Chinese university plans to drop English classes as AI translation improves

Zhao Wei, the university's provost, said in a video posted to the university's social media account on July 2 that the new curriculum is designed to help students better understand both Chinese and Western cultures so they can communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds.

"Today, I don't need to understand English at all," Zhao said, as quoted by the South China Morning Post. "You can speak in English, and the translation comes through my earphones in Chinese. I can speak Chinese, and your earphones may receive it in Spanish. Real-time translation has become impressively effective."

Zhao argued that universities should prioritize skills that AI cannot replace, including human judgment, empathy and cross-cultural etiquette.

"We need to teach students Western and Eastern cultures, helping them interact with foreigners properly and reasonably so that business can successfully be conducted."

Simple English words written on a classroom board. Photo from Pexels

The move comes as Chinese universities reshape their academic offerings to reflect the country's rapidly changing economy and advances in AI.

Between 2021 and 2025, universities across China revoked or suspended 12,200 undergraduate programs and introduced 10,200 new ones, according to Ministry of Education data cited by Xinhua. More than 30% of undergraduate majors were adjusted during the period.

Many of the discontinued programs were in arts, humanities, foreign languages and management, disciplines increasingly viewed by universities as "obsolete" or less relevant to future employment needs.

The changes have fueled broader debate over the future of English education in China. Education experts have argued that foreign-language courses should move beyond language instruction to focus on intercultural communication, critical thinking, AI literacy and cultural understanding.

In recent years, some Chinese universities have reduced the number of credits required for general English courses, while others have eliminated mandatory English proficiency certificates for graduation.

Education experts say the trend reflects improving English proficiency among Chinese students and universities' efforts to modernize their curricula rather than a belief that English is no longer important.

Wang Feng, a researcher at the China National Academy of Educational Sciences, previously told China News Weekly that universities could adopt more flexible English requirements based on different disciplines instead of requiring standardized English proficiency exams, citing significant improvements in students' language skills before entering university.