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2018-04-23 09:55:36
Central and Local Governments Jointly Train Teachers to Help Second Generation Immigrants with Transnational Learning
Source: Radio Taiwan International February 23rd, 2018 at 6:21 P.M. Some second generation immigrants grow up in the country where their immigrant parents were born, and they have trouble keeping up in school due to their limited Chinese language ability after returning to Taiwan. This sometimes forces them to transfer to a lower grade. The Kaohsiung City Education Bureau and the K-12 Education Administration of the Ministry of Education commissioned National Kaohsiung Normal University to implement the System Establishment Research and Evaluation Project for Transnational Students to improve this situation. A teacher training workshop was also organized for even more junior high school and elementary school teachers to see the needs of transnational students. Chung Chen-Cheng is the Director of the Graduate Institute of Teaching Chinese as a Second Foreign Language of National Kaohsiung Normal University, and is the principal investigator of the System Establishment Research and Evaluation Project for Transnational Students jointly implemented with the K-12 Education Administration. He indicated that six or seven years ago, he found that many second generation immigrants, children of Taiwanese businessmen, or foreigners residing in Taiwan had trouble adapting to life in Taiwan and had difficulty learning due to their limited Chinese listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities. Chung Chen-Cheng: "Some children haven't eaten any lunch boxes other than those bought from 7-ELEVEN in the two to three years since they've been here. This is because they can buy food without talking in 7-ELEVEN, but would need to talk if they buy food from other places, such as buffet restaurants. There are a lot of examples like this." Chung Chen-Cheng said Kaohsiung City Education Bureau was the first to work with National Kaohsiung Normal University in recent years, organizing a four-day teacher training workshop for teachers of junior high schools and elementary schools in Kaohsiung City. The workshop helps teachers to effectively recognize the culture, language, learning needs, educational background, and scholastic ability of transnational students, so that they can plan a variety of supplementary courses. Chung Chen-Cheng: "Our usual approach is to recommend that schools pull students out of classes for subjects that have high language content. In elementary school, these classes would mainly be Chinese class and social studies class, because they wouldn't understand anyway if they remained in class. In junior high school, these classes would probably be the subjects: Chinese, history, and geography. The standard would be to pull students out of 5 hours of classes a week, or at least one class a day. This time would be spent in a language class, a Chinese language class." Chung Chen-Cheng pointed out that they registered 75 transnational students in Kaohsiung City, in which approximately 50% are second generation immigrants from Vietnam. He estimates there are at least several thousand transnational students around the country that need a learning support system. Hence, the K-12 National Administration also commissioned National Kaohsiung Normal University to organize a four-day national teacher training workshop for beginners. The workshop was attended by 77 principals, teachers, and education bureau personnel from 17 counties/cities. An advanced workshop will be organized in the future so that even more second generation immigrants can receive complete care and show their learning outcomes. -
2017-11-24 12:25:17
MOE upgrades Taiwan’s Mandarin proficiency test
By Taiwan Today,Agencies Number of exam dates for all levels of the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language will double to six beginning next year The number of exam dates for all levels of the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language, Taiwan’s official Mandarin proficiency qualification, will double to six beginning next year as part of government efforts to boost access to the certification system. Organizer the Steering Committee for the Test of Proficiency-Huayu under the Ministry of Education will stage the exam roughly every two months beginning in 2018. Other new measures include the release of a shorter version of the TOCFL enabling businesses and universities to self-assess the language capabilities of job and college applicants. MOE Deputy Minister Yao Leehter said Aug. 30 at an event marking the 12th anniversary of the test’s establishment that the upgrades will further strengthen the TOCFL’s status as an authoritative Chinese-language qualification. According to Chen Po-hsi, commissioner of the steering committee, the shorter test was created to serve the growing number of businesses across the Asia-Pacific region using the TOCFL to evaluate Mandarin capabilities. Featuring 60 questions divided equally between listening and reading, the abridged exam will allow corporations and universities to stage high-quality assessments. Yao said the measures are expected to further raise the number of TOCFL test takers following the introduction earlier this year