To encourage outstanding Malaysian students to study in Taiwan, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has set up the Taiwan Scholarship and the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship. The MOE has awarded 47 students this year, which exemplified the importance of Malaysian students to the Taiwan government and as they have deepened the Taiwan - Malaysia relation in the aspect of talent exchange. The Representative Anne Hung of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia awarded scholarships and certificates to students in "The MOE Taiwan Scholarship and the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship Pre-departure Orientation and Award Ceremony."She said in the ceremony that the MOE had raised the number of recipients of the Taiwan Scholarship from 20 to 30, in expectation to encourage more students of excellence to study in Taiwan and concentrate on their study. By this, they will be able to contribute things they have learned to Malaysia after studying in Taiwan.Hung also pointed out that among these 35 students, 15 have applied for bachelor’s degrees, 15 applied for their master’s degrees, and 5 for doctorate degrees, the primary area of studies include Chinese, engineering, and mass communication. It is significant to note that all the recipients of the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship are students of Malay ethnicity.She believed this would help Taiwan society to have a better understanding of Muslim and Malay culture.She said training in Chinese and the experience of studying in Taiwan would be precious for future career development as well as a life-long experience. She encouraged more students of Malaysia to apply for the Taiwan Scholarship and the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship so they can experience the democracy, freedom, and the unique lifestyle of Taiwan.Liyana, a doctorate applicant who has been accepted by the National Ocean University, said in the interview that she was always interested in the Chinese language. Having traveled to Taiwan for an environment that encompassed the Chinese culture has helped her to use Chinese more fluently.Huang Yang-Hung, who has applied for a mechanical engineering degree, thought that in comparison with Malaysia, Taiwan possessed vanguard resources and is a place favorable for development in the field of scientific research; thus, he wished to study for more in-depth knowledge and expertise in Taiwan.Xu Xin-Mei, the pharmacist who has applied to study Medical Informatics, said that compared to Malaysia, Taiwan is in a top place in the area that links technology and medical care, especially with integrated cloud service which facilitates the use of data in statistical analysis. Therefore, coming to study in Taiwan is definitely a precious opportunity for learning. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia has selected more than one hundred outstanding Malaysian students to study in Taiwan in the past 15 years. These scholarship-awarded students with the excellence they performed in various fields in Malaysia after they have finished their studies in Taiwan have served as the bridge for the communication between Taiwan and Malaysia.The number of students of Malaysian nationality study at institutes of higher education in Taiwan is on top of the list of the international student body, around 16,717 in the 2018 academic year and ranked on top of ASEAN countries, which showed that the higher education of Taiwan is appealing to Malaysian students.The head of the Education Division, Chang Chia-ling remarked that the higher education in Taiwan is highly developed with good quality of teaching. With a safe and secure society which provides convenience and amenities that make transportation and life easy, Taiwan is easy to adapt to and a friendly country for students of both Chinese ethnic and non-Chinese ethnic to study.The MOE Taiwan Scholarship is available for students intending to obtain their bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree in Taiwan. Each successful applicant will receive a maximum of NT$ 40,000 for each semester as a subsidy for school fees, and NT$ 15,000-20,000 for living expenses.Whereas the MOE Huayu Enrichment Scholarship is for encouraging students to come to Taiwan for short term study of Mandarin Chinese, that grant students NT$ 25,000 monthly during their study in Taiwan, the period of study is no longer than a year.(origin from:CNA)

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has made "Pass the exam of Chinese proficiency by international students" and related criteria, as bases for examining the outcome of New Southbound Programs, since the 2019 academic year. The MOE even offered Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (TCSL) Teacher Training Courses for the first time in July, to help teachers to improve the Chinese competency of their students. Today, the MOE expressed in a news release that due to the demand for training professional and technical personnel by countries covered in New Southbound policy, the MOE has consigned institutes of higher education to offer Industry-Academia Collaboration Program for International Students since 2017. With the expectation to lead universities and colleges in expanding a solid educational exchange with ASEAN and South Asian countries in order to enhance the bilateral interaction and relations of the alliance. The MOE stated, “Mandarin Chinese” is most critical among all of the New Southbound education policies since Chinese proficiency is the essential requirement for taking the exam for occupational certification by foreign students. Thus, the MOE evaluates the outcome of each school’s New Southbound Programs according to the criteria of “Pass the Exam of Chinese proficiency by International Students” and “Receiving