English Teacher Award

The campaign establishes an English Teacher Award to recognize excellence in teaching among Chinese non-native teachers of English. Nominations will be made by students and English teachers.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and Carma Elliot (fourth from left), director of British Council China, meet Zheng Jianwei, an English teacher and the first visually-impaired IELTS candidate in South China, at Wuhan University, Jan 31. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"It's a great honor to be a part of the launch of the 'English is GREAT' campaign today," said Zheng Jianwei, an English teacher and winner of the Social Impact Award at the British Council China 2015-16 Alumni Awards.

"From taking IELTS, studying abroad in the UK and developing my career as an English teacher, English has given me the chance to both develop myself and make a difference to those around me."

In order to recognize more inspiring teachers, monthly prizes will be presented and the winner of the grand final award will be announced later in the year. The winner will have the opportunity to undertake a four-week study trip to the UK-sponsored by the International House London.

Further events will include projects to support learners in achieving proficiency in spoken English and to train sector professionals using the UK's leading expertise in English Language Teaching (ELT) and assessment.

Throughout the campaign, the "English is GREAT" website will provide access to free online resources and a wide range of materials for English learners of all levels.