of an entry-level certification. First staged in July, the exam requiring a minimum vocabulary base of 300 words aims to bolster learners’ familiarity with the TOCFL by introducing them to the system earlier in the education process. Known as the Chinese Proficiency Test at its launch in 2005, the exam was renamed the TOCFL three years later after being redesigned by Taipei City-based National Taiwan Normal University under the guidance of the steering committee. Divided into two testing sessions assessing listening and reading, and speaking and writing, the exam is administered in 33 countries and territories across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin and North America. According to the MOE, some 300,000 students of Mandarin have sat the test worldwide, with the average number of examinees reaching 40,000 annually over the past three years. -
2017-11-15 12:05:11
TKUCLC-Mandarin Lecturer Training and Teaching Abroad (Japan) Program
-Seminar and Training Course- Tamkung University Chinese Language Center (TKUCLC) will be hosting Mandarin Lecturer Teaching Abroad(Japan) and Practical Training in Teaching Program (Japan Region). For those that are interested in teaching Mandarin abroad and/or want to know more about Japan Mandarin Teaching market, welcome to sign up and join us. Mandarin Lecturer Teaching Abroad Seminar (https://goo.gl/WcCYZD) 1. Date (1) Central Region: 2017 Nov 23 (Thu) 10:45-12:00 Location: Feng Chia University Second International Conference Room (2) Southern Region: 2017 Nov 24 (Fri) 9:15-11:30 Location: Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages Room: W006 (3) Northern Region: 2017 Dec 2 (Sat) 9:00-12:00 Location: Tamkung University Taipei Campus Room: D223 2. Sign up Website: https://goo.gl/79HUkt Practical Training in Teaching Program (Japan region) 1. Course outline (1) As per MOE regulation, lecturers are required to complete Practical Training in Teaching programs (Target region) before teaching abroad. (2) The program is specifically designed for lectures teaching abroad in Japan region. 2. Course Content (1) Including seminars, on-line courses and forum for total 24 training hours. (2) Detail Course description: https://goo.gl/HDHRLj 3. Sign up Information (1) Sign up Website: https://goo.gl/5J2XWz (2) Tuition Fee: NT$1000 (Free join for both TKUCLC Mandarin lecturers and members of Reserve Lecturer Group) (3) Deadline: For now till 2017 Dec 22 (4) Payment method: Post Office Transfer. Account Name: 淡江大學成人教育部推廣教育中心 Account Number: 125-1111-1 ---------------------------------------------- Contact Person:Hui-Zhong Huang Phone:02-23216320 #8358 Email:hzhuang@clc.tku.edu.tw -
2017-10-24 17:47:40
School Starts and the Number of Scholarship Recipients Hits a Record High
Department of International and Cross-strait Education Contact: Lin, Hsin-Pei Tel: (02)7736-5731 Email: hslin@mail.moe.gov.tw The number of recipients of the Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu Enrichment Scholarship Program (the Program) hit the record high! The Program was established in 2004 to encourage outstanding foreign students to study in Taiwan. Held on October 2, 2017, the 13th Program Welcome Party attracted over 600 scholarship recipients from 74 countries. The Program organized annually by Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Science and Technology attracts more and more outstanding foreign applicants year by year. This year, the number of applicants hit the record high and there were 1,490 scholarship recipients from 84 countries. According to the New Southbound Policy, Ministry of Education promoted the New Southbound Talent Development Program in 2016, which takes a people-oriented approach and aims to foster bilateral exchange and mutual resources sharing. One of the highlights is to expand bilateral exchange between students. In 2017, Ministry of Education granted the Taiwan Scholarship to 193 freshmen from new southbound countries, nearly doubled compared with the number of the recipients last year (100); the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (one-year) was granted to 82 recipients, compared with 63 recipients last year. This year, a total of 363 freshmen from new southbound countries were granted the Program by Ministry of Education, an increase of 148 recipients compared with last year. In the speech, Yao, Leehter, Political Deputy Minister of Education, indicated that according to the New Southbound Policy, Ministry of Education encourages students to experience Southeast Asia and South Asia, while hoping to recruit more outstanding foreign students to study or learn in Taiwan. He encouraged scholarship recipients to interact with the locals and make new friends during their study in Taiwan, further becoming cultural ambassadors. Tooly Burocher, a scholarship recipient from Haiti, has studied in Department of Diplomacy, National Chengchi University for two years and speaks Chinese fluently. He even participated in a singing talent show called Super Red and sang Taiwanese songs, making him become the defending champion for ten weeks. He loves traveling and has traveled attractions in the West Taiwan. He is no stranger to all kinds of Taiwan's snacks and has tasted stinky tofu, which most foreigners are afraid to try. He is fully immersed in Taiwanese life. Masatoshi