02/13/2018．Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages Offers a General Education Course Taught in English to Interpret the Diverse Images of Taiwan

發布日期 2018-02-13 11:42:00

Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages offers a course taught in English: Intercultural Communication: Impressions of Taiwan, in which Taiwanese and foreign students communicate with each other about intercultural issues. Photo provided by the General Education Center

February 13, 2018

【Press release provided by the General Education Center 】

Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages reformed its general education courses by offering a course taught in English in the fall semester of the 2017 academic year: Intercultural Communication: Impressions of Taiwan. With a focus on intercultural issues, the course covers a wide range of topics from eating culture to the festivals and religions of Taiwan, indigenous culture, languages of Taiwan, non-verbal communication, and the development of Taiwan’s democracy. A total of 35 students from Finland, France, Belgium, Indonesia, Japan, China, and Taiwan registered for the course. They have improved their capabilities in intercultural communication while learning to respect other cultures and their values via an in-depth understanding of Taiwan.

Intercultural Communication: Impressions of Taiwan is a course taught in English and offered by the General Education Center. Vivian Chiu-Hui Wu, Associate Professor in the Department of English and Chairperson of the Center for English Language Teaching, provides students with theme-based teaching in this course. In addition to inviting Taiwanese teacher Yi-Chen Wu to give a lecture on the music of ethnic groups in Taiwan, she also invited Korean teachers Eun-Young Jung and Young-Mi Cho to address the differences between Taiwanese and Korean cultures, as well as Mr. Teerakarn Savetsila, a representative from the Thailand Trade and Economic Office (Taipei), to share his own experiences in Taiwan. By continuous communication, students gain an understanding of Taiwan and the differences between Taiwanese and other cultures. Industrial visits to two enterprises that develop Taiwan antrodia camphorata in the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park were arranged as well. Introducing students to the development of biotechnology in Taiwan helps them to obtain a profound knowledge of local industries.

Since the general education course taught in English: Intercultural Communication: Impressions of Taiwan is offered to both Taiwanese and foreign students, the former learn to explain their culture in English while helping the latter with questions about Taiwanese culture that they cannot understand. Foreign students suggest that they have learned a lot from the course. Although they only stayed in Taiwan for a few months, Taiwan has become their “second home.” Some of them were most impressed by the scene of Taiwanese students cleaning up the campus, which they consider to be representative of Taiwan’s group culture. Moreover, a Taiwanese student said that only after taking this course did he/she realize how superficial his/her understanding of Taiwanese/Chinese culture was, although he/she is Taiwanese. He/she also learned to think critically about his/her own culture; for example, betel nut beauties always convey a negative image, but they represent the perseverance of women in the lowest social class in Taiwan.

This course aims to reach out to Taiwanese students through abstract intercultural communication, whereby they can learn about diverse values in life. By participating in class discussions, students obtain experience in intercultural communication; with continuous communication, they convey an image of Taiwan and learn other cultures, whereby the discussion on intercultural communication is deepened and broadened. Moreover, the course is integrated with four general education courses to form a combination course: Listen to Multiple Voices of the World: Cross-field Communication of Civil Society. Team teaching and combined classes allow teachers to offer diversified teaching, and students to obtain cross-field and cross-cultural learning experience.

Photos provided by the General Education Center

Yi-Chen Wu (left standing), a teacher in the General Education Center, was invited to give a lecture on the music of Taiwan in the course taught in English: Intercultural Communication: Impressions of Taiwan.	Vivian Chiu-Hui Wu (right standing), Chairperson of the Center for English Language Teaching, provides students with theme-based teaching in the course taught in English: Intercultural Communication: Impressions of Taiwan.

A view of the Intercultural Communication: Impressions of Taiwan class	Heated discussion between students

Students had a heated discussion about the topic: World Coffee Shops	By participating in class discussions, students obtain experience in intercultural communication; with continuous communication, they convey an image of Taiwan and learn other cultures..

Course instructor Vivian Chiu-Hui Wu (second from the left) provided guidance to students.	Industrial visits to two enterprises that develop Taiwan antrodia camphorata in the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park were arranged.