外語教育與社會精英以日治時期高等教育的外語課程為中心

近代高等教育與普通教育不同之處，在於強調學習較高深的專門知識，這些系統化的專門知識，在進入本國之前，多半以幾個西方典範國的語言書寫，因此非西方國家在致力「近代化」的同時，莫不重視熟悉這些國家語文的外語能力。本文探討在日本影響之下，臺灣近代高等教育最早的外語課程內容，以及學生的學習情況。日治時期臺灣的外語課程在高等學校（大學預科）－（臺北）帝國大學這一高等教育系統頂端，是比較受到重視的。因為這一系統的教育理想是要訓練帝國知識分子當中最頂尖的階層，他們必須具備至少兩種外語能力，不僅要能以這些外語為工具，吸收他國頂尖的知識，研究各種學問之理論與技術，更要能從這些外語中培養廣闊的見識，成為支持國家發展的精英。高等教育專門學校的外語課程，則有針對學問的實用地區來學習，而非學術來源國的現象，顯示這些學校的學習目標著眼於「致用」，而不是窮究某一學問蘊奧之「研發」。第二次世界大戰結束，隨著德國戰敗，宣告德國學術時代結束，美國（英語）學術霸權更形穩固。對於第一外語及第二外語課程受到高度重視，可說是日治時代臺灣高等教育的特色，而究其緣由則可歸因明治維新以來對高級知識分子教養的理想。

關鍵字

外語教育；第二外語；臺北帝國大學；專門學校；高等學校與大學預科

並列摘要

The difference between modern advanced education and general education is the emphasis on the study of more profound professional knowledge, which the majority is usually written in some distinctive Western country's language before it is introduced into our country. Therefore, while non-Western countries strive for modernization, they also focus on the potential of foreign languages indigenous to these countries. The following content focused on the effect of the earliest foreign language courses and students learning conditions in the modern Taiwan advanced education system under the influence of the Japanese occupation. During the Japanese colonial period, Taiwan's foreign language courses in Higher Schools (university preparatory) and Taihoku Imperial University-the peak of the higher education system, were all highly respected. Since this ideal education system was created to train the highest class of imperial intellectuals, they had to attain the knowledge of at least two different foreign languages. They not only had to utilize these languages as tools, acquire top knowledge of the foreign countries, and research diverse theories and techniques, but also had to cultivate a broad view of knowledge from these foreign languages, and become new elites to support the country's development. The was a phenomenon that college's foreign language courses targeting on practicality of the knowledge rather than learning the country of origin demonstrated that the goals of these schools were set on ”applying the knowledge” and not on ”researching and developing the knowledge”. After World War II, Germany was defeated and this announced the end of their academic era. Thus, America's (English) hegemony in the academic world became more stabilized. The greatest feature of Taiwan's higher education during the Japanese Colonial Period was its emphasis on learning the knowledge of two foreign languages. And the reason behind this came from the Japanese Meiji Restoration's ideal of nurturing high-class intellectuals.