Nakamura, another scholarship recipient from Kyoto, Japan, currently studies in Graduate Institute of Management, National Taiwan Normal University. Having studied in Taiwan for 6 years, he loves Taiwan very much, especially Taiwanese that is full of hospitality. He even said that he has the blood of Taiwanese people. He hopes to stay and work in Taiwan and make a contribution to land that supports him throughout the journey. The 2017 Welcome Party is divided into two parts. The first part is the seminar where freshmen get to understand the notice of scholarships fast; the second part is the welcome party where Tooly Burocher sang two Taiwanese songs (No Sleep and Fool) and shared his stay in Taiwan. Last, a tea party was scheduled to treat ambassadors, guests, and students with Taiwanese snacks and facilitate interaction in a relaxed atmosphere, while celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in advance. -
2017-10-24 17:47:39
Surabaya Taiwan Education Center Opens to Develop Higher Education in Indonesia
Department of International and Cross-strait Education Contact: Tsai Jui Tel: 02-7736-6175 Email: stsai@mail.moe.gov.tw To recruit more students from Indonesia to study in Taiwan and promote higher education, Ministry of Education established the Taiwan Education Center in Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia, in September 2017 after establishment of Jakarta Taiwan Education Center in Krida Wacana Christian University (UKRIDA). Asia University was appointed as the organizer. Surabaya Taiwan Education Center was established in Airangga University. A grand opening ceremony was held in the administration building of Airangga University on the morning of September 12, 2017. The ceremony was hosted by Dr. Mohammad Nasih, President of Airangga University. Deputy Director for Higher Education Cooperation, Indonesia Purwanto Subroto, Deputy Representative of Taipei Economic and Trade Office, Jakarta, Indonesia Phoebe Yeh, Education Secretary Tony Lee, Head of Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Surabaya Jeffrey Hsiao, Vice President of Asia University Ko, Hui-Chen, and Dean of International College, Asia University Chen, Ying-Hui as well as representatives of local 50 colleges or more, community leaders, and Taiwanese businesspeople were invited to attend the ceremony. Deputy Representative of Taipei Economic and Trade Office, Jakarta, Indonesia Phoebe Yeh first thanked the communities for their full support of Surabaya Taiwan Education Center. The establishment of Surabaya Taiwan Education Center will help promote Taiwan’s quality higher education in East Java, set up Chinese language programs in schools at all levels or institutions in Indonesia, and recruit more Indonesian students to study in Taiwan, further improving bilateral academic exchange between Taiwan and Indonesia. Deputy Director for Higher Education Cooperation, Indonesia Purwanto Subroto sent the greetings of Director Mohamad Nasir and indicated that both Taiwanese and Indonesian governments have interacted actively in recent years and are currently promoting scholarships, higher education forums, vocational training and industry-academia cooperation. Purwanto Subroto also mentioned that the Indonesian government actively encouraged local colleges to interact with Taiwan and hoped to attract more Taiwanese teachers and students to teach or learn in Indonesia. In 2016, there were 5,074 Indonesian students studying in Taiwanese college, accounting for 4.36% of the total foreign students and ranked 2nd in new southbound countries. The number continues to grow year by year. Indonesia has a population of 255,000,000, making it the world’s fourth largest population; among the population, there are more than 10 million Chinese people in Indonesia. With the rapid development of society and economy in Indonesia in recent years, domestic colleges have actively recruited Indonesian students, and there is still a lot of room for development of higher education in Indonesia. Ministry of Education has recently strengthened the presence in Indonesia by establishing the Taiwan Education Center combining overseas Chinese communities, Taiwanese businesspeople, and alumni in Taiwan. In the future, the center will become a platform for bilateral academic exchange and provide consultation services for local students. The Taiwan Higher Education Fair has been scheduled in Surabaya and Yogyakarta this December; in addition, the Taiwan-Indonesia College Presidents’ Meeting will be held to help Taiwan develop higher education in Indonesia. -
2017-10-24 17:47:38
Mandarin On-the-Go in Taiwan
To promote a new model of Chinese language programs attracting more foreigners to experience Chinese and cultures in Taiwan, Ministry of Education launched the Mandarin On-the-Go program in September 2017. Through this brand new study-tour model, Ministry of Education hopes to attract more foreigners who are interested in Taiwanese cultures and Chinese learning to experience Taiwan. This year, four Mandarin on-the-go tours are offered and led by each Chinese language center in North, Central, South, and East Taiwan to experience regional cultures and Mandarin. Tours are open for registration now. Welcome to register! For more information, visit http://www.mgt.org.tw/en/apply.