Foreign Media: Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT) plans to gradually phase out traditional university English courses, replacing them with new courses emphasizing cross-cultural communication skills. The institution believes that as real-time translation technologies powered by artificial intelligence continue to advance, language barriers are diminishing. In the future, when interacting with people overseas, students will need to focus more on understanding different cultures and enhancing communication abilities, rather than merely mastering the English language itself.
The university president stated that incoming freshmen in 2026 will pilot this reform, with traditional College English courses being progressively replaced by cross-cultural communication courses.
He argued that real-time translation tools have now become mature enough to enable effective communication even without knowing the other party’s language, thanks to technological devices. Therefore, the educational focus should shift from language acquisition to cultivating cultural understanding and international communication competence. This reform reflects the profound impact of AI technology on traditional education models.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870788587376656/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.