Language-teaching experts in Taiwan appear to agree that children are over-tested in English classes, and that more focus should be placed on reading ("Youth English programs need re-evaluation: experts," Sept. 3, page 2).
Your newspaper reported that Chang Wu-chang (張武昌), for example, recommends buying books that students are genuinely interested in. David Dai (戴維揚), president of the English Teachers Association, also stresses the importance of reading, and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) agreed with the emphasis on reading in English. In an interesting coincidence, a letter appearing in the Taipei Times two days before from Stephen Krashen (Letters, Sept. 1, page 8) confirmed that research strongly supports the value of pleasure reading in improving competence in a second language.
A number of studies show that more access to interesting reading material results in more reading, which in turn results in better language development. The article revealed, however, that primary schools in Taipei possess only 136,970 English-language books. That's about one book for every two children -- not nearly enough to allow the wide reading necessary for significant language development. A minimum would be 20 times this number (10 books per child) and the optimal amount would be 40 times this number (20 books per child), focusing on middle school and high-school aged students.
The expense involved for such an investment is modest. The money saved from a reduced testing program would pay for a substantial percentage of what is required, and we would have the satisfaction of knowing we were paying for a solution to the English problem, not merely measuring it.
Lee Sy-ying
Associate professor, National Taipei University
Saudi Arabian largesse is flooding Egypt’s cultural scene, but the reception is mixed. Some welcome new “cooperation” between two regional powerhouses, while others fear a hostile takeover by Riyadh. In Cairo, historically the cultural capital of the Arab world, Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevine al-Kilany recently hosted Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki al-Sheikh. The deep-pocketed al-Sheikh has emerged as a Medici-like patron for Egypt’s cultural elite, courted by Cairo’s top talent to produce a slew of forthcoming films. A new three-way agreement between al-Sheikh, Kilany and United Media Services — a multi-media conglomerate linked to state intelligence that owns much of
The US and other countries should take concrete steps to confront the threats from Beijing to avoid war, US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said in an interview with Voice of America on March 13. The US should use “every diplomatic economic tool at our disposal to treat China as what it is... to avoid war,” Diaz-Balart said. Giving an example of what the US could do, he said that it has to be more aggressive in its military sales to Taiwan. Actions by cross-party US lawmakers in the past few years such as meeting with Taiwanese officials in Washington and Taipei, and
The Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan has no official diplomatic allies in the EU. With the exception of the Vatican, it has no official allies in Europe at all. This does not prevent the ROC — Taiwan — from having close relations with EU member states and other European countries. The exact nature of the relationship does bear revisiting, if only to clarify what is a very complicated and sensitive idea, the details of which leave considerable room for misunderstanding, misrepresentation and disagreement. Only this week, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) received members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations
Denmark’s “one China” policy more and more resembles Beijing’s “one China” principle. At least, this is how things appear. In recent interactions with the Danish state, such as applying for residency permits, a Taiwanese’s nationality would be listed as “China.” That designation occurs for a Taiwanese student coming to Denmark or a Danish citizen arriving in Denmark with, for example, their Taiwanese partner. Details of this were published on Sunday in an article in the Danish daily Berlingske written by Alexander Sjoberg and Tobias Reinwald. The pretext for this new practice is that Denmark does not recognize Taiwan as a state under