LanguageNews
Norway Conducts the First Chinese Proficiency Test for Students Planning to Study Chinese in Taiwan
The University of Oslo (UiO) Norway has recently conducted the Test of Chinese as Second/Foreign Language (TOCFL) with the Ministry of Education (MOE), of which 19 people have applied to take the test. It was the first Chinese Proficiency test held in Norway; students of the school will also plan to learn Chinese at the National Taiwan University (NTU).
The Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages of UiO has hosted on October 21, the TOCFL test, of which 19 people have applied for basic and advanced levels of the test. It is of great significance for Norway to hold the test for the first time, as within the North European nations, only Sweden has ever conduct Chinese proficiency tests in the past.
Born in Chiayi and has been teaching at UiO for years, Lin Chieh-Ting said there are not many people learning Chinese in Norway; people could only take Chinese proficiency test held in Bergen. Thus, it is excellent to see a Taiwan developed test for evaluating Chinese language ability is held here in Norway.
The Test for Chinese as Second/ Foreign Language (TOCFL) also offers a simplified Chinese version. Still, some of the applicants have chosen to take traditional Chinese version questions. Eivind, a servant of the public agency, is one of them.
Eivind is fluent in Chinese and loves Taiwanese culture, who thinks only traditional Chinese characters could demonstrate the aesthetics of the traditional culture. He has taken the TOCFL test first held in Norway to express his support, and also for evaluating and a better understanding of his language ability.
Starting from this year, the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages is carrying out several collaborated projects with Taiwan. Besides the agreement signed with the NTU earlier this year, to send students to learn Chinese at NTU, the school also cooperated with the MOE in August, to introduce in Mandarin Chinese Teaching Assistants from Taiwan. Yu Chia-Yu, who has studied a master’s degree at National Taiwan Normal University, has, therefore, become the only Chinese teaching assistant from Taiwan within North European universities.
Yu has been an exchange student to Finland and is used to the severe cold weather in northern Europe. She was responsible for oral practice courses and for organizing cultural nights each month, to introduce tea ceremony, calligraphy, traditional handicraft and the culture of Mazu belief, and so on, which were highly appreciated by students.
Rune Svarverud, professor of the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages at UiO used to be worried for the instructor from Taiwan might not be able to adapt to the UiO, but was surprised to receive positive feedback from students, and was impressed with the excellence presented by Taiwan trained Chinese teaching professionals. As students have shown noticeable improvement in oral and tests, the department will continue to recruit the Chinese teaching assistants from Taiwan next semester.
(origin from:CNA)