The nation’s storytelling competition in new immigrant languages, now in its third consecutive year, drew more than 236 teams from 172 schools yesterday.
With a growing population of second-generation individuals of Southeast Asian descent, the Ministry of Education (MOE) is stepping up efforts to promote mutual understanding and respect for cultural diversity. Measures include storytelling contests in Southeast Asian languages, as well as the official inclusion of these languages in national curriculum guidelines.
Groups from Taipei’s Xikou Elementary School, Taoyuan’s Neihai Elementary School, and Taichung’s Kuangde Junior High School received “Above Excellent” awards.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Education
Ministry official Chang Yung-chieh (張永傑) said language is a key vehicle for transmitting culture. He noted the government is leveraging digital technology to provide online courses for students in rural areas and help address teacher shortages.
The competition aims to spark interest in Southeast Asian languages among students while fostering greater respect for cultural diversity. Participating teams told stories in Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, and other languages, according to the ministry.
K-12 Education Administration Director-General Sun Min-yi (孫旻儀) said this year’s competition focused on three themes: New Immigrant Culture Exploration, My Family Life with My New Immigrant Family, and My Experiences of New Immigrant Culture.
The themes encourage students to apply classroom learning and present stories drawn from personal experience, she said.
Some students shared their multicultural interactions at home, while others highlighted traditional festivals, cuisine, and cultural practices from their parents’ countries of origin.
Judges noted that many participants demonstrated fluency in their storytelling and a strong understanding of—and respect for—other cultures, reflecting the effectiveness of the curriculum’s emphasis on diversity and multicultural education.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
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