Taiwan and the U.S. staged the Teaching Chinese as a Second Language conference Jan. 16 in Taipei City amid ongoing bilateral efforts to boost education exchanges in the post-pandemic era, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Jointly organized by the MOFA, Cabinet-level Overseas Community Affairs Council and American Institute in Taiwan, the one-day event was the first staged under the Taiwan-U.S. Education Initiative launched in December of last year.
During his opening remarks, MOFA Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said cooperation in the education sector plays a key role in Taiwan-U.S. relations, adding that he is confident promotion of Chinese language learning will continue to bolster ties while enhancing friendship between youths from the two like-minded partners.
Echoing Wu’s remarks, OCAC Minister Tung Chen-yuan said the council will support the initiative by turning the 365 overseas Chinese schools operated by the OCAC in the U.S. into Mandarin centers serving the greater community.
Efforts will also be made to cultivate additional Mandarin teachers and provide more educational resources, as well as to encourage young adults from the U.S. to visit Taiwan for language learning and cultural experiences, he added.
According to AIT Director Brent Christensen, Taiwan and the U.S. have always had excellent high-level cooperation on education. Now is the optimal time to deepen that relationship, especially with regard to language instruction, he said.
Christensen went on to add that the initiative will serve as a platform for enhancing American students’ understanding of Taiwan’s thriving democracy, robust economy and effective response to COVID-19. (SFC-E)
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