Studies on China’s Foreign Language Education Policies in Multimedia Context（1920-2015）〔＊〕

Li Chen

（1.Graduate School Shanghai International Studies University，Shanghai 200083；2.School of Foreign Languages Southeast University，Nanjing Jiangsu 210096）

Ⅰ.Foreign language education（1920－1948）

Before liberation，foreign language education was much affected by the political situation.Policies differed greatly under different parties in different regions.Fu divides foreign language education in this period into that governed by the Chinese Communist Party and that governed by the Kuomintang Party.〔1〕In 1920，the Marxist group and the communist group in Shanghai founded the Society of Foreign Languages，the first foreign language school by the Communist Party.In order to learn the theory and experience of revolution from the former Soviet Union，we must first cultivate cadres understanding Russian.Therefore the Society of Foreign Languages and the later founded Shanghai U－niversity offered courses of Russian and English.Yan’an revolutionary base also taught the two foreign languages.During the war，Japanese language was taught in some spy training courses.

No major changes have taken place in foreign language education governed by the Kuomintang Party from1922 to 1949.During this period，high schools taught English.In junior high school，listening，speaking，reading and writing skills were emphasized in the training of comprehensive skills.In contrast，reading ability was highlighted in senior high school.In higher education，reading and translation competences were stressed.The majority of students attached less attention to listening and speaking if they had no intention to go abroad.〔2〕

Although there was almost no direct policy support for foreign language multimedia education，the special social environment indirectly supported foreign language multimedia education.China in the 1920s was still in the period of semi－feudal and semi－colonial society.Foreigners in China spread English through various media.People had convenient access to English in the Kuomintang areas.Fu described that besides English，many courses used original English textbooks in high schools like in physics and chemistry and other disciplines.Outside school many original English movies，English newspapers，posters were also in English.〔3〕It is assumed that in such an environment，the school’s English classes can draw on more original English materials in multimedia English teaching.To sum up，foreign language multimedia education during this period is very limited.The war，the economy，the industry and the ideology of policy－makers lead to the lack of favorable policies in foreign language multimedia education.

Ⅱ.Foreign language education（1949－1965）

This period can be further divided into the two stages of 1949－1956 and 1957－1965.In the first stage，the new China was just founded.China continued to learn from the former Soviet Union.The government needed a lot of cadres，who understood Russian.On April 3，1954，the State Council issued “National Russian Teaching Instructions.”This is the first important document on foreign language education by the government after the founding of the P.R.C.It further clarified the specific requirements of the state about Russian personnel training.Just three years later，due to the rapid development of the first stage of Russian education，the number of graduates greatly exceeded the need.Authorities issued a series of documents in1957to help Russian majors transfer to other majors or universities.The government also recovered English courses in junior high schools and promoted English teaching in senior high schools with the hope that the new policy could guide the foreign language education onto the track of the rational development.

During the period from1949to 1965，the foreign language multimedia education has made a great leap forward compared with that before the liberation.However，the foreign language multimedia education in early 1950s was still in the voluntary state.The slide，the movie and the broadcasting were administered by different organizations.The whole multimedia education lacked systematic management.Since 1958，with the“education revolution”getting started，the Ministry of Education had strengthened the management.National leaders had strongly advocated the multimedia education.In the Second Plenary Session of the 2nd National People’s Congress in1960，Vice Premier Lu Dingyi of the State Council made a speech entitled “Education must be reformed，”making the statement that“new educational tools must be adopted such as records，tapes，slides，films，radio，and television，and education must be equipped with the necessary instruments，models and new teaching aids.”〔4〕

The series of policies issued by the state are mainly attributed to the urgent need of teachers and the lack of foreign language talents.The use of multimedia foreign language education equipment helps to deliver more intensive training with higher efficiency and to catch students’attention with more interesting classes.Good teaching effects further strengthened the national policy support for multimedia foreign language education.Not only did the government require good multimedia technology in foreign language education in schools，but also it implemented multimedia foreign language education through radio，television and newspapers and other mass media.From1949 to 1965，the multimedia foreign language education accomplished rapid development under favorable policies.But in 1966，the Cultural Revolution began and the“guideline”was interrupted.Foreign language education suffered seriously and stopped enrollment of students for as long as five years.

Ⅲ.Foreign language education（1966－1976）

During the Cultural Revolution，everything with the word of“foreign”has been labeled as reactionary.All kinds of foreign books，newspapers and magazines were banned and foreign films and foreign radio stations were also banned.“Gang of Four”trumpeted the fallacy that“revolution can still be carried out without learning English”.〔5〕Foreign language education suffered an unprecedented blow.

In 1970，with Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping’s support，China’s multimedia foreign language education began to recover.In1973the Science and Education Group of the State Council issued a document to build the Shanghai Multimedia Foreign Language Education Agency.Local organizations like this began to recover throughout China.In May，“the science and education group invited representatives from foreign language institutes in Beijing for a symposium，which pointed out that multimedia foreign language education would be carried out step by step and the application of modern science and technology in some courses is the reform of the old teaching methods.”〔6〕The symposium was the first one held exclusively for“multimedia foreign language education，”which demonstrated the ever increasing status of multimedia foreign language education in China.

Ⅳ.Foreign language education since 1977

1.Foreign language education（1977－2000）

After the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976，many youths，whose higher education was delayed，hoped to continue their studies.And the economic development of the country also expected talents from all walks of life.At that time，education became the focus of national development and so was multimedia education.

