TITLE:
The Implications of the 4T Lenses for College English Teaching: Connotation and Practical Path
AUTHORS:
Lina Yao
KEYWORDS:
4T Lenses, College English, Teaching Mode
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.2,
February
9,
2026
ABSTRACT: Against the background of globalization, college English education is facing both unprecedented challenges and opportunities. The traditional monolingual teaching approach can no longer meet the demands of cultivating multidisciplinary talents today. In this context, the 4T lenses (Trans-languaging, Trans-semiotizing, Trans-knowledging, Trans-culturing) offer a transformation pathway for college English teaching from single language skill development to comprehensive quality cultivation. In recent years, the 4T lenses, a hot topic in the international applied linguistics research, have attracted the attention of English educators in Chinese higher education. This study, relying on literature analysis, seeks to explore the theoretical connotations of the 4T lenses and analyze their implications for college teaching, aiming to provide theoretical reference and practical guidance for the reform of college English teaching.