中学英语教学带有浓厚的应试色彩。由于我国目前的教育改革正逐步深入，十分完善的体制还没有出来，考试仍作为选拔人才的古典形式而存在。因此，多数教师受“为应试而教”倾向影响，教学上重笔头，轻听说，部分学生受“为应试而学”倾向影响，只完成笔头作业，不完成听说作业，造成听说能力的薄弱，中学学了六年英语，到高中毕业还开不了口，怕开口，成了“哑巴英语。”因此学生被动接受教育，而教师则成为传统型课堂权力空间的中心点。教学总是围绕考试转，考什么就教什么，教什么学什么诸如此类的循环。对不考的内容就不抓、不教，教学规律和教学大纲往往被忽视。再者，由于受传统观念的影响，不少教师把英语仅当作知识来传授，只重分数，忽视能力的培养。学生完全受教师的控制，而忽略了自我选择学习、自主学习的机会，因此培养出来的学生英语的书面交际能力也很差，更不用说口头交际能力了。这完全违背了英语是一门语言，是用来交际的工具的宗旨所在。

Secondary-school English education in our country carries a strong flavour of exam preparation. Since at present, the reform of our education system is gradually making progress, a sound system has not been formed, and examinations are still in existence as the classical form of selectiing talented people. Therefore, the majority of the teachers are affected by the tendency of "teaching for exams", and place a heavy emphasis on reading and writing skills and almost ignore listening and speaking skills while teaching. Some students alike are affected by the tendency of "studying for exams" and only complete written homework, but not the oral homework, resulting in the weakness in listening and speaking abilities. After six years of learning English in secondary school, some high school graduates still dare not and cannot open their mouth, becoming a victim of "dumb English." Therefore students receive education passively, and teachers traditionally become the center of the space of power that is classroom. Teaching and learning always serve for test preparation, and a circle of teach what is tested and learn what is taught is formed. What is not the content of tests will not be cared for or taught, and the laws and curricula of education are often ignored. Furthermore, due to the impact of traditional values, many teachers teach English only as pieces of knowledge, with heavy emphases on test scores, ignoring the training of abilities. Students are subject to the control of teachers, and neglect the opportunities of selective study and independent study. Nurtured by such education, even the students' ability of written communication would be poor, not to mention the ability of verbal communication. This is completely contrary to the notion and purpose that English is a language and a tool of communication.