The Early Institutionalization of English Education in China: A Case Study of Ying Wa College

Abstract

Previous studies on the history of English education in China have largely focused on state-sponsored institutions, while early missionary schools have received less attention from an English education perspective. This article examines the early institutionalization of English education through a historical case study of Ying Wa College. Drawing on secondary historical sources, it analyzes the institutional arrangements, curriculum, and pedagogical practices through which English was positioned as both a subject of study and, in certain contexts, a medium of instruction. The findings suggest that Ying Wa College embedded English teaching within a relatively stable educational framework, contributing to the early recognition of English as a legitimate and teachable subject in China’s emerging modern education system. At the same time, the study acknowledges the cultural and religious constraints that shaped missionary education and limited its social impact. This case-based analysis highlights the value of institutional perspectives for re-evaluating the origins of English education in nineteenth-century China.