This article traces the evolution of the English language curriculum for senior secondary school in China from 1949 against the background of national developments in China. The latest English language curriculum (2003) is then introduced and discussed in comparison with the 1993 syllabus. The comparison suggests that the 2003 curriculum recognizes the humanistic value of English as a foreign language in fostering students' cognitive and personal growth beyond its traditional instrumental value in providing access to scientific knowledge and economic development. This calls for a concomitant fundamental change in teachers with its associated difficulties for teachers in curricular implementation and the need for new teacher development programmes. (Contains 2 tables.)