There are six designing principles for the National English Curriculum. The first is aiming for educating all students and emphasizing quality-oriented education. Students’ overall development is the motivation and goal of the English curriculum. Therefore, its objectives, the teaching process, the assessment procedures as well as the development of teaching resources should all reflect the principle of learner-centered approach.

The second principle is promoting learner-centeredness and respecting individual differences. The English curriculum aims education for all students and stresses quality-oriented education. The new standards particularly show concerns over students’ affective needs as well as other learning needs in order to stimulate their interests in learning, help them experience the sense of success, and gain self-confidence in learning.

The third principle is developing competence-based objectives and allowing flexibility and adaptability. Modern foreign language teaching emphasizes the learning process and advocates the use of different teaching approaches and methods for the purpose of facilitating students’ language development.

The fourth principle is paying close attention to the learning process and advocating experiential learning and participation. The overall aim of the curriculum for nine-year compulsory education is to develop students’ comprehensive abilities in language use.

The fifth principle is attaching importance to formative assessment and giving special attention to the development of competence. English curriculum requires that teachers should properly utilize and develop teaching resources so as to provide rich and healthy resources that are practical, lively, updated for students’ learning.

The final principle is optimizing learning resources and maximizing opportunities for learning and using the language. The assessment for the nine-year compulsory education should be geared to stimulating students’ interests and cultivating their autonomy in learning.