On 4 and 5 December 2020, the Open University of China (OUC) convened a work conference on the construction of standards for its English-grading system in Kunming, Yunnan Province.

Liu Zhanrong, director of the International Department; Gao Jie, director of the Standard R & D Department of the OUC Credit Bank; Li Junfeng, deputy director of the Education and Training Department of China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing; and members of the project teams from the English and Business English majors, as well as the Public Foreign Language Teaching Centre of the OUC, attended. Huang Ting, deputy director of the office of the Medical-english Test System, and Jia Yi, executive dean of the College of English Test for International Communication (ETIC) (part of the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP)), attended online. Zheng Jipeng, vice dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, presided.

Gao Jie explained the systematic construction of the credit-bank system, the formulation and application of certification standards, the credit bank, and the 1 + X system, in a speech titled Building a Lifelong-learning Overpass: Certification and Conversion of Learning Achievements, clarifying the context and structure of the qualification framework. Li Junfeng spoke on the ideas and contents of unit certification in the logistics and procurement industries, and made suggestions based on his work experiences, and from an industrial perspective. Huang Ting and Jia Yi introduced the professional-English system, including Medical English, English training, and English certifications at all levels, as a foundation for the construction of standards for the grading system.

Zheng Jipeng stated requirements for the construction of standards for the English-grading system at the OUC. He said the qualification-framework system should be strictly followed to build a leading, scientific and standardized certification and credit-conversion system for English-language learning achievements at the OUC, and promote their use for career advancement as part of the National Credit Bank System for Vocational Education, so as to enhance the quality of open universities.

Liu Yongquan, professor in the Faculty of Foreign Languages, gave an overview of the origin, objectives and completed work in constructing standards for the OUC English-grading system, including the grading system as it exists now, and sample questions. The project team will make use of the qualification framework to improve the system of learning-achievement certification, accumulation, and transformation.

This project is being undertaken on behalf of all English students at Open Universities. So far, it has formulated degree English-examination standards, developed public English ESP resources, and constructed a five-level English-grading scale. It plans to adopt standardized and challenge examinations to complete the certification of learning achievements and credit accumulation and transformation, encouraging students to participate in open and flexible life-long learning, and cultivating skilled professionals.

Written by Liu Ning; photos by Zhang Yi, OUC