Practical bilingualism
First, I appreciate very much the Taipei Times publishing my letter “Toastmasters to fluency” (March 17, page 8).
However, I have more to share about what Lu Mu-lin (呂木琳), a professor at Ming Chuan University, mentioned.
She said that “it would be challenging to convert those goals [for future talent to be bilingual and innovative, and possess digital abilities and civil literacy] into results,” and urged the Ministry of Education to contemplate how to design courses that would achieve them (“Vast majority say bilingualism key for future talent,” March 22, page 1).
Even though Toastmasters requires people to be aged 18 or above to join, for those below 18, we have Toastmasters Gavel Clubs. The Toastmasters mission “to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth” is the same, so is the agenda in regular meetings.
In Taiwan, we also have several Gavel Clubs running very well. I myself witnessed their amazing performances.
So I sincerely suggest that officials at all levels of governments, especially the Ministry of Education, visit Toastmasters Clubs and Gavel Clubs to experience how English is spoken and learned in Toastmasters.
In Toastmasters, English is a tool of communication, rather than a subject for examinations, and we encourage members to speak up to share their experiences and stories without being afraid of making grammatical errors because English is not our mother tongue. We always learn from mistakes. In such a fun, warm, supportive and encouraging environment, members and guests always learn a lot in every meeting, and look forward to the next one.
For Gavel Club young generations, as they benefit a lot from Toastmasters educational programs, they would naturally join Toastmasters Clubs worldwide when they grow up.
In Toastmasters, I witnessed many members improve, achieve their goals and even change their lives totally. Some native speakers joined local Toastmasters Clubs to learn more about Taiwanese cultures and to find friends, and some even ended up marrying Taiwanese members and having happy marriages.
In Toastmasters, there are many surprising, inspiring and touching stories. That is why, after I joined in 1999, I never considered leaving. It is a treasure mountain I would spend all my life digging.
So, I sincerely hope officials at all levels of governments, especially the Ministry of Education, would visit and learn more about Toastmasters. If they do, I am sure they would at least get a hint about “how to design courses that would achieve those goals.”
Bruce Yang Po-chih
Changhua City
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