The Cabinet-level Overseas Community Affairs Council is holding a biennial International Summit on Mandarin Education in Taiwan through July 9, underscoring commitment to advancing Mandarin language teaching.
The event attracted around 280 educators from America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Attendees at the opening included Hsu Chia-ching, OCAC minister, Chen Ming-chi, deputy foreign minister, Chang Liao Wan-chien, political deputy minister of education and John Morgan, acting deputy director of American Institute in Taiwan.
Hsu noted that this year’s conference focused on artificial intelligence-assisted teaching and anticipated that the introduction of AI technology and integration of domestic cultural resources could facilitate development of Mandarin language teaching.
She further stated that the OCAC has for many years designed new teaching materials and trained teachers to pass on language and cultural legacy, evidenced by over six decades of advocacy for teaching traditional Chinese characters.
Since the launch of the US-Taiwan Education Initiative in 2020, the OCAC has assisted in the establishment of 88 Taiwan Centers for Mandarin Learning, with 68 in the U.S. and 20 in 12 European countries, Hsu said. She added that next year other facilities would be set up in Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.
The centers have proactively sought cooperation with local communities, libraries and enterprises, Hsu said, citing a San Francisco-based center, which has collaborated with Google LLC to set up Mandarin language classes. In addition, over 20 groups of young overseas students will visit Taiwan this year to gain insight into local culture, Hsu stated. (POC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
from Taiwan Today – Top News