History of Foreign Language Textbooks in China

This book traces the evolution of foreign language textbooks in modern China, from the late Qing through the Republican and post-1949 periods, revealing how shifting national priorities, educational policies and cross-cultural exchanges shaped the compilation of second language teaching materials.The research draws on a rich corpus of primary sources, including original textbooks, official circulars, and archival records, spanning English, Japanese, Arabic, Russian, French, German and Spanish materials. It moves beyond existing scholarship, which has tended to focus narrowly on single languages or isolated periods, by constructing a continuous, longitudinal account of textbook development. The analysis examines how competing forces, including ideological guidance, linguistic pedagogy and cultural representation, shaped successive generations of teaching materials over more than a century and a half. Combining historical context with close analysis of first-hand materials, the book illuminates the social dimensions that have influenced language education in China and establishes a historical framework for understanding the development of the country’s language education and teaching materials.This title will serve as a valuable resource for scholars and students of language education, language policy and modern educational history in China, as well as for language teaching professionals, offering a practical reference for curriculum and textbook design.