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The roots of bilingual education in China: the educational practices of Fujian Naval College in the late Qing period, 1866-1911

ABSTRACT The present article seeks to fill a scholarly gap in the early history of bilingual education (Chinese and foreign languages) in China by investigating the educational practices of Fujian Naval College, the premier naval college in late imperial China (1840–1911), with a focus on the curriculum design in the college. Based on a variety of primary sources such as memorials to the throne, imperial edicts and education reports, this article informs us of a crucial but surprisingly overlooked historical episode of bilingual education in China. It also enhances our understanding of the subtle entanglements of education, culture and politics in China during the second half of the 19th century. The findings show how bilingual education emerged in China’s government colleges, and how deep-rooted Confucianism could be compatible with modern science knowledge in the bilingual curriculum. The bilingual education in Fujian Naval College achieved a dual objective of transferring modern technical expertise to China and maintaining Chinese cultural identity, which exerted a considerable impact on the promotion of multilingualism in China.