A report recently released by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) shows that Taiwanese students' average score of 203 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) ranked 21st among Asian nations -- sixth from the bottom in Asia for three consecutive years.
Among the four "Asian Tigers", students from Singapore topped the rankings with an average score of 252, while those from Hong Kong ranked 13th (216), and those from South Korea ranked 17th (213). Students from China also ranked 17th with an average score of 213.
Several factors may have contributed to Taiwan's disappointing test results. First, Taiwan used to be known for high TOEFL scores thanks to students' test-taking skills. But after the ETS changed its test format to include essay writing in all computer-based tests, Taiwanese students' average score has clearly dropped. This development indicates that although their listening and reading comprehension are satisfactory, their writing ability is insufficient.
Second, the total number of Taiwanese students taking TOEFL has sharply declined from 44,213 to 21,917 over the past five years. This is a result of both the nation's economic downturn, and the rapidly growing number of Taiwan's higher education institutions. Under such circumstances, many excellent students have chosen to continue their advanced education in Taiwan in order to save money, and their absence in the test would certainly affect students' average score.
Third, Taiwanese students' English proficiency usually drops after they enter college. Once our students enter college or university, they seldom have any chance to learn or use English, apart from taking the required general education English course in their freshman year. Because of the lack of practice, the English ability of college students is even inferior to that of high school students.
This problem may become much worse after the ETS includes an oral test when it launches Internet-based testing next year. Taiwanese students' listening and speaking ability have improved in recent years, as their teachers begin to value the significance of conversational communication. But many students are still unable to take part in class discussions and express their opinions smoothly.
Both schools and students have a responsibility to improve this. Schools should offer more English courses and encourage students to take them. They should also encourage teachers to use English textbooks or conduct their courses in English. They need to adopt an "ability-grouping system" and place their students into different levels of classes, rather than mixing them together.
Students should take more English courses and seize every opportunity to practice outside the classroom. They should also adjust their learning style and learn to express their opinions in front of others. This is particularly difficult for some students who tend to learn passively, so the guidance and encouragement of teachers are crucial.
Most importantly, students should create an English environment around them and develop independent thinking. For example, they can watch television commentary shows in English and then try to express their own opinions freely. They can also write diaries and weekly journals in English, to practice their writing skills and independent thinking.
Hopefully, Taiwanese students can improve not only their learning strategies but also their learning styles when acquiring English, so that our English proficiency will not lag behind in Asia anymore.
Chang Sheng-en is a lecturer of English at Shih Chien University and National Taipei College of Business.
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