Since the past few decades, English has become increasingly important in China. English is a compulsory
subject since Grade 3 of all elementary schools with suitably qualified English teachers. English also plays a
major role in college admission decisions and promotional decisions in the workplace. In light of this, numerous
English teaching materials and courses have been developed in order to meet the diverse needs of Chinese EFL
learners. In designing the course, teaching materials and syllabus, it is crucial for the designers to gain a clear
idea of learners’ language proficiency, especially their vocabulary knowledge. For example, the latest national
“College English Curriculum Requirements” (2007) was preceded by national surveys of English vocabulary
size. The Requirements also clearly define the goal of vocabulary learning at college level as a total of 6,674
words (including 2,354 active words) and 1875 phrases.