The Ministry of Education said yesterday that it plans to draw up a Chinese version of the TOEFL exam in a bid to encourage more overseas Chinese and foreign nationals to study Chinese.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a standardized US test that measures non-native English speakers' English ability.
It is generally required for admission to US universitites and graduate schools.
"Modeled somewhat on the TOEFL model, we plan to formulate a standard international examination in the near future to test the Chinese proficiency of overseas Chinese and foreign learners," said Kao Thun-yun (高崇雲), chairman of the Committee on Overseas Chinese Education, a division under the Ministry of Education.
Kao said that the test, in traditional characters, would be derived from a test that is already in place for overseas Taiwanese students.
"Just last month, we started a two-year trial of a Chinese proficiency test for overseas Taiwanese students.
"It's our goal to improve this test during this two-year period and develop it into one that can later be used internationally," Kao said at the 4th Annual Seminar for Presidents of Overseas Taiwanese Schools yesterday.
The purpose of the seminar was for school and parent representatives of overseas Taiwanese schools to meet with the ministry to discuss and evaluate the development, recruitment and management of the schools.
At the opening of the two-day seminar, Minister of Education Huang Jong-tsun (
* The Ministry of Education hopes to develop a test of Chinese-language proficiency modeled on the TOEFL exam in a bid to encourage more overseas Chinese and foreign nationals to study Chinese
* The ministry last month began a two-year trial of a Chinese test for overseas Taiwanese students.
* Officials hope the results of the two-year trial will help them develop a test that could be administered on a much wider scale, to overseas Taiwanese and foreign nationals.
In addition, to assist Taiwanese businesspeople in the government's "go south" policy, Huang said that the ministry would draft an amendment to its private school regulations to allow for a smooth transition for these schools' students to continue their higher education upon returning to Taiwan.
The overseas Taiwanese schools are under the provision of the Committee on Overseas Chinese Education.
As the status of these overseas Taiwanese schools are redefined to be under the category of private schools, Huang said that the schools would then be deemed as extension of the domestic educational system.
He said the move would be a means to provide a smoother educational transition for returning students from these overseas Tai-wanese schools.
There are Taiwanese schools in Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Surabaya, Kuala Lumpur and Penang. There is also a Thai-Chinese International School in Bangkok.
These overseas Taiwanese schools are private schools set up to teach the children of expatriate Taiwanese businesspeople.
The schools follow the curriculum taught in Taiwan and receive a small subsidy from the Ministry of Education.
There are also two private Taiwanese schools in China, but they do not use the entire ROC curriculum or fly the nation's flag because of political considerations.
RSS