Abstract: There are many colleges for training teachers in China with “shifan” in their Chinese names. However, they are different in translating the term “shifan” into English. Based on analyzing six current popular English renderings of “shifan”, including the history and current situation of foreign colleges for training teachers and the characteristics of their counterparts in China, the author suggests that “Normal University” is a standardized English name for “shifan”. The author also emphasizes on the controversy about “Normal University” and “Teachers University”, and puts forwards that the English rendering of “shifan” should be standardized and uniformed.

Key words: “shifan”, university names, English rendering