A standardized English proficiency test would be developed for universities following quality complaints about privately developed exams, a government official said yesterday.
The Ministry of Education commissioned the nonprofit Language Training and Testing Center to prepare the test, which would be used by 45 bilingual benchmark institutions, Department of Higher Education Director-General Chu Chun-chang (朱俊彰) told reporters on the sidelines of a higher education conference in Nantou County.
The spoken and written portions of the test would be implemented from September next year, while listening and reading would be added from 2024, Chu said.
Photo: Lin Hsiao-yun, Taipei Times
Universities would use the test to assess a student’s ability to take courses entirely in English, he said, adding that institutions not participating in the program may also use it if they wish.
Institutions covered by the benchmark bilingual university program must teach at least 10 percent of graduate courses and 5 percent of undergraduate courses in English.
The ministry has set a target of at least one-quarter of sophomore undergraduates and first-year graduate students at benchmark schools attaining B2-level English proficiency by 2024, Chu said.
In the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, B2 is the fourth of six levels, indicating upper-intermediate proficiency.
Most universities use English proficiency tests developed by private companies for their graduation requirements, Chu said.
However, this has led to student complaints and even lawsuits over content deemed unsuitable for college students, he said.
The ministry therefore commissioned the center to develop a standardized version, he added.
The center is to work with universities to craft questions that reflect students’ needs, such as books they might encounter in class or internship situations, Chu said.
Taking the test would also cost far less than taking the private exams, at an estimated fee of NT$1,000, he added.
National Sun Yat-sen University vice president of academic affairs Lin Po-chiao (林伯樵) shared the progress of his university, which was chosen for the benchmark program.
Last academic year, there were three departments with 70 students that offered coursework entirely in English, Lin said.
This year, the number has risen to seven departments with 205 students, while 11 departments and 300 students are projected for next academic year, he added.
To assess students’ language ability, the university uses the Test of English for International Communication, he said.
National Chi Nan University has set up a committee with the aim of fostering a bilingual environment, said Chang Chong-chuo (張眾卓), dean of the university’s Office of International and Cross-Strait Affairs.
To encourage teachers to offer all-English courses, each class can receive an additional budget of up to NT$10,000 for preparation time and teaching materials, he said.
Students who advance to a higher level can receive NT$500 to NT$3,000, in addition to other prizes for pursuing an all-English degree, he added.
The Central Weather Bureau could issue a sea alert for Super Typhoon Mawar, as it is forecast to turn north and come closest to Taiwan from Tuesday to Wednesday next week. Mawar was downgraded from a super typhoon to a typhoon after sweeping across Guam on Wednesday night, knocking down trees and leaving much of the US territory without power. Many residents of Guam yesterday remained without power and utilities after Mawar tore through the remote US Pacific territory the previous night, ripping roofs off homes, flipping vehicles and shredding trees. There were no immediate reports of deaths and injuries, but the
ADJUSTMENTS: Over the next five years, every year except 2026 would have only one makeup workday to compensate for national holidays, the government said The Executive Yuan (EY) yesterday announced the official workday calendar for next year, which includes one makeup day and four holidays with more than three days off. It also announced new standards for makeup days in the event of consecutive holidays. The Directorate-General of Personnel Administration cited the importance of the Lunar New Year and Tomb Sweeping holidays to the public as its reason to mandate flexible off-days. The 115 total off-days dovetail with dates that international financial markets are closed, minimizing the effects of state holidays on stock and currency exchange trading, it said. Over the next five years, only the calendar for
INVASION UNPOPULAR: Chinese would likely accept their government having a softer stance toward cross-strait relations, one of the coauthors of the article said Interest among the Chinese public in the issue of China’s unification with Taiwan is low, researchers said, citing the results of a poll. An article titled “Assessing Public Support for (Non-)Peaceful Unification with Taiwan: Evidence from a Nationwide Survey in China,” published in the Journal of Contemporary China on May 14, showed that only 55 percent of those surveyed in China would support the use of military force to achieve unification with Taiwan. In the survey, which polled 1,824 people on the question of how they would like to see the issue of Taiwan’s unification with China resolved, “only one out of
EMBRACE CHANGE: Jensen Huang told NTU graduates that instead of worrying about AI itself, they should worry that people with expertise in AI would be taking their jobs Artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining the computer industry, and Taiwanese companies could play a major role in replacing the world’s traditional computers as they are the foundation of the industry, Nvidia Corp cofounder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said in Taipei yesterday. Huang made the remarks while giving the keynote speech at National Taiwan University’s (NTU) commencement ceremony. AI has created immense opportunities, and versatile companies can be expected to take advantage and boost their position, while less flexible firms would perish, he said. “In every way, this is a rebirth of the computer industry and a golden opportunity for the companies of
RSS