Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) held at Williams College & the College of the Holy Cross, two Liberal Arts Colleges in New England
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, originally established as a men’s college in 1793. It was ranked #1 of 210 National Liberal Arts category in the 2022–2023 U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings, and many alumni are prominent in business and politics.
The College of the Holy Cross is a private Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts that was ranked equal #33 in the National Liberal Arts category in the 2022–2023 U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings. It is the oldest Catholic institution of higher education in New England, founded in 1843.
Both colleges have well-established Chinese studies and language programs, and with the assistance of Cynthia Huang, Director of the Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston (TECO, Boston), both conducted Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) proficiency tests in March. In each case this was for the second year since resuming testing after the pandemic.
Williams College held TOCFL tests at all levels on March 4, 2023 Band A—(introductory) Level 1 and 2, Band B —(intermediate) Level 3 and 4, and Band C— (advanced) Level 5 and 6) and the College of the Holy Cross held TOCFL Band A, and Band B on March 18. Many of the students were planning to apply for a Huayu Enrichment Scholarship to study Mandarin Chinese (Huayu). In Taiwan or for a Taiwan Scholarship to study for a degree in Taiwan. Students wanting to apply for a scholarship for a degree program conducted in Chinese have to have passed TOCFL at Level 3 or above. And having a TOCFL test score is an advantage for applicants for a Huayu Enrichment Scholarship.
All the students at these two colleges passed language proficiency test at the level they sat for, and the TOCFL scores of the scholarship applicants were submitted to the Education Division of TECO, Boston before the application deadlines.
The Education Division was happy to assist the two colleges host the TOCFL tests and delighted by the strong interest of students in the region in learning Mandarin Chinese. Other educational institutions in the New England region that would like to host TOCFL tests for their students are welcome to contact TECO in Boston.