Shih Chien International Chinese Newsletter

November, 2020 ( vol. 1 )

Learning Chinese in Taiwan.

Shin Chien University - Welcome ceremony

In order to comply with epidemic prevention measures, enrollment in the 109 academic year has been challenging. The number of short-term exchange students has been limited due to Ministry of Education regulations and many prospective students have been unable to enter the country. In order to maintain the health of all teachers and students any foreign student that has been allowed to enter has been required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine. We are very grateful to the staff and students of Shih Chien University for cooperating with the admissions process. Staff has waited long hours at the airport for new students and assisted them in their preparation to enter the country by registering them with the Ministry of Education, arranging safe transportation vehicles from the airport, and checking them in to epidemic prevention hotels on the day of their arrival. There are 74 students enrolled this school year and Shih Chien University will hold an entrance ceremony for all overseas students on 22^th September, 2020. Sincerely welcoming all of our enrolled overseas students. We hope that all students will gain knowledge in the classroom, an appreciation for Taiwanese culture, and make many friends in the coming months of their studies.

Culture trip

So that our overseas students may become quickly acquainted with Taiwan, our office has arranged cultural exploration activities in Jiufen and Pingxi. Students can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Jiufen Old Street in northern Taiwan and sample the local snack: taro balls. Near Jinguashi, a museum displays artifacts from the gold-digging industry of the distant past. Jiufen was originally a prosperous town because of gold mining but eventually the industry became stagnant. The cultural profile of the city was reinvigorated when the movie "City of Sadness" was filmed on the scenic streets of Jiufen and won the grand prize at the Venice Film Festival, sparking new growth in the artistic and cultural atmosphere of Jiufen. Many artistic talents have traveled to Jiufen seeking inspiration and infusing a new dynamism to Jiufen; the result is a unique fusion of the gold mining past and artistic future. The overseas students who participated in this event will be very happy to learn more about Taiwan through experiencing “Jiufen Culture”.

QUARTERLY CHINESE PROGRAM

The Chinese Language Center's autumn classes began on August 31, 2020. The autumn period is divided into four levels: introductory, elementary, intermediate, and advanced. Students will start by learning basic vocabulary and grammar, progressing to the application of useful sentences, and continuing on in advanced levels by learning how to write articles in Chinese. Teachers will guide students individually if there are questions or difficulties with the materials. A conversation class was opened in October, where teachers have designed conversational situations and practice lessons about work and life according to the needs of the students. The conversational lessons afford more opportunities to learn and expand on typical textbook sentence patterns. Due to the epidemic, the rate of inquiry into online courses is also increasing. Those who wish to learn Chinese online are welcome to search our website for an online course that fits their needs!

Student Sharing

Student sharing activity: Kim learned new words and sentence patterns for Chinese New Year. When the teacher invited students from various countries to share about their culture’s New Year celebrations, Kim was able to share information about some of the Korean New Year traditions such as, buying new clothes, wearing hanbok, and eating rice cakes. Through Chinese Kim was able to share Korean New Year traditions with the Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, American and Eswadini students in the class.

Students activities

The Office of International Affairs presides over many students run clubs which can assist foreign students in school life and with their learning. Every semester, many interesting activities are planned for foreign students to participate in. Through these clubs and events student can celebrate holidays together and make new friends from Taiwan. The activities in September and October are as follows:

Mid-Autumn Festival Barbecue Party

The Mid-Autumn Festival barbecue on October 6th. Mid-Autumn Festival is an important festival in Chinese society and many people travel back to their hometowns to be reunite with their families. For overseas students, who cannot return to their hometown to experience the joy of reunion, a Mid-Autumn Festival Barbecue was designed by Shih Chien University faculty and students. Celebrating with our overseas student as family and giving Shih Chien University the atmosphere of a second home.

Language exchange

Language exchange activities are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoon. Overseas students and Taiwanese students are able to communicate freely during this language exchange time. Students can discuss their daily life and classroom problems, and practice their language skills. These language exchanges help foster an understanding of the differences and characteristics of different cultures. Many overseas students have made lasting friendships through their language exchanges and have worked through difficult situations and had meaningful discussions with their Taiwanese friends. Students also expressed that their speaking and listening skills improved dramatically through the practice they were afforded during these language exchanges.

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