从“形式”与“实质”之争看语文教育的百年难题

To Understand the Biggest Puzzle of Chinese Language and Literature Education from the Dispute over the "Form" and "Essence

中国语文教育自1904年独立设科以来,围绕课程性质、目的、任务等问题展开的争论,延续了百年之久:20年代初有"形式"目的和"实质"目的之争;50、60年代有"文"、"道"之争;70年代末到80年代初有"工具性"和"思想性"之争;90年代以后又有"人文性"和"工具性"之争。虽然每次争论的时代背景、具体内容不同,但实质都是如何看待语文形式与语文内容的关系,这和世界教育史上"形式教育"与"实质教育"之争有惊人的相似之处。"形式"与"实质"由两相对峙到相互消融、最终归于统一的演变轨迹,对于语文教育是否也有普遍意义呢?

Since Chinese language and literature education was opened as an independent course in 1904, there have been so many disputes over the problems of its nature, aims and tasks, which have lasted for over a century: at the beginning of 1920s, there was a dispute over the 'form' aim and 'essence' aim; in 1950s and 1960s, a dispute over 'text' and 'doctrine'; between the end of 1970s and the beginning of 1980s, a dispute over 'implemental content' and 'ideological content'; after 1990s, a dispute over 'humane content' and 'implemental content'. Although every dispute has its different background characteristics of times and different content, the essence of them is how to understand the relationship between the form and content of language and literature. All these disputes are surprisingly similar to the dispute over the 'form education' and 'essence education' in the education history of the world. The confrontation of 'form' and 'essence' transformed to melting and at last to a unity. Is such an evolving track also of universal significance to the Chinese language and literature education?