The best model of international cooperation: Southern Taiwan University of Science
and Technology held the 2017 TEEP International Village English Summer Camp.

Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology held the International Cultural Village English Summer Camp as part of its implementation of the “Taiwan Experience Education Program” by the Ministry of Education and its support to the 10-year English Promotion Plan of Tainan City English Second Official Language Office. The opening ceremony was held on July 4, with guests from the Tainan city government, Tainan City English Second Official Language Office, the Deputy Director of the Australian office in Taiwan, and more than ten presidents and schoolmasters from schools as partners working on Taiwan TEEP Project. This year, there were a total of 43 foreign students and the 120 junior high school students with basic English listening and speaking ability from all over the country. They had to take a ten-day (two sessions) intensive training, going through a cultural exchange with English-speaking international students and thereby enhancing their international perspective and strength of English speaking. The foreign students came to learn more and better understanding the history of Tainan and that of China, their cultures, heritages, foods, etc. They were deeply impressed by Taiwan. The future should see their long stay in Taiwan for further services.

【2017 TEEP International Village English Summer Camp: they went picking up students from Rio Hondo College in California.】

The 2017 International Village English Summer Camp has entered its third year, as part of the “Taiwan Experience Education Program” (TEEP) by the Ministry of Education. The purpose of TEEP is to make excellent foreign students come to Taiwan to experience the local cultures and characteristics and later come back again to study and work. This year, there were 18 students from the University of Western Sydney (UWS) and 21 from Rio Hondo College and Cerritos College in Southern California, each led by two professors. The other four students came separately from New York, Toronto and Singapore. In order to make foreign students deeply impressed with Taiwan, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology held a grand opening ceremony for the 2017 International Village English Summer Camp, inviting the war drum team and lion dance group of Ansun Elementary School to have a great performance, which has won Tainan City Traditional Art Competition of Tainan City. In addition, STUST also invited the mandolin team of Nabao Elementary School and other teams to have performance for the foreign students, teachers, and honorable guests.

【Opening Ceremony of the 2017 International Village English Summer Camp at Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology】

【President Chien Tai of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology (right) and Professor Xin Liu (left) of Rio Hondo College, California, signed an agreement for exchange student.】

President Chien Tai of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology stressed in his welcoming speech that this event would gather all the students together. In addition to the obvious support for the local students' global vision and English ability enhancement, the unique experience courses and activities can also offer foreign students experience in the tradition of Taiwan and its local customs and cultures, leaving them a deep impression with Tainan and a cross-border friendship. In the context of Tainan City's promotion of English as the second official language and its pursuit of Tainan as a bilingual city, the TEEP program should play a positive role in promoting the international development of Tainan City and have profound significance, combining the resources from both the central and local governments and then setting up a model to promote international cooperation. President Tai also encouraged all the participants to learn and enjoy the four weeks of the activities, hoping that everyone can harvest in all aspects.

【Instructor Andrew Gerrard of Language Center, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology Center, and students from Australia West Sydney University】

【Foreign students in the opening ceremony of the 2017 International Village English Summer Camp at Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology】

Andrew Gerrard, one of the moderators of the opening ceremony, was a summer camp student introduced by the TEEP program for the first year and is a successful example of the TEEP program. He graduated from the Institute of Education of the University of Western Sydney. Thanks to the summer camp, he was deeply impressed and decided to work in Taiwan after graduation. In 2016, he came again to participate in the TEEP program for in-depth English teaching practice and later served as a teacher at the Language Center of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology. This year he came for the third time to participate in summer camp activity of TEEP program, sharing his own experience with students who participated in the summer camp. Over the past three years, through the program, nearly a hundred foreign students have come to Taiwan to stay. It is hoped that in the future there would be more outstanding foreign students like Andrew joining the program and that more students from all over the primary and secondary schools can have the opportunity to learn together with all these excellent foreign students from all over the world.

【A scene in the pottery class of 2017 TEEP English Summer Camps】

【The Chines Calligraphy Class in the 2017 TEEP English Summer Camp】

As a result of the hard work over the past three years, there is a growing number of foreign students participating in the TEEP program. In addition to the summer camp, the TEEP also held an English Teaching Internship. It was first put to trial in 2016, when three foreign interns were recruited to various partner schools for a training of 11 months. Earlier this year, with the help of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, a great number of new friends came from the University of Southern California--a total of 21 students led by two professors. They were sent to the partner schools of TEEP program, including Anching Elementary School in Annan District and many other elementary and secondary schools in different districts all over Tainan City, offering a two-week English summer camp in each school. The contributor behind the practice is Professor Xin Liu from Rio Hondo College in South California. Professor Liu was born in Taiwan and moved to the United States when he was very young. When she learned the information about TEEP Program from Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, she actively encouraged her students to participate in the program. She did a lot for her students in the recruitment and screening, held a briefing with the press conference, and even helped raise the fund for them. She said that Taiwan is her hometown, so she hoped that there should be more foreigners able to see the beauty of Taiwan.

【Deputy Director Pei-Yi Hsu of Australia's Office in Taiwan (four in front), teachers and students of Australia's Sydney University of Sydney, and students of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology students】

【Professor Xin Liu from Rio Hondo College (center in the back row) and her students】