The Youth and Elderly University Social Responsibility Team (USR) and the Department of Applied English, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, recently held an English distance teaching achievement event at the Auditorium of Zhaigang Elementary School, Syuejia District, Tainan City, bringing the elementary school a different, lively closing activity.

[Zhaigang Elementary School presented a certificate of appreciation to Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology. Prof. Mei-Zhu Chen, Chair of the Department of Elderly Service and Director of the Youth and Elderly USR Team received the certificate on behalf of the university.]

In view of the importance of talent cultivation and happy living in senior communities, the Youth and Elderly USR Team of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology brought educational hope into the rural areas so as to shorten the digital gap between urban areas and rural areas. The team invited teachers and students of the Department of Applied English to jointly assist in enhancing the English learning interest of Zhaigang elementary school students, since technology has made it no longer a barrier for children in rural areas to learn English,

[Students of Zhaigang Elementary School learned to use English and their body language to run through the barriers of the game.]

The distant teaching program has been implemented for two years. This year, it was specially planned to hold an English distance teaching achievement activity on the end of the semester and conduct a face-to-face breakthrough activities. It was hoped that through the game, students could review the lessons they had learned in the distance English teaching course, in order to enhance students’ interest and motivation in learning English through the listening, speaking, reading and writing activities in the game. Students had the opportunity to use English in their everyday lives and felt the practical uses of English. There were two types of activities. The first type was a large group of activities divided into third, fourth, and fifth grades. They are “Let's Go Shopping,” “Body Language,” and “Lottery Fun.” The three major groups took turns to complete these three parts. The second type was for individuals, with a total of 11 levels and topics covering sports, transportation, weather, colors and shapes, animals, jobs, etc. The checkpoints were all designed and guarded by the gatekeepers of college students. To go through each checkpoint, students must use the English they had learned.

[Students of Zhaigang Elementary School were going through checkpoints of English Interactive Dialogue Game.]

Shiao-Zhen Weng, one of the top five students in Zhaigang Elementary School who successfully passed all the checkpoints of the game, said happily, "The big brothers and sisters of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology are very kind and patient; they would explain the rules of the game in detail. Whether it was a big checkpoint of the game or a small one for any individual level, I can see that the big brothers and sisters have made a lot of preparation, carefully designing and planning all the activities. These checkpoints not only test my English ability, but also challenge my memory and concentration. The design of such activities can help me learn English in the game, and there is no pressure at all. I enjoy it and have a sense of accomplishment. I hope I can continue to participate in distance learning next year." Si-Han Chen was also very excited to share her feeling, "It feels like a test this time. It helps us understand the part we did not learn well, and we must continue to work hard. If we fail to pass a challenge, the elder brothers and elder sisters would gently encourage us, giving me the confidence to accept the next challenge. I like to roll dice and skip rope. Not only can we learn English, we but also can have our mental thinking stimulated and take physical fitness training to see whose limbs are the most coordinated. This is very exciting and interesting.” Dong-Wei Lin, an introverted student, rushed to say, “We used to see these big brothers and sisters on the screen. Now I can actually speak English with them today. It’s amazing. Besides reviewing the words learned again, every level is very interesting. I hope that, in addition to the English classes at school next year, I will be able to take part in English distance learning and learn English very well. In the future, I will be able to teach children English at school like them. Chian-Chun Tseng, Principal of Zhaigang Elementary School, said that through such a lively English teaching process, the process was not only interesting; it but also strengthened students' interest in learning English, allowed students to use English practically, and fully reviewed the effectiveness of English distance teaching throughout the school year. Teachers and students had benefited a lot, and she was very grateful to Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology for its careful planning. She hoped that in the future, they would be able to continue this cooperation, providing children in remote areas with more learning opportunities.

[A scene of the game where students of Zhaigang Elementary School were going through the game]

Prof. Mei-Zhu Chen, Chair of the Department of Elderly Services and Director of the Youth and Elderly USR Team, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, said that after the USR project team entered the Zhaigang community to serve the people, they learned about Zhaigang. The small town is located in a remote rural area and the educational resources are relatively insufficient. It is necessary to strengthen the English ability of the primary school students. Therefore, the team recommended the teachers and students of the Department of Applied English to be the English teachers, and supported the remote teaching equipment through the project to carry out the remote teaching work. Through the life-oriented and interesting teaching method, every child of Zhaigang Elementary School could have basic English ability, and took daily English vocabulary home to interact with their grandpa and grandma to facilitate the annual event. During the activity, they could interact with other community elders and college students in English. The event was full of liveliness and laughter. Every child participated in the event with a happy smile and confidence. It was a great time to have fun, and it was the best feedback and encouragement for the project team. She hoped that this activity would implement the university's social responsibility mission, allow college students to practice English teaching, and encourage primary school students to fall in love with English. It would be a great accomplishment to jointly promote English education in rural areas and shorten the resource gap between urban education and rural education.

[The Youth and Elderly USR Team of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, the teachers and students of the Department of Applied English, and the teachers and students of Zhaigang Elementary School after the English distance teaching achievement activity.]

[Students hosting the distance teaching of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology presented gifts to students of Zhaigang Elementary School students.]