The Consumers’ Foundation on Friday called on universities to take responsibility for improving the English-language abilities of their students, as a certain level of English proficiency is a prerequisite to obtaining a degree.
Language training and testing is a huge business in Taiwan, with 90 percent of the nation’s universities requiring students to provide proof of some level of English-language ability before they can graduate.
Currently, the certifications recognized by universities include the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) of Taiwan’s Language Training and Testing Center, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet-based test and the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC).
The registration fee for these English proficiency tests ranges from NT$500 to NT$5,500. While the registration fee for a GEPT test is comparatively less, the certificate is not as widely recognized internationally.
Generally, English proficiency certificates are only valid for two years. The foundation said that because testing institutions do not keep test results in their records for more than two years, they cannot provide copies of the certificates after that period, forcing students to retake the test.
The foundation suggested that language testing institutions keep test results in their systems for longer so that students can obtain copies of their certificates, instead of having to taking the tests again.
The foundation urged universities to offer opportunities for their students to learn English, so that students do not have to spend large amounts of money on classes at cram schools.
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