An Outline of the Study of the History of Foreign Language Education in the PLA

The study of the history of foreign language education in the PLA aims at recording the historic progress, and contributions of the foreign language teaching at all the stages since the founding of the Army.It is to be conducted by means of documentary review, historical research and historical narrative, and with a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods.Its framework consists of both a longitudinal research of 5 stages of foreign language education development in the PLA and a horizontal research of 7 common topics covered in each of the stages.The significance of this study lies in the extension of China's foreign language history research, the development of the Army's foreign language educational theories and practice, and the inheritance of the fine traditions of the earlier PLA foreign language education.