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Worried English teachers seek MOEA job assurance

English-language teachers yesterday called on the Ministry of Education to shield domestic teachers from the influx of foreign English teachers in primary schools from September.

At a forum held by DPP lawmaker Lin Tai-hua (林岱樺) at the Legislative Yuan yesterday, English-language teachers, scholars and parents' representatives voiced their concerns at the MOE's decision to import between 400 and 600 foreign English-language teachers to serve in primary schools in remote areas.

Huang Ya-wen (黃雅文), a professor from National Taipei Teachers College, said, "Two years ago, the employment rate for graduates of teachers colleges was 100 percent, but in the last year it has slumped to a mere 50 percent, and I believe the figure will go down further once the foreign English teachers come to Taiwan."

"There are so many students out there who can't find jobs," she added, "but the government is trying to open up more teachers' training courses for local teachers, and introduce foreigners to teach English in Taiwan. What has gone wrong with our job placement system?"

Wu Hsin-fong (吳信鳳), chair of the department of foreign languages and applied linguistics at National Taipei University, said that, "Taiwan has been caught in a collective English-language hysteria, and English-language education is a hot topic everywhere."

She said that the MOE's policy was well-intentioned, but that the government needed to be clear about supply and demand in the market for English-language teachers.

Wong Jung-tung (翁榮銅) an official in the MOE's elementary school department, sought to reassure local teachers by reminding them that foreign English teachers are not expected to engage in classroom language training but instead to serve as teacher trainers or researchers on teaching methodology.

But academics and parents defended the MOE's policy, insisting it is necessary to create an environment for learning English when Taiwan is building connections with the wider global community.

Lin Yao-fu (林耀福), dean of the college of foreign languages at Tamkang University, said, "If we reject the policy simply because it would reduce job opportunities for local teachers, we may run the risk of Taiwan closing its doors to globalization.

Chang Yu-huei (常玉惠), a member of Taipei Parents' Association, said, "We parents are totally supportive of the policy, but we don't think that only foreign teachers could do the job.

"Amazingly enough, I've found in Taipei that usually only five or seven primary school students per class do not attend English-language bushiban [cram schools] after school," Chang said.
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