Modern Social Science Research

The Understanding Contemporary China series of English courses shoulder the contemporary mission of cultivating students’ ability to tell China’s stories and communicate between China and the world in English. However, current teaching of the Understanding Contemporary China: English Public Speaking course often falls into the dilemma of “content translation” and “skill training,” making students prone to “speechlessness” or “clichéd expressions,” and lacking the ability for deep understanding and sincere communication on the speech topics. To break through this dilemma, this paper introduces the core concept of “Praxis” (reflective practice) from critical pedagogy and action research, aiming to construct a three-dimensional cyclical Praxis teaching model specifically designed for this course, characterized by “issue anchoring, discourse generation, and public reflection.” This model redefines the course as a form of “social discourse practice,” emphasizing that through the cycle of “action (speech practice) – reflection (critical dialogue) – re-action (optimized communication),” students can deepen their understanding of contemporary Chinese theories and practices, while enhancing their responsible intercultural discourse competence. This paper elaborates on the theoretical foundations, structural framework, practical pathways, and assessment principles of the model, hoping to provide an operable theoretical and practical framework for curriculum reform.

Praxis; Reflective practice; Understanding Contemporary China; English public speaking; Critical discourse competence