The 3rd National Universities and Colleges Foreign LanguageEducation Reform and Development High-end Forum was held in Beijing on March24-25. Deputy Director of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministryof Education Xu Qingsen along with over 2 000 presidents of universities andcolleges, foreign language teaching researchers and foreign language teachersattended the forum.

   CPC Branch Secretary Prof. Wang Dinghua,President of Shanghai International Studies University Prof. Li Yansong,President of Xi'an International Studies University Prof. Wang Junzhe, Directorof Foreign Language Teaching Steering Committee of the Ministry of EducationProf. Wang Shouren, and Dean of SFS Prof. Huang Guowen delivered keynotespeeches.

   In his speech titled "Features of ForeignLanguage Education in the New Era: An Ecolinguistic Approach", Prof. HuangGuowen pointed out that to build a beautiful China man and nature must coexistin harmony, and that foreign language teaching in the new era must aim atinstilling values and cultivating talents that are not only "socialbeings" but also "ecological beings" who bear affection for thecountry and benevolence and reverence for nature. He proposed that language constructsreality and that one research question is how our ways of meaning impactnature.

(Reportby Qin Jianhua)