of Occupational Certification” since 2019. To implement the policy of Chinese Education for Students from the Countries Covered in New Southbound Policy, MOE has promoted the project of Resource Center for Mandarin Chinese Teacher in hopes to enhance the Chinese competence of international students from the Industry-Academia Collaboration Program and to help them to adapt quickly to life and the culture in Taiwan. The MOE held the first “TCSL Teacher Training Courses” in July, which is an empowerment program for Mandarin teachers. The program aims to further establish the advising mechanism and correspondent network to assist teachers in raising the teaching quality and to help international students of the New Southbound Program to improve their Chinese ability. The "TCSL Teacher Training Courses" offered Mandarin teachers of the New Southbound Programs customized training courses as well as programs such as Classroom Counseling Skills, and Counseling and Appeals, etc. The program is meant to enable teachers to help international students of the New Southbound Program to adapt to the learning environment. The counseling and consultation mechanism will be available even after the training to ensure the teaching quality of every trainee.(origin from:CNA)

A group of Malaysian education officials was in Taipei on Monday on an exchange program organized by the Ministry of Education (MOE) aimed at promoting greater cooperation on Chinese language instruction and expose them to language classes.The ministry is hoping to use the program to continue expanding cooperation with Malaysia in the field of Chinese language teaching, certification, and teaching material development, it said.Another key goal is to attract more Malaysian students to study in Taiwan and encourage Malaysians to recruit Taiwanese to teach Chinese in schools in the southeast Asian country.Speaking at the opening of the 2019 Malaysia Mandarin Training Program at National Taipei University of Education, MOE official Huang Wei-yu (黃薳玉) called Taiwan an ideal place for learning traditional Chinese characters because people get to connect with traditional Chinese culture in a free and democratic society.Taiwan currently has 60 Mandarin learning centers, and several of them also provide language proficiency tests for foreign nationals, said Huang, who is with the MOE's Department of International and Cross-strait Education.Huang expected that Taiwan's curriculum, faculty and teaching materials would be able to meet all of the Chinese-language education needs of Malaysia.The 13 officials, invited by the MOE, are currently in Taiwan on a week-long visit, where they also plan to visit the Wenshan School of Special Education, Jinwen University of Science & Technology, Yangmingshan National Park, and National Palace Museum.According to an MOE statement, there were 16,717 Malaysian students studying in universities or colleges in Taiwan in 2018.(origin from:CNA)

Have you ever felt unable to express yourself when visiting another country? Is Chinese really the most difficult language in the world? The Chinese language centers in Taiwan’s universities are working together with the tourism industry to offer visitors to Taiwan something new! Taiwan is a beautiful island in the west Pacific, with an abundance of natural scenery, local snacks that are renowned near and far, and sophisticated culture. Whether or not you’ve heard about Taiwan, and even if you know something about this fascinating place, a visit to Taiwan will definitely be unforgettable. Many university Chinese language centers and the tourism industry have recently created innovative tours that combine experiencing local culture with some language learning and let overseas visitors enjoy a trip to Taiwan that’s more than just sightseeing. The tours are designed to help visitors experience distinctive aspects of the local culture more intensely, from enjoying delicious foods to visiting historic sites, and make them want to linger longer. Here are just some examples; Tours in northern Taiwan:  Tamkang University’s Chinese Language Center offers a culinary tour. Participants buy ingredients in a traditional market guided by a professional Chinese teacher, and then cook them. The learning activities integrate [experiencing] the real local living environment. From cooking to enjoying popular snacks at the night markets, you can genuinely experience the tastes of Taiwan! The Mandarin Learning Center at Chung Yuan Christian University offers four quite different tours. One is for people who love visiting historical sites; one features exploring the aesthetics of modern and historical buildings; one features experiencing indigenous people’s culture; and another features characteristic local cultural celebrations, such as dragon boat rowing. Whether visitors love natural scenery or distinctive local culture, these interesting tours all offer experiences they’ll enjoy. Tours in southern and central Taiwan: Would you like to personally experience a creative cultural locality and Feng Chia night market, a popular tourist attraction? Feng Chia University’s Chinese Language Center combines Chinese language education with themed cultural tours. You start by learning something about where you’ll be going and some basic related Chinese, and you then enjoy different tours where you can put what you’ve been learning to practical use in real life settings. The Chinese Language Center at Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages has a strong focus on combining Chinese language courses with trips to enjoy Taiwan’s fine foods. Its Fo Guang Shan purification trip features a visit to the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, a building that combines Chinese and foreign, traditional and modern architectural elements, where you can enjoy vegetarian food in this tranquil religious setting, with a peaceful mind. Another trip looks at Hakka culture and Hakka foods, and the participants can cook and eat some On this trip, the Hakka architecture and natural wetland scenery offer a feast for the eyes, to accompany the taste treats. And Taiwan is surrounded by ocean and there’s an abundance of fresh seafood, so if you’re a food lover who wants to try all sorts of foods that Taiwan has to offer, this is the tour for you!   