Topic: The Essential Question in the Development of Foreign Language Education for University Majors: Unity of Instrumentality and Humanity

Speaker:Xiu Gang (Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Tianjin Foreign Studies University)

Time: 16:00-17:30, May 31, 2022 (Tuesday)

Tencent Meeting: 768 933 730 (Meeting ID)

All faculty members and students are welcome to participate actively.

Speaker Introduction:

Xiu Gang is the Vice Chair of the Teaching Guidance Committee for Foreign Language and Literature under the Ministry of Education and the Chair of the Japanese Subcommittee, the Vice President of the China Association for Japanese Studies, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Cultural Research Center for Foreign Languages and Literature at Tianjin Foreign Studies University and a special expert with the State Council. He has hosted one national social science project and one national key publishing project, received a second-class national teaching achievement award, and is the leader of the national-level teaching team for Basic Japanese instruction. He is responsible for the national-level quality course on Chinese-Japanese Translation and has served as the chief editor of 16 academic works, including Research on Foreign Terminology, Research on Japanese Education in Intercultural Communication, and The Influence of Loanword Vocabulary on Chinese Language and Culture. He has published over 30 papers, including “A Comparative Study of Chinese and Japanese Verbs and Tenses” “The Formation and Development of Terakoya Education in Japan During the Edo Period” “The Current Situation and Prospects of Japanese Education in Chinese Higher Education” and “Reflections on Japanese Major Education in Chinese Universities During the Transformation Period”.

Lecture Content:

Starting in 1407, China’s foreign language education for university majors has primarily been characterized by “instrumentality” with the cultivation of skills in reading, speaking, listening, writing, and translating being one of the main tasks of foreign language majors. However, with the transformation of higher education in China going accessible to the common majority and the implementation of new liberal arts, the “humanity” aspect of foreign language education has garnered significant attention. The undergraduate quality standards for foreign language majors issued by the Ministry of Education and the teaching guidelines for various languages explicitly define the tasks of humanities education. Is future-oriented foreign language education to focus on being a “tool” or on “humanity”? This is an essential question for foreign language higher education. Only by achieving the harmonious unity between “instrumentality” and “humanity” through moral education can we ensure the sustainable development of foreign language majors and cultivate qualified talents needed by society.