TOCFL & CCCC Test Takers Encouraged to Continue Learning Mandarin
The Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in San Francisco and the Association of Northern California Chinese Schools (ANCCS) co-hosted an award ceremony on January 14, 2023 to present awards and certificates to the successful test takers of the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) and Children’s Chinese Competency Certification (CCCC). Parents, Mandarin teachers, and principals of the Chinese schools also attended the very cheerful occasion at the Culture Center of TECO in San Francisco.
The TOCFL and CCCC tests were held on November 6, 2022. More than 97% of the people who had registered for one or more TOCFL tests attended and took the tests, and this percentage and the number of test takers were both the highest in many years. The pass rate was 84%, for TOCFL and 100% for CCCC.
The test takers who passed their TOCFL and CCCC tests received certificates from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education and the Steering Committee for the Test of Proficiency – Huayu. Scott Lai, the director general of TECO in San Francisco, was invited to present the awards and certificates to the successful test takers: He told them “Learning Mandarin helps create another connection with the world, and it is also helpful even living here in the United States. Mandarin is a useful language, both for ordering food in a Chinese restaurant, and for extending your friend zone.”
Isabel Wang, a CCCC test taker who passed the Blossoming Level, said, “English and Mandarin are both important languages in the world, being proficient to both of them made me be proud of myself.” Another Blossoming Level test taker, Isadora Wang, shared her thoughts about learning Mandarin, “Understanding Mandarin made me able to watch Chinese series with my mom, and I could learn more Mandarin and Chinese culture from watching the series. If there are new classmates who only understand Mandarin but don’t understand English, I will be able to help them merge into class, make new friends, and like to come to school.” Una Yang, a test taker who passed the Sprouting Level thought the test was generally easy with a few difficult questions, and she would like to challenge the higher level next time.
Sophie Chou, the director of Education Division, TECO in San Francisco, encouraged all the test takers to continue with their language learning. She told them that there are 64 Chinese language centers associated with universities in Taiwan that are eligible to enroll foreign students to study Mandarin, at all levels and that they would be very welcome to study there.
The TOCFL proficiency levels are correlated with the ACTFL and CEFR language proficiency levels. Their certificates will be helpful if they are applying for jobs or attending schools or universities in Taiwan. TOCFL certificates are also helpful for applying for the Huayu Enrichment Scholarships to study Mandarin in Taiwan for up to a year, and for the Taiwan Scholarship to study a degree program in Taiwan.
TOCFL and CCCC tests will be held again on November 12 at the Culture Center of the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in San Francisco, and all Mandarin learners who would like a clear idea of their proficiency levels are welcome to register.
