Building Language Bridges – NCSSFL Visit Strengthens U.S. Language Education Ties with Taiwan
From June 14 to 21, Sophie Chou, Director of the Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States accompanied an eight-member delegation from the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL), including its president Melissa Monroe, vice president Stacy Lyon, and president-elect Cathleen Skinner. They were on an official visit to Taiwan, organized by the Ministry of Education and FICHET – the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan.
During their visit, the delegation met with education authorities and discussed possible ways to strengthen international cooperation and provide practical support for Mandarin language education. At the Ministry of Education, the delegation met with Dr. Lin Po-Chiao 林伯樵, Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Education and discussed topics including Mandarin teacher training, curriculum development, and elementary and secondary sister school partnerships. In Kaohsiung, they held discussions with Dr. Wu Li-Sen 吳立森, Director-General of the Kaohsiung City Government Education Bureau.
The delegation also visited the Steering Committee for the Test of Proficiency-Huayu (SC-TOP), the Mandarin Training Center at National Taiwan Normal University, the American Institute in Taiwan, Chung Yuan Christian University in Taoyuan, and National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung and discussed many aspects of language education delivery.
In addition, the delegation observed Taiwan’s language education policy implementation, some bilingual curriculum practices, and the vibrancy of Taiwan’s elementary and secondary education at a range of schools: Changan Elementary School in Taipei, which has a bilingual curriculum, Tian-Mu Junior High School in Taipei, Jhangshu International Creative Technical High School in New Taipei which combines an experimental technical senior high school and a junior high school, and Kaohsiung Senior High School in Kaohsiung.
As well as these formal visits, some cultural experiences, including trying out Hakka tea, a traditional ground tea beverage, visits to Ningxia Night Market, Taipei 101, Taipei Confucius Temple, and The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, a temple in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, rounded out a very full, productive, and informative trip by the delegation of NCSSFL language education officials.
