Hu Shih's Impact on the Reform of Chinese Language Education: How Curriculum Standards were Created

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  • 胡適と国語教育改革
  • 胡適と国語教育改革 : 中国近代における「国語科」の創成
  • コテキ ト コクゴ キョウイク カイカク : チュウゴク キンダイ ニ オケル 「 コクゴカ 」 ノ ソウセイ
  • 中国近代における「国語科」の創成

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Abstract

<p> Hu Shih (1891-1962) is one of the key founders of new culture movement in modern China. One of his papers,“Wenxue gailiang chuyi (文學改良芻議),” contributed significantly to the reform of Chinese literature. In this paper, he advocated the adoption of vernacular Chinese as the new literary language. Previous studies have mainly focused on his contribution to literature reform. However, few studies have examined his impact on the reform of Chinese language education.</p><p> This paper aims to fill the lacuna of scholarship on this topic and examine how Hu Shih contributed to the formation of new curriculum standards for Chinese language education. For this purpose, the author analyzes his statements concerning the reform of Chinese language education.</p><p> In the late Qing period, many intellectuals felt that it was necessary for the National Language to be established. The language unification movement was launched in response to this need. At the core of this movement were those who had returned to China after studying or seeking asylum in Japan. In the Republic of China, these flagbearers of the language unification movement joined the council affiliated with the Ministry of Education. Hu Shih's article “Wenxue gailiang chuyi” played a significant role in the onset of literature reform. After studying in the United States, he proposed the thesis “Guoyu de wenxue, wenxue de guoyu (國語的文學・文學的國語)” in his paper “Jianshe de wenxue geming lun (建設的文學革命論).” His new theory of Chinese literature united the language unification movement and literature reform. At the same time, he argued for the necessity of school textbooks written in the National Language and new curriculum standards for Chinese language education. His new theory was well received by both the academia and the Ministry of Education, and the latter formulated Chinese language education policies at an accelerated pace.</p><p> This paper picks up and analyzes Hu Shih's statements relevant to Chinese language education. The analysis of this paper reveals two important facts about Hu Shih's impact on the reform of Chinese language education.</p><p> 1) Hu Shih's paper “Jianshe de wenxue geming lun” was an attempt to unify the language unification movement and literature reform. This paper also set the stage for the development of his thought on Chinese language education.</p><p> 2) Hu Shih was one of the core policymakers for education reform during the May Fourth period. He was deeply involved in formulating new curriculum standards for Chinese language education.</p>

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