Taiwan urged to establish overseas Chinese-language centers ...

Paris, Feb. 6 (CNA) Taiwan should establish professional Chinese-language centers overseas and work with other countries to provide training programs and qualified Chinese-language teachers, a French government official suggested Wednesday in Paris.

Although China has been vigorously promoting Chinese-language learning around the world, their examination system lacks credibility and the schools are too commercialized, said Joel Bel-Lassen, inspector-general of Chinese teaching at the French Ministry of Education.

Taiwan, which has adopted a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, could establish its authority in Chinese-language learning overseas, Bel-Lassen said during a meeting with a group of Taiwanese high school students who are on a cultural exchange program in France.

As a liberal country that embraces Eastern and Western cultures, Taiwan could be successful in the global language learning market, providing not just centers but also teachers, he added.

In the meeting at Taiwan?s representative office in France, Bel-Lassen, said the number of students in France learning Chinese has increased by 20-30 percent every year on average since 2004.

Currently, a total of 33,500 secondary school students are taking Chinese-language classes, Bel-Lassen said.

France is one of the leading European countries in this regard, with more than 600 secondary schools offering Chinese-language courses compared with 20 schools in Germany, he said.

Bel-Lassen also praised Taiwan?s rich culture and expressed hopes that its exchanges with France will improve significantly in the future.

The 15 students, from the Affiliated Senior High School of National Kaohsiung Normal University, are in France to promote Taiwan culture and Mandarin-language learning among young people there.

Led by school president Li Chin-yang, the group arrived in France on Sunday on an exchange program with a sister school in Lille.

Chloe Cattelin, a Chinese-language teacher at the French high school, was one of the main organizers of the exchange program.

During a two-week teaching training program in Taiwan last July, Cattelin invited students at the school in Kaohsiung to visit France and meet with French youth.

At the representative office Wednesday Taiwan?s Representative to France Michel Lu briefed a group of French students about the education, technology, trade and investment ties between the two countries ahead of their scheduled to visit Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan in April as part of the exchange program.

(By Tsai Hsiao-ying and Maia Huang)

---

Related posts:

1. More foreign students study Chinese in Taiwan Taipei, July 25 (CNA) The number of foreign nationals studying Chinese in Taiwan during...
2. Exiled Chinese Nobel laureate in Taiwan ? ? Taipei, June 3 (CNA) Exiled Chinese-born Nobel literature laureate Gao Xingjian arrived...
3. Taiwan, Europe urged to sign trade agreement Taipei, March 16 (CNA) The European Chamber of Commerce Taipei (ECCT) urged Taiwan and...
4. Taiwan offers overseas youngsters chance to volunteer By James Lee, CNA staff reporter Walking in the high mountains and breathing the...
5. Tanzanian principal comes to Taiwan after being touched by volunteers Taipei, May 16 (CNA) A principal from Tanzania in East Africa said Wednesday that...

Source: http://www.freesun.be/news/index.php/taiwan-urged-to-establish-overseas-chinese-language-centers/

Tony Farmer West Nile virus symptoms snooki ll cool j amy schumer amy schumer Prince Harry Vegas pictures