China is a vast country with a huge population and development gaps in different regions. Diversity then becomes a requisite for the country’s ELT which, being unable to pay due attention to the diverse needs of the students, is now under criticism for its ineffectiveness. Individualized ELT is, therefore, called for by the inner drive to improve English education in China. This paper examines the notions and practices of individualized ELT at the macro-level（state）, meso-level（university） and microlevel（classroom）, and discusses issues related to individualized teaching, learning and assessment. At the macro-level, the national Guidelines on College English Teaching has set three levels（i.e., the basic, higher, and developmental level） of teaching objectives to meet the diversified needs of students. At the mesolevel,universities should design individualized curriculums.College English courses may comprise three major components:English for General Purpose（EGP）, English for Specific Purposes（ESP） and English for Intercultural Communication（EIC ）.Schools should make their own decisions on the formation of the components in the curriculum in accordance with their students’ English proficiency levels and the actual needs of different programs in different departments. At the microlevel,individualized instruction should be implemented in theclassroom, which adapts teaching to the individual needs of each student so as to facilitate his/her personal development to the utmost degree. Individualized instruction assigns critical importance to students, with attention focused on their needs,experiences and learning styles. Meanwhile, the successful implementation of individualized instruction depends on the subjectivity of the teacher who is in a position to design the course, provide knowledge of different levels and of different types that students can choose according to their own capabilities,interests and needs, employ modern educational technology,and conduct assessme
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