In the 1990s，English public schools and universities started computer－assisted language learning.This stage is the development and application of multimedia courseware or software.Due to the limited economic conditions，computer－aided teaching of English is mainly the classroom demonstration of multimedia courseware，and students do not have access to computers for their independent computer－assisted language learning.

2.Foreign language education （2001－2006）

The Ministry of Education issued in2007“College English Curriculum Requirements”that“all colleges and universities should make full use of modern information technology and computer－based classroom English teaching mode.New teaching mode should be based on modern information technology without constraints of time and space to cater for the personalized and self－access learning.”〔7〕

When policy－makers try to push forward the application of information technology into multimedia foreign language education，the implementation of policies has encountered some problems.Teachers，as people who implement the policies，are making their own policies according to their understanding of the policies from the top.Spolsky divides language policy into three main components：the practices of the members of the speech community，their beliefs and management.〔8〕When policy－makers and education practitioners have different beliefs，their language management would also differ.Even sometimes their beliefs are inconsistent with their own language practices.Therefore，the interaction between policy－makers in the government and those who implement policies in schools is one of the key factors for policy implementation.Guidelines of policies are imparted to teachers.They make their own interpretations and then implement policies.The whole process of their decision－making is based on their beliefs，qualifications，experiences，etc.Misunderstandings and deviation from the original intention of the policies may occur.When feed back is collected，policy－makers will either modify policies or find solutions to get rid of negative influences on the implementation of policies.It is a dynamic system of policy making and implementation.

In addition to the above－mentioned policies about foreign language education，some other policies on informatization have indirectly affected foreign language education.In the government report of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee，the government advocates the construction of effective mechanism of spreading quality education resources.〔9〕National Midterm and Long － term Education Reform and Development Program（2010－2020）proposes the acceleration of education informatization and encourages students to initiate independent learning and enhance analytical skills and problem－solving competence with information technology.〔10〕National Informatization Development Strategy （2006－2020）proposes accelerating the informatization of educational research and elevating the informatization of elementary education，higher education and vocational education.〔11〕Information technology is considered indispensable to education of all disciplines at all levels.

3.Foreign language education since 2007

Since 2007，the rapid development of mobile communication devices such as smart phones，tablet computers and other equipment has brought revolutionary changes to our lives.Development of the Internet from the desktop to the mobile era has tremendously expanded the coverage of the network.

Students are undoubtedly the main force of foreign language learning.They have taken up one quarter of the Internet users in China.It has also accelerated the development of CALL （Computer－assisted Language Learning）software and websites.CALL websites are mainly divided into two categories.One provides online courses designed by commercial training schools.Another category of websites offer all kinds of free English learning resources such as Putclub English community.

In education market，well－known private schools like New Oriental School，100 Education，Shanghai Hujiang Network，Tencent，etc.，all have specialization in foreign language education.Under the impetus of modern information technology，they are not only working on multimedia foreign language teaching in schools，but also actively promoting the integration of both online and offline foreign language education.Their policy－making is market－oriented to maximize customers’gains from their foreign language learning and minimize the efforts they have to pay.

4.Big data and foreign language education policies

Information technology has enabled foreign language education to go even beyond the traditional concept of“multimedia”that conveys information in and through various forms of media.Technology－enhanced foreign language education becomes more intelligent and effective.In recent years，the concept of big data has gained much popularity with the assistance of the technology of cloud computing.It has brought a revolutionary change to the way we see the world.Big data excel in the following four characteristics：volume，variety，velocity and value.〔12〕Big data will undoubtedly facilitate teachers，students and administrative staff in foreign language education.

Ⅴ.Conclusion

Now foreign language education policies continue to support the integration of information technology into foreign language education.More discussion is expected about how to apply technology well into the micro level of foreign language teaching and learning.Stakeholders are exploring the evolving multimedia context established by the developing information technology，foreign language education approaches and management.Through people’s continuous research，there will gradually form a consensus guideline for future development of foreign language education in China.

〔1〕〔2〕〔3〕Fu Ke，History of China’s Foreign Language Education，Shanghai：Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press，1986.

〔4〕Wu Zaiyang，A Brief History on China’s Education Technology，Beijing：Higher Education Press，1994.

〔5〕〔6〕Higher Education Research Department of Sichuan Institute of Foreign Languages，Key events of China’s Foreign Language Education，Beijing：Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press，1993.

〔7〕Higher Education Department of Ministry of Education of P.R.C.，College English Course Requirement，Shanghai：Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press，2007.

〔8〕Spolsky，B.，Language Policy，Cambridge：Cambridge University Press，2004.

〔9〕Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Some Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening the Reform，2013，http：//www.chinanews.com/gn/2013/11－15/5509681.shtml.

〔10〕National Midterm and Long－term Education Reform and Development Program（2010－2020），2013，http：//www.ict.edu.cn/laws/gangyao/n20130910＿5049.shtml.

〔11〕National Informatization Development Strategy （2006－2020），2013，http：//www.ict.edu.cn/html/zhengce/n20130911＿5070.shtml.

〔12〕Mayer－Sch?nberger，V.＆ K.Cukier，Big Data：A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live，Work，and Think，Hangzhou：Zhejiang People’s Press，2012.