“由洋文而及诸学”:近代新式学堂京师同文馆的发轫

“From Foreign Language to Modern Western Studies”:The Foundation of the Modern School-Tungwen College

京师同文馆是近代中国在饱受列强侵略威胁的背景下,为学习西方的文字和其他科学文化知识,破除对外交往的语言障碍并实现国富民强目标而创办的中国近代第一所新式外国语文学堂。京师同文馆在其办学的四十年间,对管理方式、教学模式等都进行了可贵的探索和革新,顺应了洋务运动深入发展过程中对于不同人才规格的需要,培养出诸多服务于晚清民国时代外交、军政、教育等领域的领军人物。京师同文馆对中国外语教育和近代西学的启蒙有着里程碑意义,其教育目标、教学内容对于当代外语人才培养具有传承和借鉴的价值。

The Tungwen College,established amidst the frequent invasions and threats of imperialist powers during the mid-19th century Qing Dynasty,marked a pivotal moment in China’s modern foreign language education.As the country’s first modern foreign language school,it aimed to eliminate linguistic barriers in foreign affairs and promote national prosperity by acquiring linguistic and scientific-cultural knowledge from the West.Over its 40-year teaching tenure,the College innovated in management and teaching methods,catering to the diverse demands for talents of Westernization Movement.It fostered numerous leaders in diplomacy,military,politics,and education who shaped the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.The Tungwen College’s significant contributions to foreign language education and modern western studies have established it as a milestone in contemporary Chinese education,with its educational goals and contents remaining relevant and influential in modern foreign language pedagogy.