Abstract:This paper gives a brief examination of the history of English as an academic subject in China, focusing on the paramount importance China attaches to the teaching and learning of foreign languages in general and of English in particular. It is argued that China is probably the one and only case in human history in which an immense sovereign state puts systematic and sustained efforts into learning a foreign language, formulating unified linguistic policies and enforcing them in a consistent and potent manner;… Show more
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