Most language schools for children and adults in Taiwan teach American or European languages and, as a result, are really only familiar with the Western cultures in which those languages are spoken. They know very little about the markets that exist in Southeast Asia on which President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration is focusing under the New Southbound Policy.
Thanks to a trip organized by National Taiwan Normal University’s Executive Master of Business Administration Program, we were given the opportunity to visit Vietnam, a member of ASEAN. Among the places we visited, Phu My Hung Urban Area in Ho Chi Minh City, developed by Taiwanese entrepreneur Lawrence Ting (丁善理), was especially impressive.
Ting said the goal he had for his company, Phu My Hung Corp, was to “create something special in Vietnam, rather than take away something from the country.”
This idea is inspiring. As language teachers, we were amazed by the quality of the Lawrence S. Ting Memorial School, a junior and senior-high school in the area. It has become a top institution in the country within three years of its inauguration and was the only Vietnamese school to have been selected for the Microsoft Innovative Pathfinder Schools Program.
We were intrigued that the students who received us could speak excellent English, with near native fluency. We discovered that the school has a very different approach to language learning. In Taiwan, for example, whether in formal education or in cram schools, English is taught as a foreign language and is treated as nothing more than a school subject.
While students can learn how to score high marks on their English-language tests, they typically cannot communicate well.
In contrast, the Vietnamese school aims to teach English as a second language. English is a tool with which to communicate and students learn different subjects in English. In addition, theory and practice are equally emphasized.
During our time in Vietnam we communicated with many locals, and by using WeChat, we also learned about the socioeconomic conditions of Vietnamese, many of whom understand basic English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Although the average Vietnamese has a low income, many go to language schools in their leisure time. For many people, their ability to speak foreign languages is not only a livelihood, but also the key to changing their life.
Tsai’s administration should bear in mind US educator Peter Drucker’s view as it promotes the New Southbound Policy: Education and business should complement each other; the most important things people can learn are languages, foreign affairs and management skills. Education must fulfill society’s needs and not be removed from it.
Chen Han-ting is the chairman and chief executive of Cheers International Education Group. Belinda Hsieh is an adjunct assistant professor at National Taiwan Normal University’s Executive Master of Business Administration Program.
Translated by Tu Yu-an
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