Is Successful Implementation Possible? Unraveling the Implementation of English Language Education Policy in China

Guided by the onion model theory of language policy, this study aims to investigate the multi-level implementation of the English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education (2022 Edition) in China. Data were collected from both macro and micro-level policy texts, along with interviews with English teachers in five middle schools. One school was selected as the primary site for an in-depth field investigation. Policy texts were examined through critical discourse analysis (CDA), while interviews were systematically coded and analyzed using Nvivo 14.0. The findings revealed that: (1) The national-to-local policy texts exhibit alignment, whereas a disjuncture exists between the upper and school-level practices; (2) English teachers, caught in the tension between policy mandates and practical teaching constraints, further deepens the disjuncture; (3) The implementation of the new curriculum standards in county-level middle schools remains suboptimal, shaped by a complex interplay of factors including the policy text itself, the county education bureau, schools, teachers, and students. Notably, female English teachers faced significant teaching and family pressures while striving to implement the new policy. On one hand, this study unveils a Chinese theoretical model of English language education policy implementation. On the other hand, it underscores the urgent need for targeted support mechanisms to facilitate more effective policy implementation in county-level schools.