Abstract:

As an integral part of national strategy, foreign language education policy constitutes a major research domain of foreign language education studies. Taking 456 journal articles indexed in the CNKI database from 1993 to 2023 as samples, this study employs bibliometric methods and CiteSpace software to conduct visualized analysis of the present situation, thematic context and frontier tendency in China’s foreign language education policy research. The findings show that: (a) relevant studies have been increasing with fluctuation, published in a relatively concentrated group of journals and chiefly authored by scholars in the foreign language circles, whose collaboration across institutions and disciplines, however, is insufficient and core research teams have not yet been formed; (b) research themes are diverse, falling into the categories of domestic research, international comparative research and theoretical construction; (c) research frontiers evolve dynamically and reflect a national demand orientation. Researchers in the future should further enhance national consciousness, and based on national strategic needs, push for the diversity of research dimensions, improvement of research methodology, expansion of research scope, and turn of theoretical perspectives.

Key words: foreign language education policy, bibliometric analysis, national consciousness, foreign language education studies