing Association of Higher Education, commended the SFLEP for its positive impact on innovation in college foreign language education. He noted that in the context of building a high-quality education system, foreign language teaching should play a greater role in fostering moral integrity, promoting interdisciplinary integration, and enhancing international communication capacity. He also emphasized that, as artificial intelligence increasingly integrates with education, foreign language teachers should embrace new technologies, advance blended learning, and explore the ideological and moral value of language education, thereby demonstrating the humanistic essence of education in the digital era.

In his address, Mr. Li Jingtao, Director of the Higher Education Department of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, stated that College English, as an essential part of general education in universities, is crucial for developing students' global competence. In light of the "Blueprint for Building an Educational Power", which sets higher standards for teacher development and teaching reform, the contest serves as an effective platform to advance these goals. He announced that the Commission will continue to focus on three priorities: strengthening teacher training, deepening educational digitalization, and promoting the integration of ideological education with international communication, in order to sustain high-quality foreign language education in Beijing's universities.

Mr. Ye Qing, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Organizing Committee, shared insights into the Press's long-term involvement in contest organization, curriculum development, and educational services. He highlighted that, under the theme "Communicating China to the World, Leading the Future", college English teachers should not only serve as language educators but also as cultural ambassadors, guiding students to share China's stories with the world. He encouraged teachers to draw from local cultural resources and nurture students with patriotism and global vision, enabling them to step confidently onto the international stage.

Professor Li Shujing, who is a member of the Advisory Committee on College Foreign Language Teaching of the Ministry of Education, Chairman of the College English Research Branch of the Beijing Association of Higher Education, and Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Foreign Languages at Peking University, emphasized that the SFLEP provides a valuable platform for teachers to showcase their talents and grow professionally, while driving the continuous renewal of curricula and pedagogical models. In today's AI-driven educational landscape, she noted, teachers must embrace technology to empower their teaching while maintaining humanistic care, continually enhancing their abilities in cross-cultural communication and critical thinking instruction. She concluded with the remark: "To educate others, one must first educate oneself. The professional development of teachers is the cornerstone of high-quality foreign language education".

During the expert review session, Professor Zhang Xihua and Professor Zhang Qing provided in-depth feedback for the Comprehensive English and Audio-Visual & Speaking competition categories, respectively. Professor Zhang Xihua discussed key areas for improvement — including goal setting, student-centered approaches, instructional design, classroom depth, international communication, and AI empowerment — and urged teachers to go beyond the text, the classroom, and language itself, building a new paradigm of English teaching characterized by interdisciplinarity and a sense of mission.

Professor Zhang Qing, drawing on the contest's scoring criteria, offered detailed feedback on lesson objectives, focus and difficulty, innovation, classroom interaction, and teacher presentation, encouraging participants to make the most of the contest's role in enhancing teaching and learning, and to continuously refine their professional skills.

The closing ceremony and award presentation were hosted by Mr. Sun Wenbo, Secretary of the CPC Committee of the School of Languages and Communication Studies, Beijing Jiaotong University, and Mr. Hao Yunhui, Vice Dean of the School. In his concluding remarks, Sun Wenbo noted that the School would take this event as an opportunity to further optimize its curriculum system, upgrade smart teaching platforms, and explore AI-powered educational models, contributing to the high-quality development of foreign language education in Chinese universities.

As an exchange platform for foreign language teaching, the SFLEP provided a valuable opportunity for college English teachers across Beijing to showcase their teaching excellence, share pedagogical insights, and strengthen intercollegiate collaboration. Building on the success of hosting this competition, the School will continue to develop a high-quality and professional teaching team, explore the synergy between College English education and overall higher education quality, and contribute to cultivating a new generation of talents with patriotism, global vision, and professional competence.

The contest consisted of three stages — preliminary (campus), semifinal, and final rounds. The semifinal and final rounds featured on-site teaching demonstrations, lesson presentations, and Q&A sessions with judges. After intense competition, Grand Prize, First Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize winners were selected in each category. The Grand Prize winners will represent the Beijing division at the National Finals to be held in Shanghai in December.