Abstract:

There seems to be three sets of contradictions between national consciousness cultivation (NCC) and Foreign Language Education (FLE), namely, the contradiction between NCC and FLE in disciplinary development, the contradiction between national consciousness and international vision in talent cultivation, and the contradiction between Chinese and foreign cultural course distributions in teaching plans. However, if we return to the essence of NCC as primarily ideological and political education in curriculums and grasp the characteristics of NCC as whole-process and all-round education, understanding that NCC is value-oriented rather than knowledge-oriented education, and that Chinese national consciousness contains the idea of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind and can only be cultivated in the international perspective and the future vision of working for the welfare of all mankind, we will realize the discipline advantage of FLE in NCC cultivation. The NCC in FLE does not necessarily mean cultivation in foreign language, especially at higher education stages. As the ideological education in curriculums, it can largely be carried out in conjunction with ideological and political education, general education and innovation and entrepreneurship education under the concept of new liberal arts. As value education, it should be combined with the characteristics of FLE, to let students understand the differences and similarities of Chinese and foreign values. At the undergraduate level, comparative value courses should be offered to help students understand the socialist values with Chinese characteristics. At the graduate level, student can be encouraged to do research on Chinese values and the idea of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind, exploring how to use Chinese concepts and values to make a better future for mankind. In the process, the four-in-one principle of value, ability, integration, and innovation should be observed. The purpose is to cultivate Chinese value practitioners and disseminators with deep cultural confidence, open international vision, critical innovation ability and great humanistic sentiment.

Key words: national consciousness, value, ideological education in curriculum, Foreign Language Education