Taiwan Showcases Mandarin Education Strengths at 2024 ACTFL Convention, Strengthening U.S.–Taiwan Education Collaboration
The annual convention of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), a major event in language education, took place from November 22 to 24 at the Philadelphia Convention Center in Pennsylvania. FICHET—the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan—led a participating delegation from Taiwan, comprising personnel from 20 organizations: Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, the Overseas Community Affairs Council, the National Academy for Educational Research, the Steering Committee for the Test of Proficiency-Huayu, the Fulbright Taiwan Foundation for Scholarly Exchange, 13 universities, and Chinese-language teaching and learning industry partners. The delegation was joined by personnel from six of the Ministry’s Education Division offices in the U.S. to promote Taiwan’s Mandarin education, Mandarin language teaching related collaboration, and the advantages of learning Mandarin in Taiwan.
The Learn Mandarin in Taiwan booth area had a futuristic design, reflecting Taiwan’s strength as a tech-driven nation and its connections to global technology developments. Participating universities showcased a diverse range of Mandarin programs, customized courses, professional studies, and cultural immersion programs, designed to attract more international students to Taiwan for a comprehensive cultural and linguistic experience.
The Ministry, FICHET, and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) jointly organized a Taiwan–U.S. Mandarin Education Forum, held on November 22 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, to enhance educational cooperation between Taiwan and the United States. It began following the signing of an MOU by ACTFL President L.J. Randolph Jr and FICHET Chairperson Dr. Wu Cheng-Chih 吳正己, expressing the intention of ACTFL and FICHET to enhance their language education related cooperation. Dr. Randall Nadeau, the Executive Director of the Fulbright Taiwan Foundation, chaired a session of discussions with some key figures in Mandarin education in the US., including James K. Lee李光章; former Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York (TECO in New York), and Ingrid Larson, the managing director of the AIT’s Washington Office.
Other speakers included Eric Mackey, Alabama State Superintendent and incoming president of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO); personnel from the College of New Jersey and the University of Pennsylvania, who spoke about their experiences with Taiwan’s Huayu Best Program; and Christine Loven-Santos, principal of Denver Language School, who emphasized the growing importance of Mandarin in the K-12 education system in the US, and of setting a foundation for future collaboration in early education.
Tom Lee 李志強, Director-General of TECO in New York and Head of the UN Affairs Task Force in New York, pointed out that Taiwan’s supportive learning environment, high-quality teaching resources, safe and free society, and unique blend of traditional and modern culture have made Taiwan a Mandarin education hub. Its appeal as a study destination is constantly growing. More than 2,000 American students are currently studying Mandarin there, and more than 3,000 American students do so each year. Dr. Wu Cheng-Chih pointed out that under the U.S.–Taiwan Education Initiative and Taiwan’s Mandarin Education 2025 plan, 21 universities in Taiwan have established partnerships with 70 universities in the US, and five Mandarin learning centers. Taiwan sent 147 Mandarin teachers to the U.S. in 2024 alone to support these collaborations and help meet the growing demand for Mandarin education.
In the evening, FICHET hosted a Taiwan Night reception, providing an opportunity for people in government and academic circles in Taiwan and the US—including Sara Mathews, Director of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs' Office of Press and Public Diplomacy, and Anne Foss, Cultural Affairs Officer at the American Institute in Taiwan—to interact. Tom Lee welcomed the delegation from Taiwan to Philadelphia, on behalf of TECO in New York, and he and the delegation members spoke with other participants, exchanging ideas and recommending Taiwan as a high-quality destination for learning Mandarin. The other participants included members of the National Council of State Language Directors (NCSSFL) and members of the National Association of School District Language Directors (NADSFL), and local university teachers.
