1 Introduction

This section discusses the importance of foreign language education as an independent discipline and emphasizes the impact of foreign language teachers' research literacy on improving educational quality and fostering disciplinary innovation. It mentions national policy requirements for university teachers' research engagement, highlights the challenges faced by foreign language teachers in enhancing their research literacy, and identifies the issue of insufficient research capabilities. Through a large-scale questionnaire survey, this paper aims to explore the current status, problems, and causes of research literacy among university foreign language teachers, and proposes recommendations for improvement to promote teacher development and the advancement of foreign language education as a discipline.

2 Research Literacy of Foreign Language Teachers from the Perspective of Foreign Language Education

Foreign language education aims to cultivate professionals with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, with research literacy being a core competency. The research literacy of foreign language teachers encompasses correct values, core knowledge, key competencies, and essential character traits, all of which are closely tied to the quality of foreign language education. Teaching and research mutually reinforce each other, with research literacy serving as the foundation of foreign language education. Enhancing research literacy helps teachers stay abreast of disciplinary advancements, innovate teaching methods, improve practice, foster professional growth, and generate new knowledge. Ninety percent of scholars believe that a strong research interest is a critical condition for becoming an outstanding university teacher. Teachers must track the forefront of disciplinary research and integrate it into their teaching. They should also focus on students' learning processes and outcomes to elevate the quality of foreign language education.

3 Research Design

This section introduces a nationwide survey on the current status of university foreign language teachers conducted by the National Research Centre for Foreign Language Education at Beijing Foreign Studies University from April to May 2022. The survey covered 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China, collecting 22,258 valid responses. The survey tool, titled "Questionnaire on the Current Status of University Foreign Language Teachers," focused on teachers' research activities, including research output, confidence in research literacy, familiarity with research areas in foreign language education, and obstacles to research engagement. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0.

4 Results and Discussion

This chapter analyzes the current state of research output among university foreign language teachers in China. It finds that teachers actively participate in various academic activities and produce a significant number of research outputs, but there is room for improvement in high-quality journal publications, high-level research projects, and international conference participation. Teachers show high enthusiasm for undertaking research projects, but project levels are highly polarized, with most research activities concentrated at the university level. In terms of journal publications, the proportion of high-quality domestic and international journal articles is relatively low, while publications in general journals are more common. Teachers show strong engagement in publishing books and compiling teaching materials, though opportunities to lead such projects are limited. Regarding academic conferences, teachers demonstrate high participation in domestic and international conferences, particularly domestic ones. The survey also reveals that university foreign language teachers generally exhibit moderate confidence in their research literacy and familiarity with research areas in foreign language education, particularly in literature, translation education, testing, and foreign language education policy and planning. Major obstacles to research engagement include high research pressure, lack of expert guidance, family responsibilities, heavy teaching workloads, time constraints, and insufficient support or collaboration from colleagues. While teachers generally perceive departmental leadership as supportive of research, they report a lack of research culture and peer collaboration. Teachers' awareness of research does not necessarily translate into actual research engagement, even when they recognize its importance.

5 Recommendations for Enhancing the Research Literacy of University Foreign Language Teachers

This section explores multidimensional recommendations for improving the research literacy of university foreign language teachers. First, it emphasizes the need for teachers to shift both cognitively and practically, recognizing themselves not only as knowledge disseminators but also as creators, and internalizing research as an integral part of their careers. Teachers should cultivate an awareness of integrating teaching with research, actively engage in research interactions, enhance their research literacy, regularly track academic advancements, and participate in relevant training to address gaps in research competence. Practically, teachers should establish collaborative networks, conduct classroom teaching innovation research, and join professional learning communities and virtual teaching-research groups to improve their research literacy.

University and departmental administrators should foster a collaborative and supportive cultural environment by organizing expert workshops, academic salons, and providing funding to enhance teachers' research motivation and creativity. Educational authorities should formulate supportive standards and policies, design professional development programs, introduce research projects focused on foreign language education, and encourage the establishment of relevant academic journals to elevate the international influence of foreign language education research.

In summary, enhancing the research literacy of university foreign language teachers requires joint efforts from teachers, university administrators, and educational authorities. Through multifaceted measures, a synergistic approach can be formed to promote teacher-research interactions and cultivate a sustainable research culture.

6 Conclusion

This section underscores the importance of research literacy among university foreign language teachers. Through a nationwide questionnaire survey, it reveals the current state of research literacy, existing problems, and their causes, while proposing improvement recommendations from the perspectives of individual teachers, university administrators, and educational policies. Enhancing research literacy is crucial for advancing the high-quality development of foreign language education and strengthening China's voice in global foreign language education. The authors hope this study will draw attention, facilitate policy implementation and support system development, and promote the improvement of teachers' research literacy. They also call for more empirical research to provide targeted support for teachers' research endeavors and achieve high-quality development in university foreign language education.