Clear steps to better English
Chang Sheng-en (張聖恩) is to be congratulated for drawing attention to what I believe are the key issues of English education in Taiwan ("Not making the grade in English," July 29, page 8). I have to say that the general level of English ability among young people is appalling. In fact, this indicates that the way English education is carried out here is a tragic waste of time, energy and resources; tragic at the very least in terms of the confusion, frustration and hopelessness felt by the students themselves.
Learning English should not be so difficult, but how has it become so? I suggest three main causes. The Chinese educational system of memorization without analysis -- perhaps best demonstrated by the rote learning of classic texts by kindergarten kids -- jumps out as the first and most regrettable cause.
The idea that kids can learn without understanding what they are reading is still supported by many teachers, but the truth is they cannot.
Modern theory of knowledge, as delineated in the works of L. Ron Hubbard, tells us that studying past a misunderstood word results in mental blankness and that further study is an exercise in futility. For a student to continue studying after failing to understand even small things, he must increasingly resort to memory and becomes less and less personally involved with the subject.
With this simple failing, enjoyment, motivation and the ability to think with the subject go down the chute -- and these are certainly missing for many students studying English.
Second, the correct gradient of English study has been messed up -- as was so clearly stated by Chang in his article: "... some of these books are extremely difficult -- with inappropriate content that is seldom used in daily life."
Any subject is learned step by step, from easy steps to slightly more difficult ones, yet I have seen grammar texts from Tai-wanese schools which teach an elementary grammar principle and then give as an example a sentence that contains advanced grammar.
Along with Chang, I believe that "a professional and systematic curricula that advances in proper sequence" is necessary and the education ministry should evaluate textbooks thoroughly, not leave students at the mercy of slick marketing by competing publishers. There are some very good English texts published in Taiwan for the home environment; the government should not have abandoned its responsibilities in this area.
Third, there should be real-life exposure to and drilling of correct usage. Learning without listening and speaking practice results in an imbalance; in fact, a lot of learning doesn't really "ding in" until a student has practiced it.
Doing drills doesn't just increase awareness but actually brings about awareness. And learning without relevance (what Chang called "inappropriate content") is likewise wasteful. Many students just memorize vocabulary and practice doing multiple-choice tests, skills which are not terribly useful in everyday affairs. In short, students just haven't been getting enough real-life practice. I'm sorry to add that many Taiwanese teachers of English fail in this regard.
There are other reasons besides these, but I am certain a great many failings could be made up if attention was paid into just getting these basics correct. If correct learning could somehow be instituted in the first place, many of the subsequent troubles in learning establishments would not be an issue.
Henry Bartnik
Taichung
Freeze KMT accounts
Your story on a lawmaker's proposal to create a public scholarship for children of low income families using KMT ill-gotten assets ("Lawmaker turns eyes to KMT's assets, July 27, page 3") should be welcome news for many people who protested earlier, asking the KMT to donate its party's wealth to help poor students pay fees ("Lien asked to donate KMT assets," July 18, page 1). Personally, I think it is a wonderful idea.
Though it is generally known that the KMT's vast assets were acquired illegally, yet it appeared that lawmakers have not done much about it other than occasional rambling. According to The Soong Dynasty by Sterling Seagrave and Formosa Betrayed by George Kerr -- which should be required reading for every college student in Taiwan -- the KMT acquired its wealth from a variety of sources, such as properties confiscated after Japan surrendered, goods provided by the UN Relief & Rehabilitation Administration for humanitarian purposes after the war and other foreign-aid packages, especially from the US, to fight a communist take-over. Much of the evidence has been well-documented and should not be difficult to verify.
If the lawmakers are not able or willing to investigate the legitimacy of the assets, the people of Taiwan, especially college students, should organize some kind of petition drive to collect signatures and demand legislators to carry out their duty. People could also petition the government of Switzerland to freeze the trust fund operated by Swiss banks, where the KMT has transferred the bulk of its assets ("KMT says it will move its fund to Switzerland," Jan. 24, page 3), and ask that the money be returned to Taiwan where it legally belongs.
If the people of the Philippines were able to ask the Swiss government to freeze and return the assets illegally acquired by Marcos regime, why can't the people of Taiwan do the same for the KMT's assets?
Kris Liao
San Francisco, California
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