Latest News | Office of Global Mandarin Education

This year, international education has looked different, more than ever before. Traditional exchange programs have been largely unavailable, and other avenues of world language and cultural education have gone online. Still, the need for strong cross-cultural learning opportunities remains pressing. Learning a second language benefits students academically and on the job market, with many U.S. employers reporting that they seek candidates who know another language. Unfortunately, the vast majority of states report a shortage of world language teachers. Recruiting teachers for language immersion programs or advanced language instruction is difficult because these positions demand a high level of fluency and discipline-specific vocabulary. Deputy Secretary Mitchell Zais recently joined State Department officials and representatives from American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) at a virtual meeting with Taiwan representatives to identify potential steps that the United States and Taiwan could take to meet the growing need for Mandarin teachers in the United States, and for English instructors on Taiwan. The meeting marked the launch of a new U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative. Original full text: https://blog.ed.gov/2021/01/new-u-s-taiwan-education-initiative/?fbclid=IwAR0wsqLZeVUPRAZ38pPqjBJXRjuDBgCKDoo5cb-0LsF4YFBpCzGnImE1Bf8

On December 30, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has continued to spread around the globe. The CECC stated that in consideration of the status of the COVID-19 pandemic globally, Taiwan would impose entry restrictions and quarantine regulations for non-R.O.C. nationals, effective from 00:00 am (local time at the airport of departure) on January 1, 2021, and Taiwan would strengthen quarantine measures form travelers coming to Taiwan, effective from 00:00 am on January 15, 2021. Details about entry restrictions and quarantine regulations for non-R.O.C. nationals are listed below. Non-R.O.C. nationals may enter Taiwan if they meet the following conditions: Foreign nationals: foreign nationals may enter Taiwan if they hold an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC); for diplomatic or official business; to fulfill contractual obligations; for special humanitarian reasons; when they are the spouse or the underage child of an R.O.C. national; or when they obtain other special permission. Hong Kong and Macao residents: Hong Kong and Macao residents may enter Taiwan if they hold an ARC; to fulfill contractual obligations; as part of internal transfers within multinational enterprises; when they are the spouse or the underage child of an R.O.C. national; or when they obtain permission under special programs. People from Mainland China: people from Mainland China may enter Taiwan if they hold an ARC; when they are the spouse or the underage child of an R.O.C. national; or when they obtain permission under special programs. Travelers transiting through Taiwan are temporarily prohibited. Short-term business travelers eligible for shortened quarantine periods in Taiwan, except for those who have obtained permission for their application, will be required to complete the 14-day home quarantine.  Suspending acceptance of entry applications for international medical care purpose. Special cases or emergency medical care cases are not subject to this rule. The CECC also stated that it would tighten home quarantine measures for travelers entering Taiwan starting from January 15, 2021. Apart from the original requirement of providing a COVID-19 RT-PCR test report issued within three days of boarding, arriving travelers shall also provide proof of the place of quarantine where travelers stay to undergo quarantine (in principle, the place shall be a group quarantine facility or quarantine hotel; those who choose to undergo quarantine at home shall make an affidavit to declare they have met the requirement of one person per residence). Entry quarantine measures will be adjusted on a rolling basis depending on the status of the pandemic and implementation of those measures.  

The global Covid-19 pandemic is continuing to spread rapidly, and plans to ease restrictions on the entry of students to study Mandarin in Taiwan are currently still under careful assessment. Any changes will be announced on the Ministry of Education’s News Updates page: https://english.moe.gov.tw/cpview-117-24173-6539f-1.html .

Today the Ministry of Education (MOE) released the “2020 Application Guidelines for the Certification Examination for Proficiency in Teaching Chinese as a Second/Foreign Language,” the examination will be held on July 25 and 26. Receiving the certification is the key to unlocking opportunities for teaching and interning overseas.According to released information, the application date for the exam will begin on May 15 to June 1. Applicants are required to mail print material to the “Graduate Academic Affairs Division, Office of Academic Affairs, National Taiwan University” after applying online, and overseas applicants may send their application form to nearby consular.The Certification Examination for Proficiency in Teaching Chinese as a Second/Foreign Language is coming to its 15th session since it was first held; around 26,470 teachers have taken the exam and 4,795 have been certified. Certified teachers have priority when applying for overseas teaching positions or internships. By the year 2019, MOE has dispatched 247 Mandarin teachers and 145 teaching assistant instructors to 17 countries. This certification exam consists of written tests in the following four subjects: Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese Linguistics, Chinese Language Teaching, and Chinese Society and Culture, and an hour for the oral test.Examinees need to pass all four written tests and the oral test, plus proof of foreign language proficiency that meets the standard as required (e.g., score above 785 for TOEIC), to receive their certification. For information and more details, visit the Ministry of Education’s website.(origin from:CNA)

Thai students was awarded THB 200,000 (about NT$ 192,400) by the representative Tung Chen-Yuan (童振源) of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand. These students will take courses in the Mandarin Chinese program at the National Chengchi University this summer to deepen the exchange in education between Taiwan and Thailand.The representative office in Thailand released news today about the Praksa Withedsuksa School (PWS), a trilingual school of Samut Prakan Province, Thailand celebrating its 8th anniversary today. Representatives of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand, National Chengchi University, and Zu How Industry Co. Ltd. were in attendance to celebrate with PWS. The Zu How Industry Co. Ltd. also supported the school with THB 200,000 for the scholarship, which was awarded by Mr. Tung Chen-Yuan to the 10 outstanding students from the trilingual school.The representative office in Thailand shared that the National Chengchi University (NCCU) has provided free language programs for these 10 students to take Mandarin courses at NCCU during summer. With the expectation to have the bilateral educational exchange rooted deep, the school looks forward to attracting more students from Thailand to study at NCCU. The former governor of Samut Prakan Province, Mr. Somboon Suksamran has expressed in his speech that the primary policy to eliminate poverty for a nation is education; whereas the founder of PWS, Mr. Yongyut Suwanabut, who’s also the MP from Samut Prakan Province, expressed his gratitude to Mr. Tung Chen-yuan for providing the opportunity for students to study in Taiwan.(origin from:CNA)

The National Chengchi University (NCCU) forged a strategic partnership with Thailand’s Thammasat University after it had established a Bangkok Office a while ago. The two schools talked about issues of academic cooperation, increasing the quota for exchange students, and promoting teaching in Chinese.Today the NCCU stated in the news that President Ming-Cheng Kuo led a delegation to visit Thailand. The first stop of his itinerary was to visit NCCU’s sister school, the Thammasat University, which is a renowned university, ranked second in Thailand. The university is well known for its school of law and Political Science, and has 260 collaborated institutes in 46 cities all over the world. Its Ta Prachan Campus boasted 90% of its international programs being taught in English.The Vice-Rector of the Thammasat University, Kitti Prasirtsuk, and the Head of School of Information, Computer and Communication Technology Chalie Charoenlarpnopparut made a proposal in the meeting with NCCU. The proposal included increasing the quota for exchange students, exchanging more teaching fellows, to have more cooperation of academic research in fields of Asia Studies, and technological innovation management, and to jointly host international conferences.The NCCU remarked that through the profound and extensive exchanges of suggestions, both sides reached several consensuses, including increasing the quota for exchange students, commencement of teaching fellows exchange, and to promote teaching professionals of Chinese as a second language. Both schools look forward to having a breakthrough in the international program and training of interdisciplinary talents, and to carry on the existing relations for a profound strategic partnership.(origin from:CNA)