Dear Ma Hong

Thank you for your writing - I have learnt a great deal from what you say in your writing, how you contextualise it in relation to appropriate literature and I welcome the opportunity to engage in some detail with your observations: my enduring impression on reading your work relates to your quality of expression in English and the clarity with which you communicate your insights into your own learning as you seek to live your professional values more fully. I particularly appreciate being able to gain an understanding of the values that give form to your life.

I think it is useful to define terms when we write about our teaching and learning and so your definition of 'comparatively poor' in relation to students' attainment appeals to me from the outset. Might I suggest you contextualise your abstract in the requirements of the New Curriculum in China? This can then become the ground from which you express your learning about teaching. I wonder if you are being a little too dismissive of the past? After all it informs the present ad the future and it seems to me you may not have been 'brainwashed' into a particular form of language learning - rather this was accepted authodoxy but understandings of good practice have moved on. I am always amused by the pendulum like swing of language learning fashions!

I share your view that assessment of students' achievement must not rest solely on their performance in examinations - after all, some language learners can pas exams with flying colours ... but they struggle to communicate in a foreign language when the language use is 'for real'. I do like your new research question which embodies your values so much more fully than before

'How can I differentiate in ways which will help each student to reach his or potential for learning?' Wonderful! I think you will add so much to the ideas that Do Coyle and Anne Convery have contributed to the study of differentiation (Pathfinder series, CiLT) because they do not explore what it means for a teacher to interact with each student as an individual but usefully examine more systematic ways to enable differentiation. Perhaps it is a creative synthesis of individualized support and challenge coupled with systematised techniques that work best? My impression is that you have a clear understanding of your professional values and it is from these that you develop the relationships that carry educational differentiation for students.

Yours is such a fascinating study! I am excited to read your understanding of and desire for co-enquiry with your colleagues - this aligns with my own experience of working with the friends and colleagues who contribute to one another's learning in the Monday Conversation Group that jack Whitehead convenes here in Bath. The is where I enjoy with learning with Moira Laidlaw! Jean McNiff often joins the group to share many of her stunning insights into action research and offer an appreciative and insightful perception of our participation in a co-learning context.

Check the formatting where you seem to have a very long paragraph - can you begin a new paragraph perhaps at 'Grammar is the most ...' this is a very small error to adjust in the text.

You devote much of your assignment to grammar teaching and you may well enjoy the ideas that Rinvolucri sets out - you can see other potentially useful texts in my bibliography on the home page dedicated to responding to the Guyuan Group's work.

I am fascinated by your account of emotional learning - are you familiar with the work of Daniel Goleman?

Your narrative does evidence your claims that class performance is improving, in my opinion and I encourage you to use video to create a living account of the changes and challenges to come.

Thank you for sharing your account of your professional growth and allowing me to enter your world where you work collaboratively with students and colleagues to improve practice