日治之初，各地國語傳習所的辦學方式和成果因地而異。從地方社會的角 度，仔細探討個別國語傳習所實際營運及其與地方社會的互動概況，有其必要性 和重要意義。本文利用《臺灣總督府檔案》、日治初年的報紙雜誌及時人回憶等 基本資料，探討1896-1898年臺中國語傳習所創立過程、招生和教學概況、與臺 中地方社會之互動，以及畢業生對臺中地方之影響。探討結果顯示，該所成立之 初，即鎖定以臺中傳統文風較興盛的地區作為重點，招募當地士紳、地主、富商 等社會領導階層子弟入所學習日語六個月至一年。此一招生策略頗為成功，迅速 獲得臺中地方社會之支持，其中以15-30歲甲科生的招生效果最佳。不僅有秀才 資格者申請入所，臺中地方重要的士紳家族均有子弟入學。該所畢業生結合紮實 的漢學基礎與速成的日語能力，成為地方基層吏員、公學校教師、民意代表等地 方社會領導階層，協助推動殖民施政，可說是臺中地方最早參與地方公職，以及 與官方建立關係者。然而，若長期觀察上述畢業生的角色和表現，其日後發展顯 然有所局限，隨著臺灣近代教育制度逐步建立，該所甲科畢業生逐漸失去最初的 優勢和利用價值，以致畢業後二十年間，僅有一成五仍活躍於地方社會。

At the beginning of Japanese colonial rule, the Kokugo Denshusho (National Language Education Institutes) set up by the administration differed in their methods of implementation and accomplished results in accordance with geographical locations. It is therefore necessary and of great importance to investigate the operations and societal interactions of individual Kokugo Denshusho from the perspectives of local society. This research, based on archival documents from the Taiwan Governor-General's Office, newspapers and magazines, and memoirs of local elite from the period of 1896 to 1898, examines the Taichung Kokugo Denshusho in its founding process, instructor-student ratio, overview of teaching, student recruitment, local societal interaction, and the influence of its graduates. The result of this study indicates that during the period of its commencement, the Denshusho targeted areas in Taichung where literary tradition was prominent and offered classes of 6 month to 1 year to the offspring of local gentry, landlords and rich business people. Such a strategy, particularly with the enrollment of juniors aged 15 to 30, had considerable success and quickly gained support from the local society in Taichung. Not only qualified scholars but also children of prominent gentry families became its students. At the Denshusho these students were able to combine their solid foundation of Chinese language with a quick acquisition of Japanese language, thus enabling them to communicate with colonial officials upon graduation. Many graduates joined the stratum of local leadership as government employees, instructors at public schools, and local representatives. As such they formed a close relationship with the colonial rulers, facilitating the colonial rule and indirectly affecting the advancement of Taichung's local society. However, from a long-term perspectives the graduates' societal role was limited. Their post-graduation careers reflected a generation of harsh constraints under the Japanese colonial rule. As modern Taiwanese education system was gradually established, the Denshusho graduates’ advantages and values in the early period were lost. Twenty years later, merely fifteen percent of them still enjoyed prominent influence in the local society.

國語傳習所; 臺中公學校; 日語; 地方精英

Kokugo Denshusho (National Language Education Institutes); Taichung Public School; Japanese language; Local elite