In this study, the formation of “language competency” in the “Curriculum Guidelines of the 12-Year Basic Education: Mandarin Chinese” is uncovered by document analysis of the transcripts records of meetings of National Curriculum Development Council; the National Curriculum Inspection Committee; the records of public hearing; and the new National Curriculum Guidelines itself. The purpose of this study is to discover the textualization process of “language competence” in National Curriculum Guidelines in order to uncover the way the curriculum guidelines shape the unique approach of language pedagogy in the subject of Mandarin Chinese. Results indicated that the formation of language competency in curriculum guideline suggests a blended model with various paradigms from the discourse of other countries’ language education. Moreover, the competency-based literacy education, which is referring to a practical view of language education, can be considered as a reconciliation of the century-long debate between the “subject-based” and “literacy-based” approaches. The pedagogy of “competency-based literacy education” stresses on the learning process and formative assessment. It also promotes the use of strategy-based as well as competency-based curriculum and instruction design and various sources of learning materials reflecting multiple points of view. However, more empirical studies on the pedagogy of literature and culture are needed to build the basic concept of language education for the work of writing curriculum guideline in the future.
