Abstract:

This paper revisits the four historical stages of Business English since China’s Reform and Opening-up forty years ago. It summarizes and presents the gradual development of curriculum, discipline theory and research since the launch of the undergraduate business English program. In terms of program development, the “Business English Teaching Guidance of the Teaching Quality Standards of University Foreign Languages and Literature Programs” has been drafted to define the required five types of knowledge, qualities and abilities of business English students. In terms of disciplinary structuring, three intra-and inter-disciplinary modes of MA and PhD programs have been put into trial. In terms of theory building, the cross-disciplines of foreign linguistics and applied linguistics, international trade and business administration have been integrated. In terms of research streams, eight clearly defined areas of studies have taken shapes with the growing publication of key journal articles, high level projects and books. In the end, the paper reflects upon the training objective, curriculum optimization, teaching evaluation approach, textbook writing and teacher development of the current Business English program in remenbrance of the great achievements and innovation of Chinese higher foreign language education over the forty years of reform and opening-up.

Keywords: Business English; English education; historical development; Reform and Opening-up; rethink

摘要：

本文回顾了新中国成立以来商务英语教育不断发展的四个历史阶段,总结和梳理了商务英语本科专业自诞生以来专业体系、学科体系、理论体系、学术体系逐步构建与完善的过程。专业体系建设方面,通过《普通高等学校外国语言文学类本科教学质量国家标准商务英语专业教学指南》的发布,对商务英语专业人才应具备的5种知识、5种素质和5种能力进行界定;学科体系建设方面,尝试在学科内或跨学科设置硕士和博士点的三种模式;理论体系建设方面,提出了外国语言学及应用语言学、国际贸易学和企业管理学的交叉融合;学术体系建设方面,核心期刊论文、高水平立项和专著不断增多,形成了8个明确的研究领域。文章最后对当前商务英语专业的目标定位、课程体系优化、教学评价方式、教材编写和教师发展等提出思考,谨以此纪念改革开放40年来我国高等外语教育所取得的发展创新和巨大成就。

关键词: 商务英语, 英语教育, 发展历程, 改革开放, 再思考