Studies On Early Protestant Missionaries And English Teaching Origin In China

English teaching in China originated from the early mission schools operated by the Protestant missionaries who came to China in the early 19th century. After a development of nearly two centuries, English teaching in China has reached a new high. However, we can not say the current English teaching is perfect enough. The teaching reform is still the major theme. This thesis, through exploring the early Protestant missionaries and the English teaching origin in China and describing mission school English teaching features, aims to obtain some historical experience and enlightenment as reference to the current English teaching reform.The thesis integrates the relevant knowledge, theories and approaches in the studies of history, linguistics (English) and education, with the hope of conducting a cross-disciplinary study. As the medium of Western culture, English was introduced into the school education in China by missionaries in the late Qing Dynasty. The early English teaching was only a bait for Chinese boys to learn at mission schools, whose purposes were to promote Christianity and train business translators. The Anglo-Chinese College and the Morrison School were the most influential early mission schools which offered English course. From student recruitments, English teachers, curriculum designs and teaching methods, the thesis discusses the English teaching features of this two mission schools and the roles the early Protestant missionaries played in English teaching.Although the direct goal that missionaries established mission schools was to convert Chinese and Christianize China, it objectively helped China cultivate a handful of early English elites, such as diplomatic officials, translators, teachers and other social talents. English teaching in China gradually changed the views of the Chinese towards the Western world, and made science and technology spread in China, helping to introduce the Chinese education modernization.