If you want a trip that will make a deep impression on you and leave you with lifelong memories, why not try a tour that combines language learning with hands-on local experience. This is immensely more satisfying than a short sightseeing tour , and you’ll learn to speak some of the language used by 1.2 billion of the world’s people. To find out more about the tour courses outlined above, and for Mandarin education-related information, please visit the website of the Office of Global Mandarin Education: https://ogme.edu.tw/Home/tw and https://ogme.edu.tw/ Have you ever felt unable to express yourself when visiting another country? Is Chinese really the most difficult language in the world? The Chinese language centers in Taiwan’s universities are working together with the tourism industry to offer visitors to Taiwan something new! Taiwan is a beautiful island in the west Pacific, with an abundance of natural scenery, local snacks that are renowned near and far, and sophisticated culture. Whether or not you’ve heard about Taiwan, and even if you know something about this fascinating place, a visit to Taiwan will definitely be unforgettable. Many university Chinese language centers and the tourism industry have recently created innovative tours that combine experiencing local culture with some language learning and let overseas visitors enjoy a trip to Taiwan that’s more than just sightseeing. The tours are designed to help visitors experience distinctive aspects of the local culture more intensely, from enjoying delicious foods to visiting historic sites, and make them want to linger longer. Here are just some examples; Tours in northern Taiwan:  Tamkang University’s Chinese Language Center offers a culinary tour. Participants buy ingredients in a traditional market guided by a professional Chinese teacher, and then cook them. The learning activities integrate [experiencing] the real local living environment. From cooking to enjoying popular snacks at the night markets, you can genuinely experience the tastes of Taiwan! The Mandarin Learning Center at Chung Yuan Christian University offers four quite different tours. One is for people who love visiting historical sites; one features exploring the aesthetics of modern and historical buildings; one features experiencing indigenous people’s culture; and another features characteristic local cultural celebrations, such as dragon boat rowing. Whether visitors love natural scenery or distinctive local culture, these interesting tours all offer experiences they’ll enjoy. Tours in southern and central Taiwan: Would you like to personally experience a creative cultural locality and Feng Chia night market, a popular tourist attraction? Feng Chia University’s Chinese Language Center combines Chinese language education with themed cultural tours. You start by learning something about where you’ll be going and some basic related Chinese, and you then enjoy different tours where you can put what you’ve been learning to practical use in real life settings. The Chinese Language Center at Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages has a strong focus on combining Chinese language courses with trips to enjoy Taiwan’s fine foods. Its Fo Guang Shan purification trip features a visit to the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, a building that combines Chinese and foreign, traditional and modern architectural elements, where you can enjoy vegetarian food in this tranquil religious setting, with a peaceful mind. Another trip looks at Hakka culture and Hakka foods, and the participants can cook and eat some On this trip, the Hakka architecture and natural wetland scenery offer a feast for the eyes, to accompany the taste treats. And Taiwan is surrounded by ocean and there’s an abundance of fresh seafood, so if you’re a food lover who wants to try all sorts of foods that Taiwan has to offer, this is the tour for you!   If you want a trip that will make a deep impression on you and leave you with lifelong memories, why not try a tour that combines language learning with hands-on local experience. This is immensely more satisfying than a short sightseeing tour , and you’ll learn to speak some of the language used by 1.2 billion of the world’s people. To find out more about the tour courses outlined above, and for Mandarin education-related information, please visit the website of the Office of Global Mandarin Education: https://ogme.edu.tw/Home/tw and https://ogme.edu.tw/

A great annual event of the Chinese education - ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) has been held on November 16th to 18th at New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Office of Global Mandarin Education established by the Ministry of Education organized the exhibition space for the Taiwan pavilion. The pavilion was joined by 10 Mandarin educational institutes and units including “Steering Committee for the Test of Huayu Proficiency”, “Hanzi Face Cultural Group Limited”, “International Chinese Language Program of National Taiwan University”, Mandarin Training Center of National Taiwan Normal University, Chinese Language Center of National Cheng Kung University, Mandarin Learning Center for Adults of Tamkang University, Wenzao Chinese Language Center of Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, Feng Chia University Chinese Language Center, Center of Chinese Language and Culture, Fu Jen Catholic University, and Mandarin Learning Center of Chung Yuan Christian University. We took the learning experience of “Mandarin in Taiwan” to the global spotlight.The exhibition promoted culture in a lively way by arranging Chinese staff who wore traditional Chinese costumes to invite foreigners of non-Chinese origin to learn about the special characteristics in Mandarin. Activities like Happy Hour were introduced to attract more Mandarin educators understanding Taiwanese Mandarin. Application policies were also being explained at the exhibition. Many interactions focused on Taiwanese and American way of Mandarin education, bringing up a lot of intriguing discussions that show the uniqueness of Taiwanese Mandarin.   