Abstract:
It has been seven years since the College English Curriculum Requirements (CECR) was implemented nationwide and it has been ten years since it was first trialled. During this period college English reform has been concomitant with what CECR has stipulated. However, in the process of implementing CECR some issues have emerged, requiring us to examine critically the actual effect in terms of the guidance and supervisory roles that CECR is expected to provide to its users. Given the importance of CECR in language teaching and textbook compilation and the significant role of vocabulary in language learning, this study investigates the vocabulary coverage and re-occurrence in College English textbooks. Findings from a questionnaire are reported in conjunction with our corpus-based analysis of vocabulary in order to examine the influence of CECR on College English objectives, teaching modes, and curriculum design, in the hope that our results will shed light on improving the quality of College English provision for deepening the ongoing college English reform.