On the morning of May 26, 2025, the starry auditorium of Xi’an Hangtian Jingying School became the venue for the inspiring “Uncle Craig National Phonics Teaching Tour and Workshop – Shaanxi Station.” Organized by Beijing Foreign Studies University and co-hosted by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press and Xi’an Hangtian Jingying School, the event aimed to promote the integration and enhancement of phonics instruction in alignment with the latest national curriculum standards.

Led by Professor Zhang Xiaohui from the Basic English Education Research Center of the School of English Language and Culture at Xi’an Fanyi University, a group of eight student teachers actively participated in the workshop. As an integral part of the Center’s commitment to foundational English education research and practice, this participation provided an invaluable opportunity to gain insights into cutting-edge teaching methodologies and accumulate practical experience for future curriculum development.

During the workshop, internationally renowned English reading expert Craig Wright, author of Uncle Craig’s Phonics, delivered a compelling demonstration of effective phonics teaching strategies. Through engaging examples, he illustrated how to efficiently guide students in mastering phonics skills within limited classroom hours. Teacher Yang Sujuan from Xi’an Hangtian Jingying School also shared the school’s innovative approaches to integrating phonics with reading instruction.

Zhang Xiaohui remarked that the workshop broadened the team’s comprehension of phonics teaching methods and provided valuable hands-on experience. The participating student teachers were motivated by the engaging and practical nature of the phonics approach.

This event injected fresh energy into the Basic English Education Research Center’s efforts to innovate in foundational English education and offered robust support for the ongoing phonics teaching reform and development in the region.