Deficiencies in Teaching English in Rural Schools: Approaches to Close the Urban-Rural Divide

The urban-rural divide has been a frequently discussed subject by scholars since the Chinese government's agenda aims to bring an equal quality of life to all regions of the people. Although many papers have identified the problem of regional inequality in China, which has been exacerbated by the Gaokao system, only some of them offer policy suggestions with empirical research. This study, therefore, acts as a complement to the present literature by first summarizing the significance of the Gaokao for rural high school students. Then, the study selects one of the test components- English, and investigates its deficiency in class design, resource quality, and the teacher's teaching method in rural high schools. Lastly, the study suggests an English reading approach to improve English proficiency among rural high school students with theoretical analysis and empirical application in a Yanshi (a county in the northern province of Henan) high school. Some other policies are also suggested based on its successful application in the foreign countries.