A government-sponsored program for overseas youth aged 17 to 24, offering volunteer English teaching training and cultural exchange, has begun at Asia University in Taichung and will run through Aug. 1, the event organizers said.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the English Teaching Volunteer Service Program, which brings together 418 overseas youth volunteers from 22 countries, according to a joint statement released by the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC), the Ministry of Education, and the Hakka Affairs Council.
These countries include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, several European and African nations, as well as New Zealand, Australia, and others in Asia, the statement said.
Photo: CNA
An opening ceremony for the program was held online at the Taichung university on Monday as Typhoon Danas hit Taiwan.
At Asia University, the volunteers undergo intensive training provided by the K-12 Education Administration, covering practical teaching skills such as language instruction methods, cross-cultural communication, classroom management and lesson planning, the statement said.
After the training session, the volunteers will visit 68 junior high and elementary schools across Taiwan where they will engage in two weeks of English teaching and cultural exchange. The goal is to boost students’ motivation to learn languages and improve their practical English skills, the statement said.
Following the end of the program, the volunteers will participate in a cultural tour to learn more about Taiwan’s natural landscapes and cultural diversity, it added.
To date, the program has attracted up to 10,000 youth volunteers from around the globe, collectively serving nearly 50,000 students in Taiwan’s elementary and junior high schools, according to the statement.
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)
Traffic controls are to be in place in Taipei starting tonight, police said, as rallies supporting recall efforts targeting the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers as well as a rally organized by the KMT opposing the recall campaigns are to take place tomorrow. Traffic controls are to be in place on City Hall Road starting from 10pm tonight and on Jinan Road Section 1 starting from 8am tomorrow, police said. Recall campaign groups in Taipei and New Taipei advocating for the recall of KMT legislators, along with the Safeguard Taiwan, Anti-Communist Alliance (反共護台聯盟), have previously announced plans for motorcycle parades and public
A tropical depression near the northwestern Philippines is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Danas by early tomorrow, becoming the fourth tropical storm of the season, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). As of 8am today, the system was located approximately 370 kilometers southwest of Taiwan's southern tip, Cape Eluanbi, and has developed a more organized structure, forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The storm is currently moving slowly toward the Taiwan Strait in an east-northeast direction and may trigger a sea warning if it reaches tropical storm strength tomorrow morning. The system is expected to shift direction later tomorrow toward the north
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu