1. Foreign Language Education and Regional and Country Studies

The close connection between foreign language education and regional and national studies was discussed. Since the Age of Discovery, the importance of foreign language education has become increasingly prominent, and regional and country studies have also developed accordingly. Foreign language education focuses on the ontology and application of language, while regional and national studies originated from European colonial activities, in which language occupies a central position. After the Cold War, regional and national studies in the United States developed, emphasizing the importance of language proficiency. In Chinese history, foreign language education has been highly valued, but with the changing international situation, there is a need to develop regional and country studies with a global perspective. In 2022, 'Regional and Country Studies' will become a first level discipline in China, marking the institutionalization of the discipline. Regional and country specific research is a comprehensive study of a specific region or country, with interdisciplinary nature. Foreign language education and regional country studies promote each other and form a mutually constructive relationship. Foreign language education is the foundation of regional country studies, and regional country studies promote the interdisciplinary development of foreign language education.

The Development History of SOAS Foreign Language Education and Regional and Country Studies

The development process of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London has gone through multiple stages. In the early days of its establishment, SOAS's predecessor, Oriental College, offered 32 foreign language courses aimed at meeting the needs of personnel traveling to Asia and Africa. During World War II, the language scale of SOAS expanded, and regional and national studies began to emerge. In 1935, it was renamed as the "School of Oriental and African Studies". In the stage of transformation and development, SOAS introduces social sciences, achieving a significant shift in the discipline. In the late 1980s, SOAS recovered and expanded again under the trend of globalization, closely integrating foreign language education, regional and country studies, and national needs. The college gradually transformed into a knowledge production institution for regional studies in Asia and Africa.

The Interaction between SOAS Foreign Language Education and Regional and Country Studies

The institutional setting of SOAS reflects its disciplinary and professional layout, with language teaching and regional research as the core, emphasizing interdisciplinary and cross regional characteristics. SOAS offers a wide range of language courses, including non-native languages, laying the foundation for regional studies. Its teaching institutions have a clear disciplinary awareness, evolving from language training institutions to comprehensive higher education institutions, covering humanities and social sciences. SOAS has also established a development research institute and departments focused on regions, such as the East Asian Language and Culture Department, as well as multiple research centers for comprehensive research. The curriculum system of SOAS includes degree and non degree courses, emphasizing the cultivation of language skills, interdisciplinary research methods, and regional expertise. The master's program system of "South Asian Studies and Enhanced Language" reflects the talent cultivation characteristics of SOAS, focusing on language proficiency development and interdisciplinary understanding. SOAS is committed to cultivating talents who master modern South Asian languages, are capable of conducting field research, possess critical understanding, and social science research abilities. The foreign language education and regional country studies at SOAS mutually promote each other, forming a talent cultivation model of "language+other disciplines". The development of SOAS is influenced by national demand and political and economic factors, shifting from language education to comprehensive research and extending to multiple disciplinary categories.

4. Insights from SOAS Foreign Language Education and Regional Country Studies

Explored the implications of SOAS foreign language education and regional country studies, emphasizing the fundamental role of foreign language education in promoting the development of regional country studies. Proposed integrating domestic language and regional research resources, expanding the scope of foreign language education, increasing the number of languages offered, expanding the scale of talent cultivation, and building a diversified open discipline combination of "language+humanities and social sciences". At the same time, it emphasizes the guidance of national needs, solving practical problems, forming practical disciplinary fields, and meeting the practical needs of national development. At the academic research level, foreign language education should provide specific directions for regional and national studies, and promote interdisciplinary research. At the level of educational practice, relevant data should be integrated, systematic analysis should be conducted, and the existing curriculum system should be adjusted and fully developed to achieve the organic integration of foreign language education and regional and country studies. Finally, it is proposed to create a talent cultivation model with Chinese characteristics of "bilingual+composite majors", emphasizing the cultivation of bilingual and composite professional talents, and forming high-quality integration of language, field, and region (country).

5 Conclusion

China's regional country study aims to implement the "the Belt and Road" initiative and build a community with a shared future for mankind, which is essentially different from the western regional country study based on colonial expansion. The UK constructs a colonial knowledge system through regional and national studies, providing theoretical foundations and practical guidelines for colonial rule. China's regional and country studies are based on a global perspective, serving China's distinctive diplomacy as a major power. By promoting exchanges and mutual learning among diverse civilizations around the world, participating in global governance, and establishing a just and reasonable international order. Language plays a crucial role in this process. The UK has accumulated rich experience in the mutual influence and interaction between foreign language education and regional and national studies, which can provide reference and guidance for China.