National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, also known as Taiwan Tech, is taking steps to optimize its environment for English learning. It offers select courses taught entirely in English, as well as a wealth of fun activities that let students put their English to use. Its students hail from all over the world, creating an international campus that’s conducive to language learning.

This is Professor Lee Hao-yeh of Taiwan Tech’s Department of Chemical Engineering. Today he’s leading a lab session for students from Taiwan, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

Chung Chi-jui
Taiwan Tech student
I chose this all-English course because I wanted to refine my English. At home, I read vocabulary books, but I don’t know how to apply the words. Through having discussions with international students, I am able to improve my spoken English and learn how to apply my vocabulary.

Besides courses taught in English, Taiwan Tech also has a language center that provides a diversity of English learning opportunities. They include board games, movie nights, and other fun activities that foster the use of English.

Anshuman
Taiwan Tech student
I really love, you know, interacting with my fellow foreign students and fellow local students, because everyone could understand each other. For us, very good. Everyone is very friendly with each other, so I really enjoy that experience.

Yen Jia-yush
Taiwan Tech president
Our school’s proportion of international students might be the highest in the country. They really do come here to receive an education. We now have many alumni who returned to their home countries to become professors and engineers. We hope that by being in this diverse environment, our local students can receive training that’s truly internationalized.

This September, the Ministry of Education launched its Program on Bilingual Education for Students in College. The program helps tertiary institutions optimize their bilingual environment, expands resources for English medium instruction, and promotes inter-school cooperation. The hope is for bilingual learning to take root on campuses nationwide.