First TOCFL Tests in 2022 Held at Jianhua Comprehensive Senior High School in Northern Thailand
Chiang Rai Province is Thailand’s northernmost province. In recent years, the Chinese schools have been encouraging their students to take the TOCFL (Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language) language proficiency tests. As well as giving students a clear idea of their language learning progress, a TOCFL certificate can be used for applying to a university in Taiwan and for various jobs.
Most of the Chinese schools in Chiang Rai Province are in mountainous areas, making access to testing difficult, so the Education Division worked with the teachers there to hold the first TOCFL tests in 2022 at Jianhua Comprehensive Senior High School in Chiang Rai Province. Mr. Ouyang Yen-heng, the Director of the Education Division at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand travelled to the school to give guidance.
A total of 505 students from seven schools, Jianhua Middle School, Jianhua Comprehensive Senior High School, Guangfu High School, Datong Middle School, Xinghua Middle School, Huilong Chinese School, and Shengxin Middle School registered to have their proficiency tested: a total of 111 students registered for Band A - the beginner level; 335 students registered for Band B - the intermediate levels; and 59 students registered for Band C - the advanced levels.
The Covid-19 epidemic was still spreading, so the test supervisors and staff arranged all the test activities in an orderly way, following all the local government epidemic prevention regulations. The tests were conducted in two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to allow the test takers to sit further apart to maintain social distance. The test takers had to pass through a sequence of epidemic prevention measures and have their temperature taken before they were allowed to enter the test venue.
At a meeting after the tests, Mr. Ouyang Yen-heng presented each of the teachers with a certificate of appreciation for their support and assistance over the years.