From June 16th to 18th, 2023, Professor Yuan Xiaolu, Dean of the School of English, was invited to participate in the 20th National Symposium on Teaching English Majors in Polytechnics, also the 5th Dean/Department Director Forum, and interacted with experts, scholars, and heads of colleges and universities in the field, jointly discussing the professional construction and talent training paths of English majors under the background of Chinese-style modernization. Dean Yuan Xiaolu presided over a lecture by Professor Wu Xia of Tsinghua University titled “Using the Advantages of Foreign Language Disciplines to Serve the Construction of International Communication Capacity”. He clarified the importance of telling Chinese stories well and strengthening the construction of international communication capabilities for the construction of foreign language disciplines and talent cultivation. He looked forward to the vision of application-oriented colleges and universities actively serving the national strategy and cultivating international communication talents.

This seminar gathered well-known experts and scholars in the field of higher foreign language education, including Sun Youzhong, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University and chairman of the Teaching Guidance Subcommittee for Foreign Languages and Literatures in Colleges and Universities under the Ministry of Education, Zha Mingjian, a professor of Shanghai International Studies University and convener of the 8th Foreign Language and Literature Discipline Evaluation Group, Jiang Yajun, deputy chairman of the Ministry of Education Higher Education Institutions Teaching Guidance Sub-Committee for English Majors, Vice President of Xi’an International Studies University, and Peng Qinglong, Xu Mingwu and Liu Kedong, members of the Ministry of Education Higher Education Institutions English Major Teaching Guidance Sub-Committee. Also presenting at this seminar were editors-in-chief of some foreign language research journals, including Yang Ping, editor-in-chief of “Chinese Translation”, Liang Zhan, editor-in-chief of “Foreign Literature Review”, Wang Heping, executive editor of “Foreign Language Teaching”, and Deng Yaochen, editor-in-chief of “Foreign Language and Foreign Language Teaching”.

The main topics of the conference include: Chinese-style modernization and the digitalization and internationalization of English majors, integrated promotion of the “three advancements” work, curriculum ideological and political education, new liberal arts construction, the theory and practice of regional and national studies construction, and the perspective of Chinese-style modernization International communication ability cultivation and academic training model for English major students, etc. Experts attending the meeting comprehensively interpreted the opportunities and challenges faced by the high-quality development of English majors in the context of China’s modernization construction, including the innovation of higher-order thinking and accurate expression ability training models under the impact of ChatGPT, and the development model of subject majors driven by language big data and the construction of English professional resources under the digital background and the professional development of foreign language teachers in the digital era. The editors-in-chief sorted out the new academic perspectives promoted by China’s modernization and the norms and standards for journal acceptance, review, and proofreading, providing guidance for the academic research and professional development of teachers in various universities.

This forum provided ideas for the construction and innovation of national first-class majors and courses in our school, including the opportunities, challenges and reform directions faced by foreign language majors in applied universities under the background of digital transformation, and clarified the need for change and adaptability of the policy. The construction of English majors in the new era should be guided by high-quality development, upright and innovative. On the one hand, we will deepen the construction of professional connotation and build a professional knowledge system, curriculum system and teaching material system that meets the needs of China’s modernization construction in the new era; on the other hand, we will expand professional connotation, deepen the application of modern educational technology and digital technology, and improve the digital literacy of teachers and students, encourage teachers to carry out research-based teaching, rely on school-based advantageous resources to strive to build an independent talent training system that is consistent with school conditions and academic conditions, and cultivate talents with family and country feelings, global vision, professional skills, international communication capabilities and cross-cultural abilities. New foreign language talents who are responsible for national rejuvenation.