A Study On The Policy Evolution Of The Cultivation Of Interdisciplinary Foreign Language Talents In China

Since the reform and opening up,China’s higher foreign language education has realized the transformation from cultivating single foreign language skilled talents to cultivating interdisciplinary foreign language talents.The relevant policies have been put forward and widely implemented for more than 30 years,but there is still a lack of research on the evolution of policies.This study takes Shanghai International Studies University(SISU),which is the first foreign language university in China to offer nonforeign language majors,as a typical case,and tries to answer the following questions :(1)Why did the transition from the cultivation of single foreign language skilled talents to the cultivation of interdisciplinary foreign language talents occur?(2)What kind of process has the cultivation of interdisciplinary foreign language talents gone through from the practice of a single university to the consensus of foreign language education all over the country?(3)What is the impact of these changes on China’s foreign language education policy?The study takes the policy process model as the main theoretical framework,integrating the language policy process analysis,multiple-streams analysis,the advocacy coalition framework and other relevant theoretical and analytical frameworks,adapting the elements of them appropriately in the light of China’s national conditions,and uses qualitative research methods to analyze the policy evolution motivation,process and influence of the cultivation of interdisciplinary foreign language talents from a multi-disciplinary perspective.From the aspects of national conditions,social needs,policy issues,policy suggestions and national strategies,the paper analyzes the reasons for the transformation from cultivating single foreign language skilled talents to cultivating interdisciplinary foreign language talents.It is found that the expression of "interdisciplinary foreign language talents" appeared in the late 1980 s and early 1990 s,before which the term "new foreign language talents" was used.The change of expression from "new foreign language talents" to " interdisciplinary foreign language talents" reflects that the definition of this kind of talents has gone through the process from fuzzy to clear.At the same time,with the change of the terms from "foreign-related liberal arts major","foreign-related applied liberal arts major","foreign-related applied discipline major" to "interdisciplinary foreign language(composite)major",it reflects two development trends of composite major: first,the definition of major is gradually clear,and the connotation of major name is constantly deepening;The second is the expansion of the scope of interdisciplinary subjects.The interdisciplinary subjects are no longer limited to foreign-related subjects or applied subjects.The use of new terms has brought broader development prospects for interdisciplinary subjects.The evolution of policy discourse reflects the continuous improvement of the cultivating standard of interdisciplinary foreign language talents,which is mainly reflected in the improvement of foreign language ability,professional knowledge and skills,capacity and quality.The evolution of the cultivating mode of foreign language talents of SISU reflects the expansion of interdisciplinary majors and the diversified development of the cultivating of interdisciplinary talents.First,the change from "foreign language +major" to "major + foreign language" reflects the formation and development process of interdisciplinary majors;second,the cultivating mode of interdisciplinary talents is constantly enriched;thirdly,the reduced use of the term "composite type" and the enrichment of the connotation of "multi-direction" reflect the diversified development trend of the cultivation of interdisciplinary talents.It is concluded that the significance and contribution of the reform of the cultivation of interdisciplinary foreign language talents are mainly reflected in the contribution to the national development and social progress,to the growth and development of talents,and to the development of foreign language subjects.The influence of the policy evolution of the cultivation of interdisciplinary foreign language talents on China’s foreign language education policy lies in the following aspects: the reform practice of SISU plays an early pilot role in the policy formulation at the national level;the goal of cultivating interdisciplinary talents in foreign language major is clarified for the first time;the value orientation that foreign language education should serve the market economy is establishes.The study suggests that the future interdisciplinary foreign language talents cultivation should further clarify the orientation of foreign language majors and strengthen humanistic education,implement the basic task of cultivating people by virtue and promote the all-round development of students,strengthen the core competence of foreign language majors and improve the quality of cultivation.It is suggested that the formulation of foreign language education policies should pay more attention to investigation and research in the future,and strengthen the two-way interaction in the process of policy making based on solid needs analysis;boldly carry out policy pilot;strengthen policy interpretation,guide policy implementation,and evaluate policy effectiveness in a timely manner.Based on the trend and characteristics of foreign language talent cultivation in top foreign language universities abroad,it is suggested that the cultivation of foreign language talents in China should actively promote the development of regional and country studies.