关键词: 上海圣约翰大学, 英语教育, 近代中国, 西方文学, 新文学

Abstract: St. John’s University, Shanghai was the first missionary school in China with classes taught in English, and from its inception it placed great emphasis on Western humanistic thought. Since the late 19th century it started to promote lecturing in English and liberal arts education, and such a model has contributed significantly to the development of students’ literacy in Western literature. On the one hand, the Western literature courses focused on extensive reading of works in their own original language; on the other hand, the emphasis on English masterpieces in the entrance examinations reversely encouraged candidates to start reading English and other Western literary works at a young age and with indepth comprehension. At the same time, students’ English stories and poems published by school journals before the May Fourth Movement exhibited features of new literature under the influence of Western literary works, particularly in terms of ideas and writing techniques. Students’ performance of Shakespearean and Chinese plays pioneered new drama in China, which was an integral part of the history of the modern theatre movement.

Key words: St. John’s University, English education, modern China, Western literature, new literature