A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN CHINA: ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ LEARNING MOTIVATION AND CAREER PLANNING

Abstract

With the rapid development of globalization and technology in recent years, China’s English language education industry has demonstrated a growing tendency of commercialization. The purpose of this research is to look at the current problem of excessive commercial expansion in China’s English language education, assess the reasons behind it, and the impact on students’ learning motivation and career planning. The paper gathered pertinent data through an empirical study at a certain university utilizing approaches such as surveys and interviews. The study demonstrates that, in the context of China’s exam-oriented school system, the English discipline has seen excessive development. First of all, with lots of developmental potential, the number of English language training institutions is growing. Second, the variety of educational forms makes students obtain more knowledge than they did previously, such as individualized educational customization, online English learning platforms, yet the knowledge they are learning is shallow and fragmented. These changes have an impact on students’ learning motivation and career planning in both positive and negative ways. On the one side, commercialization expands learning possibilities and channels, piquing the interests and motivation of some students. Excessive commercialization, on the other hand, may lead to a utilitarian inclination, reducing intrinsic desire for learning. Furthermore, market-oriented education may have an impact on students’ career planning, encouraging them to prioritize work prospects and remuneration over their own interests and holistic development. Finally, this research calls for a balanced approach to dealing with over-commercialized English language education, stressing the substance of education rather than economic growth in order to better suit the learning demands and holistic development of college students.