Study On Foreign Language Teaching During The Period Of The Nanjing National Government

During the period of the Nanjing national government, foreign language education had basically finalized and developed with steady steps. During this period, each kind of school had made beneficial attempt at foreign language teaching. The present paper systematically and exhaustively outlined the development of foreign language education during this period, separately elaborated foreign language education condition of different education stage.There are five parts in this thesis. The first part briefly reviewed the foreign language education history from the Qin and Han Dynasty until the early Republic of China. This phase with glorious history is divided into four stages: before the Opium War, the mid and late nineteenth century, the late Qing Dynasty, and the early Republic of China. This part demonstrated foreign language education history of China before the Nanjing government had been established. The review is readiness for elaborating completely the condition of foreign language education during the period of the Nanjing national government.For elaborating the condition of foreign language teaching in primary education stage, the second part is divided into two parts: the pre-school education and the elementary education. In this part, the background of setting up foreign language courses and condition of foreign language teaching in elementary schools were analyzed in detail. During this period, the practical value of foreign languages became evident; this impelled objectively the development of foreign language education in the primary education stage. The elementary schools had made attempt at foreign language teaching methods, teaching materials, teaching staff and so on. Generally speaking, there is an obvious geographical difference in foreign language teaching in primary education stage.In the third part, the change of foreign language educational policies in secondary education stage (mainly is middle school) was analyzed, then the condition of foreign language teaching was elaborated from some perspectives such as teaching staff, teaching materials and methods. During this period, foreign language education policies of middle schools changed several times. In middle schools, the quantity of foreign language teacher is small; the level of teaching staff is low. The status of traditional grammar-translation method had received challenge, the direct method's influence gradually expanded. The kinds of teaching materials of English are various; the kinds of teaching materials of French, Japanese, and Germany and so on are relatively lack. Constrained by the economic and technological level, foreign language teaching assistance methods are quite deficient, the audio-visual education developed slowly. During this period, the kinds of test and examination in foreign language aimed at middle school students are various, the daily teaching presented"exam-oriented"tendency. In order to illuminate the condition of foreign language teaching in middle schools, this part presented two cases: the Shanghai Southern Coastal Model Middle School and the St. Francis Xavier's Middle School. Overall, the foreign language teaching in the secondary education stage had made great progress compared with the past. The foreign language teaching presented great difference in different area and different school type.The fourth part first elaborated the foreign language teaching policies of higher education, and then elaborated separately the condition of the public foreign language teaching and the specialized foreign language teaching. During the period of Nanjing national government, the government had drawn up a series of foreign language education policies for universities. At that time, universities generally opened English courses for freshmen and sophomores. Universities placed great emphasis on the cultivation of students'reading and translation ability. Many universities had set up foreign language department. The curriculum system of these departments imitated the European and American universities. These departments placed great emphasis on the cultivation of students'appreciation ability of foreign literature. In order to illuminate the condition of foreign language teaching in universities, this part presented two cases: the Nankai University and Shanghai Saint John's University.Based on research about the condition of foreign language education during this special period, the fifth part had made summary and the appraisal. During this period, the foreign language education had made a great achievement. The achievement embodied various aspects: the raise of foreign language talented person, the foreign language education research, the promotion of teaching theories and methods and so on. On the other hand, there were some limitations. These limitations embodied various aspects: the difficult of policies implementation, the low level of teaching staff, and the deficient of teaching assistant methods and so on. The foreign language education during this period provides valuable enlightenment to current foreign language education of China.