Abstract:

Education of International Students in China is an important part of the education in new China, which has helped deepen mutual understanding and communication between China and the outside world. Today, great achievements have been made in the education of international students studying in China, which dates from the early 1950s, when China first received foreign students studying in China. However, previous studies on this issue are far from the needs of practice and no formal academic paper was published on this process. Based on historical and document analysis, this article examines the origin, process and significance of the education of foreign students in China in the 1950s. It is divided into three parts. The first part discusses the practical considerations and preparations to receive foreign students. In the early years since the founding of new China, the then central government launched the “onesided” diplomatic strategy, and the diplomatic relations were limited to the Soviet Union and some socialist countries of Eastern Europe. Before its educational exchanges with the Soviet Union, China had established educational and cultural exchanges with Eastern European countries. And by the end of 1950, bilateral educational and cultural exchange system and the supporting measures had been created, which laid a good foundation for Eastern European students studying in China. The second part focuses on the study and daily life of foreign students. Due to the differences both in culture and understanding of studying in China, the foreign students were not accustomed to their study when they first arrived. For example, they came to study in China at different time, so their study lacked a unified teaching plan. In addition, some students were eager for quick success and they were not satisfied with the political and moral lessons arranged by the Chinese government, though these disagreements were finally settled through negotiation. The third part deals with the ways of teaching the foreign students through multiple channels and approaches, in particular through onetoone guidance by instructors, oneonone coaching by student assistants and oneonone help by peers. These measures helped the foreign students overcome their language barriers in the shortest time before they were able to enter the selected courses in colleges and universities. To sum up, the education of international students in China in the 1950s had great implication for the development of a new system of studying abroad in China. Meanwhile, receiving foreign students studying in China also puts forward new tasks and requirements for teaching Chinese as a foreign language.

Key words: Education of International Students in China, Eastern European students, language training