A Comparative Case Study of Foreign Language Education Policies in the People’s Republic of China and Selected Countries in Europe

Abstract

As globalisation becomes more and more advanced, and political, economic and cultural exchanges between countries become more and more normal, foreign language education in China was facing important strategic development opportunities and challenges. Foreign language education policy is a matter of some importance, as foreign language education is an important part of national education in most countries and regions of the world. A national policy on foreign language education needs to promote scientific planning and policy optimisation towards the ends of educational equity and selectivity, which is not only in line with the laws on education but is also the basic expression of the public value attributed to foreign language education in the country concerned. As China's opening to the outside world continued in 2022 and developments in science and technology continued to advance there was an urgent need to create a large number of specialists who were proficient in foreign languages, so that China could play a greater and more active role in international affairs. Therefore, studying the foreign language education policies of developed countries/regions, such as the European Union [EU], could be to China’s advantage. This was of great significance to the planning and formulation of foreign language education policies in twenty-first-century China.

Against that background, this work focuses on literature analysis and employs historical, comparative and case study methods. The work explores selected foreign language education policies of the European Union, analyses the background of their introduction, educational objectives and characteristics, etc., compares and identifies the problems in Chinese foreign language education policies and summarises the inspiration they might have for China. The results of the study show that China can learn from EU foreign language education policies, which provide a wealth of insight into matters of policy planning, the policy development process and policy implementation.