The exhibition arranged many activities such as Taiwan pavilion policy introduction and Q&A with prizes, handmade mini sky lantern, and offering prizes for gathering points from individual booths. These activities offered opportunities for the Mandarin educational institutes to share their experience in Mandarin teaching to visitors, show the excellent courses available in Taiwan for Mandarin education, qualified teachers, resources, etc. These discussions might have triggered related cooperation opportunities. In order to establish a communication and relationship between Taiwanese Mandarin educational institute and overseas educational institute, an oration with dining event has been joined by Chen Chia-yen, Director of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston and his team, held by the National Chinese Language and Culture Coalition (NCLCC). The event intended to improve communication between the institutes. The ACTFL Association of Chinese Schools president has been invited by Vice President Yeh Chin-huei of the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS) to join the dining held by CLASS. The meeting with CLASS presidents of various associations, NCLCC association representative, ACTFL director, and other educational institute representatives established a successful communication between researchers in Mandarin educational organizations of Taiwan and the United States, and improved the knowledge of the global market in understanding the current market and resources available in Taiwanese Mandarin education. Taiwan has joined ACTFL for many years. With the rich experience we have, we found that every year the mainstream schools and language institutes in the United States contact us through this platform to establish a cooperative relationship with Taiwan educational institutes. The theme for 2018 was “Where Language Educators Meet”. Taiwan representatives took this opportunity to promote the excellence in Taiwanese Mandarin education along with over 8,000 educators, over 800 types of educational courses, over 250 language related product manufacturers. The exhibition was heated up by the lively sales activities that highlighted Taiwan. The reputation of Taiwanese Mandarin education has been improved and expected to further develop, being promoted to the rest of the world and create more cooperative opportunities.

In order to encourage high school graduates to listen, speak, read, and write in languages other than English, the United States introduced “The Seal of Biliteracy” to high school students, which fulfilled the requirement in a few states. The award is a recognition in learning and capable of using a second language other than English. This is especially useful for the students applying for university or seeking job opportunities in the future. The State Seal of Biliteracy, also known as SSB, was first introduced by the California Department of Education in the 815 Assembly Bill and passed by the legislative counsel in 2011. The bill has been approved by the governor as an instructional program in California Education Code sections 51460-51464. The bill has been revised in 2017 according to AB 1142, and has been effective since January 1st, 2018. California has received the highest number of awards from the United States Department of Education in 2016 and considered as the leader of encouraging multi-language education in the country. Today, over 27 states including Washington DC has joined the program after California. In 2017, the California Department of Education started to use vertical analysis to collect student academic performance data for SSB. Educational institutes (LEA, including public schools, private schools, or charter schools, etc) may use choose to use these data as an index for them to enter universities or make progress in career. The purpose of SSB is to encourage students in learning different languages, for employers to easily determine their multicultural capability, increase team relationship, as recognition of magnitude and respect to multicultural community and language. The State Seal of Biliteracy is granted by the Superintendent of the California Department of Education according to the standard listed in the legislation. When the plan was first introduced in 2012, 10,685 students had received SSB in the first year. In 2017, 46,090 students have been awarded the SSB. The number of students received SSB has grown four times since the SSB seal certified by the California Department of Education has been applied to the high school transcript.   Although the educational institutes willingly participate in the SSB scheme, being able to speak multiple languages has always been a respected skill. While globalization causes great influence in the world, the bilingual ability has become an important skill in seeking employment opportunities. Regarding standard requirement in SSB please visit the website of the California Department of Education for more details. www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/sealofbiliteracy.asp Source: Ministry of Education Epaper