The "2025 China English Teaching Symposium" was held at Southwest University, focusing on "English Teaching in the New Era: Mutual Learning Among Civilizations and Global Competence." The event was hosted by the English Teaching Research Branch of the China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese and organized by the School of Foreign Languages at Southwest University, with support from multiple institutions. The symposium featured keynote speeches, an editor-in-chief forum, thematic discussions, and panel presentations, attracting nearly 300 scholars and experts as well as 32,000 online attendees. During the opening ceremony, Wu Haoming, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Southwest University; Professor Sun Youzhong, President of the English Teaching Research Branch; Professor Xiao Kairong, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Southwest University; and Chang Xiaoling, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, delivered speeches emphasizing the importance of foreign language education and the significance of the symposium. President Sun proposed ideas for constructing an autonomous knowledge system for China's foreign language education, Dean Xiao highlighted the importance of research and teacher training in foreign language education, and Deputy Editor-in-Chief Chang introduced FLTRP's efforts in promoting the reform and development of foreign language education. The symposium aimed to advance high-quality development in foreign language education, support the building of a strong educational nation, strengthen international academic exchanges, and foster global collaboration and innovation in applied linguistics.

Keynote Speeches: Exploring Frontiers in Foreign Language Education and Inspiring New Perspectives on Mutual Learning Among Civilizations

Professor Peter I. De Costa from Michigan State University emphasized the importance of critical digital literacy in the context of generative artificial intelligence and explored the connections between emotions, identity, ideology, power relations, and teaching practices. He proposed future research topics and called on educators to collaborate in advancing educational equity. Professor Cheng Xiaotang from Beijing Normal University underscored the role of foundational English education in fostering students' holistic development of core competencies and discussed how to integrate moral character and responsibility education into English curricula. Professor Yin Yungong from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences analyzed the origins and evolution of China's international communication capabilities from historical and geopolitical perspectives, stressing the importance of strengthening international communication capacity. Professor Dong Hongchuan from Sichuan International Studies University reviewed the development of foreign language education in China and explored effective pathways for its reform and advancement. Professor Wen Xu from Southwest University discussed guiding principles, core innovative directions, and implementation strategies for English teaching concepts in the AI era, advocating for an English education system that is "intelligence-driven, humanities-guided, and open-shared."

Thematic Discussions, Editor-in-Chief Forum, and Panel Presentations: Addressing Real Issues in Foreign Language Teaching and Sharing Research and Practical Outcomes

At the 2025 China English Teaching Symposium, 17 thematic discussions focused on cutting-edge topics in foreign language education, with 82 scholars and experts engaging in in-depth exchanges on teaching applications and research methodologies. During the editor-in-chief forum, several professors explored trends and recommendations for topics in foreign language journal papers, discussing innovative research ideas and improving writing quality with educators. In 15 panel presentation sessions, scholars and experts deliberated on themes such as curriculum-based ideological and political education and English discipline development, sharing outcomes of teaching reforms and practical experiences. The closing ceremony was presided over by Professor Liu Shusen, Vice President of the English Teaching Research Branch, with Professor Wen Xu delivering a concluding speech that highlighted the symposium's demonstration of the forward-looking vision and sense of responsibility within the foreign language education community. Professor Gao Yang from Xi'an Jiaotong University, representing the host of next year's symposium, invited colleagues in foreign language education to gather in Xi'an to continue exploring global challenges and new opportunities in English teaching. The English Teaching Research Branch will continue to provide academic exchange platforms for English teachers in China, promote high-quality development in foreign language education, cultivate globally competent talents with both national pride and international vision, and enhance the global influence of China's foreign language education.