The Ministry of Education Subsidizes Overseas Training for College Teachers Who Use English as their Language of Instruction and the English Summer Schools for College Students -Ministry of Education Republic of China (Taiwan)

The Ministry of Education Subsidizes Overseas Training for College Teachers Who Use English as their Language of Instruction and the English Summer Schools for College Students

Date: 2013-06-29

Excellent English ability is an indispensable tool for international competitions. The MOE has decided to subsidize colleges which provide summer English training programs in order to raise the English level of teachers of professional courses whose language of instruction is English, and promote the ability of students in professional fields to communicate easily in English with people in countries around the world. Believing that intensive training programs are the best way to enhance students’ and teachers’ English skills, the MOE has established the 2013 English Summer Program for Training an International Business Elite, which started on July 15th and lasted four weeks, and the Taiwan Universities—University of New South Wales (UNSW) Faculty Development Program, which started on August 16th and went for two weeks. All qualified college students and teachers were able to check the information online and register for these programs.

To assist teachers of professional courses who use English as their language of instruction, enhancing their English ability and other teaching skills as well as their knowledge of the subject, the MOE subsidized a “Regional Education Resource Center for Taoyuan-Xinzhu-Miaoli (TZM)” which conducted the Taiwan Universities-UNSW Faculty Development Program this year. Yuan Ze University (元智大學) was in charge of the program. 30 college teachers of professional courses who speak fluent English and use English to lecture were selected to visit the UNSW from August 16th to September 1st of this year. They were given some training and lectures about using English as their language of instruction, and Taiwan’s universities and the UNSW exchanged some engineering and business management classes and teachers. The MOE expected that the selected teachers would benefit from the UNSW teaching experts’ lectures and be able to teach more effectively after going back to Taiwan. For more information please visit the website: http://tec.yzu.edu.tw/web/expand/?method=lists&sid=24.

Furthermore, to enhance college students’ English ability, the MOE subsidized the “Northern Taiwan Teaching and Learning Resource Center” which conducted the 2013 English Summer Camp—a Program for Training the Global Business Elite. It went from July 15th to August 9th. Soochow University (東吳大學) handled the program and 60 students enrolled. Its goal was to promote students’ competitiveness in the international marketplace by enhancing their English skills, introducing the global financial situation, developing negotiation techniques and ability to give presentations at international conferences. Through this program, the MOE hoped to increase students’ international mobility, help them become potential international business negotiators, and make Taiwan more competitive internationally. For more information please visit: http://www.ext.scu.edu.tw/class_0a.aspxClassID=1534&ClassTypeID=13&SubClassID=139.

In 2011, the MOE began to subsidize regional teaching and learning resource centers which could provide college English summer schools, and overseas training resources for teachers who use English as the language of instruction in their professional courses. The purpose was to improve college students’ English ability, facilitate their career development and give them a greater understanding of the international academic world. In the last two years, this program has already provided 18 English summer schools for students and 3 overseas training centers for teachers who use English as their language of instruction in professional courses. Many teachers and students were able to gain much benefit from these schools and this training. In order to enhance its own effectiveness, each regional teaching and learning resource center runs a training program with its own unique features. These centers not only assist teachers who use English as the language of instruction in professional courses and students with certain English ability, but also set up various winter and summer vacation programs as well as programs during the spring and fall semesters. The programs include the Northern Taiwan Teaching & Learning Resource Center’s International Business Management Elite Program which was run by Soochow University (東吳大學), the Second Northern Taiwan Teaching and Learning Resource Center’s Academic Classes which were run by National Taiwan University (國立臺灣大學), the Regional Education Resource Center for Taoyuan-Xinzhu-Miaoli’s YZU-UNSW Faculty Development Program which was run by Yuan Ze University (元智大學), the Central Taiwan Teaching and Learning Resource Center’s Faculty Development Program at California which was run by Feng Chia University (逢甲大學), and the Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan Regional Teaching Resource Center’s Tourism Industry Professionals Training Program which was run by National Cheng Kung University (成功大學). For more information, please visit the website of each regional teaching and learning resource center.

Northern Taiwan Teaching and Learning Resource Center: http://www.n1.scu.edu.tw/bin/home.php

Second Northern Taiwan Teaching and Learning Resource Center: http://www.n2.org.tw/

Regional Education Resource Center for Taoyuan-Xinzhu-Miaoli (TZM): http://www.tzmarea.edu.tw/

Central Taiwan Teaching and Learning Resource Center: http://www.cttlrc.fcu.edu.tw/

Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan Regional Teaching Resource Center: http://yct.acad.ncku.edu.tw/bin/home.php