The Ministry of Education in Taiwan is committed to enriching the professional training for the hardworking language teachers and lecturers teaching Chinese in Australia and New Zealand. A case in point is the launch of the 2020 Professional Development Program in Taiwan for Chinese Language Teachers of Australia & New Zealand.

The Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia and National Taiwan Normal University, an internationally recognised teacher training institution, jointly planned a professional training course. This 2-week intensive training course includes the following extensive content:

• Pedagogy for teaching Chinese pronunciation, grammar, and characters, and language drilling;
• Teaching tools and materials: proficiency assessment with the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) and Chinese-learning resources from Taiwan;
• Hand on activities engaging learners: paper making, seal carving, Chinese brush painting, and martial arts;
• Cultural visits: Traditional Taiwanese Archery, Traditional Pastry Museum, and Taiwan Indigenous village exploration.

Most of the program cost is subsidized by the Ministry of Education, and participants only need to pay a very reasonable AUD $400 to participate in two weeks of intensive professional development in Taiwan.

• Training duration: 6–17 January, 2020
• Venue: National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei Taiwan R.O.C. Visit its website here
• Application deadline: 27 September 2019
• Registration fee: AUD $400
• Contact in Australia: Program Manager, Dr Chi Crawford, at email:  Australia@mail.moe.gov.tw  Tel: 02-61201022

For more details of the program and entry forms, see TECO Education website here