For this academic year’s university admissions, more than 300 university departments are assessing applicants based on a single subject, out of which 189 departments would consider only Chinese language and literature. To respond to a declining birthrate and expand the applicant pool, this measure represents an attempt to offer greater flexibility and department-level autonomy in admissions. At the same time, it gives students more freedom and choice in their applications.
The General Scholastic Ability Test (GSAT), which tests Taiwanese high-school students seeking to enroll in university, offers just six subjects. Local languages, meanwhile, have long been left out in the cold within the Taiwanese education system. Could they not also be added as a GSAT test subject?
Education is often guided by testing. Just as English emphasizes reading and writing assessments, introducing local languages into the testing system would also likely begin with literacy tests. It would provide many departments, in particular those related to Taiwanese literature, with a means to selectively differentiate between student applicants. The combination of exam results with interviews, in which students might express their interests and strengths, could then facilitate students entering their best suited departments.
High school is designed to prepare students for university, and local languages are already a mandatory subject. For students pursuing Taiwanese literature-related pathways, enabling them to exhibit their learning achievements in Hakka or indigenous languages through GSAT exams should not be overlooked. It would also help cultivate future professionals who work in frontline public service or closely within communities, including those in law and medicine. Strengthening local identities can also serve to broaden international perspectives. It would be a win-win for applicants and selection committees alike, and provide an impetus and stronger resolve for students studying local languages.
Hsiao Chia-hung is an adjunct lecturer at Tamkang University.
Translated by Gilda Knox Streader
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