English prep courses
To enhance the international mobility and communication skills of Taiwanese students, the Ministry of Education launched the “Bilingual Education Program for College Students” in September 2021, which has now entered its third year. The goal of the program is to enable students to acquire professional knowledge while also improving their English proficiency. However, this ambitious goal has sparked diverse opinions and debates.
Supporters of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) courses argue that students could simultaneously learn professional knowledge and enhance their English skills, achieving the so-called “two goals at once” effect. However, this is contingent on students having a solid foundation in English. For students with weaker English proficiency, the language serves as a bridge to professional knowledge. If this bridge is unstable, the effectiveness of learning specialized content would be significantly diminished.
Research indicates that students need at least a B2 level of English proficiency on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages scale to comfortably understand the content of EMI courses. However, less than 30 percent of university students in Taiwan meet this standard. In other words, the majority of students struggle with EMI courses, finding it difficult to balance the dual demands of acquiring professional knowledge and improving language skills.
To address the issue, universities should offer preparatory courses specifically designed for EMI. These courses would help students improve their language skills before officially enrolling in EMI courses. With a solid English foundation, students can better absorb professional knowledge and significantly enhance their learning efficiency.
A small percentage of students with strong English proficiency might be able to simultaneously master language and professional knowledge in EMI courses. However, for most students, establishing a solid language foundation is essential. This is akin to learning to play the piano: Beginners often practice each hand separately before eventually playing with both hands to produce harmonious music. Similarly, students need sufficient language proficiency to achieve ideal outcomes in EMI courses.
Therefore, to fully realize the “Kill two birds with one stone” potential of EMI courses, the key lies in ensuring students first strengthen their language skills before embarking on the simultaneous journey of learning language and professional knowledge. This gradual approach would lead to better learning outcomes.
Daniel Chen
Taipei
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of
RSS