A Contrastive Study on China’s Foreign Language Education at Universities of Different Levels, Types ,and Regions

LI Min

Foreign Language Learning Theory and Practice ›› 2023, Vol. 185 ›› Issue (5) : 1.

Foreign Language Learning Theory and Practice ›› 2023, Vol. 185 ›› Issue (5) : 1.

A Contrastive Study on China’s Foreign Language Education at Universities of Different Levels, Types ,and Regions

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Abstract

Though there have been numerous discussions on China’s foreign language education, many of them rely on personal experiences or subjective judgments and lack large-scale surveys. Besides, the variations of foreign language education in China are also under-researched. Through web surveys, this study explores the state of foreign language education at universities of different levels, types, and regions in the Mainland of China. It yields the following major findings:(1)Almost all universities offer BA programs in foreign languages, with English-related programs enjoying an overwhelming proportion. Other commonly-taught languages include Japanese, Russian, French, German, etc. The distribution of foreign language programs generally aligns with China’s total export-import volumes with different countries/regions and the demands of government departments, enterprises, etc. (2)Foreign language education differs significantly among universities of different levels, with 985- and 211-project universities offering a significantly higher number of BA and MA programs, and having more faculty members especially those who have been promoted as professors and associate professors or gained their Ph.D. degrees. Education-oriented and business-oriented English BA programs are mainly provided by universities that are not in the 985- and 211- project. (3)Foreign language education differs significantly among universities of different types, with language-oriented universities offering the highest number of BA programs, while medicine / pharmacy-oriented universities offering the least. (4)Foreign language education does not differ significantly among universities in different regions, though the distribution of BA programs does manifest a certain regional pattern (e.g., universities in South and Southwest China rarely offer BA program on Russian).

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foreign language education / universities / levels / types / regions / contrast

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LI Min. A Contrastive Study on China’s Foreign Language Education at Universities of Different Levels, Types ,and Regions[J]. Foreign Language Learning Theory and Practice. 2023, 185(5): 1

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