At a second-grade English class at Wanfang Elementary, instructor Lu Chen-ying steps into the classroom toting a Teddy bear. After tossing a few salutations at the students in simple English--"How are you? What's your name?"--and a little bit of preliminary practice in pairs, the lesson begins in earnest.

Ms. Lu first has her pupils line up. Then the kids practice saying, "Teddy bears stand up. Teddy bears line up," all the while pantomiming the actions. After repeating the drill a couple times, Ms. Lu asks for volunteers to perform in front of the class. The kids respond enthusiastically, their hands waving about excitedly. The last order of business is practice with a taped exercise. Homework for the day consists of practicing phrases like "stand up," "line up," "go outside," and "goodbye" with two of their own stuffed animals or dolls, and also singing and acting along with a recording.

When the MOE announced its decision to employ 1000 foreign English-language teachers, many local teachers became fearful that their job security was eroding. Lu, however, isn't at all concerned about being edged out by foreign teachers. She confidently points out that her own English pronunciation is accurate, and she is capable of leading classroom activities, knows how to prepare a curriculum, and understands the background of local students. On the other hand, "foreign teachers aren't necessarily superior instructors because they don't have experience teaching Taiwanese students, and they aren't as sensitive to the kinds of linguistic difficulties that Taiwanese students encounter," Lu says.

The advantages that foreigners bring to the table are clear and accurate pronunciation and energetic body language that makes kids overcome their fear of speaking. (photo by Jimmy Lin)

Fallen soldiers

Back in 1999, the MOE began to allow individuals to apply for positions as English instructors contingent on the passing of an English proficiency exam. Among the candidates who qualified to become English instructors, a mere 140 were professional teachers like Lu, while the others came from other vocational backgrounds.

At that time the MOE had just launched its new "nine-year integrated curriculum," which reset the first year of English-language study at the fifth grade effective in 2001. In order to fill the spaces created by the expansion, the MOE sent out a call for qualified English teachers, ultimately resulting in the recruiting of 3500 trainees. However, just two years later more than 1500 teachers, nearly half of the group intended to be the color guard of the new primary English-language instruction, had fallen by the wayside. The MOE's call to arms had attracted 50,000 applicants--how could it be, then, given such an avid initial response, that so many promising rookies were so quick to throw in the towel?

The statutes governing teacher training stipulated that candidates who pass the MOE's qualifying examinations would then be required to undergo 360 hours of training in English-language pedagogy and take 40 credits worth of education courses either from a normal university or an accredited teacher-training program at another university. Next would be a year of supervised "practice" teaching at an elementary school. Only then, if they made the grade, would they be issued a teacher's certificate.

Chronologically speaking, each segment in the process was tightly linked. A MOE-certified candidate who completed teacher training in the summer of 1999 would then have to move on to the next phase of earning education credits at an academic institution by September; 40 credits later, the prospective instructor would then have to locate an elementary school at which to complete the one year internship. Only strict adherence to this schedule would lead to a complete MOE endorsement--a teacher's certificate--by September, 2001.

To top things off, the MOE provided no guarantee for the successful employment of newly licensed instructors; even after completing the long, strenuous training procedure, they still had to contend with the screening and application processes of individual schools. Complicating matters even more was the fact that the criteria used to hire instructors varied from school to school, causing many to speculate that some schools would be flooded with applications while others would receive none.

Some schools aroused controversy by not reporting the lack of qualified personnel, preferring instead to reserve teaching opportunities for "willing" staff members, who incidentally were only obligated to take a bit more than 70 hours of training. Moreover, by not giving priority to applicants with specialized English-language training, a portion of the local governments failed to abide by MOE guidelines. For instance, on the entrance examination for prospective English teachers in Chiayi County, Chinese language and pedagogy accounted for 70% of the content. In Yunlin County, the figure was even higher, reaching 85%.

The MOE's fervent exhortations to local governments to extend precedence to MOE-endorsed English teachers have not produced the desired result. With no guarantees for the future, many have had reservations about the worthwhileness of the two-year investment, with the outcome that many withdrew from the training. It is estimated that a mere 1900-odd individuals completed the training, of which a bit over 1400 went on to take positions as elementary school teachers.

There is a veritable cornucopia of English textbooks in the market, all of which try to appeal to kids with pictures and interesting stories.

Covering all the bases

As to why the MOE's English teacher training policy to a large degree has not resonated with local schools, many have suggested that it is because MOE methodology does not sit well with the current elementary school system.

Huang Teh-hsien, a professor at the National Changhua University of Education Graduate Institute of Education notes that elementary schools in Taiwan employ a "one class, all subjects" system, which demands that instructors cover a wide field of knowledge. In addition to having prerequisite knowledge of Mandarin Chinese, mathematics, natural science, and social studies, teachers are additionally required to be able to play the piano, tell stories, and write calligraphy. Schools in remoter rural areas as well as schools with lower student populations as a rule are underfunded and therefore understaffed. Consequently, teachers have all the more ground to cover to make up the difference. For schools outside resource-abundant metropolitan areas, conforming to MOE guidelines about hiring only those with specialized language backgrounds is a bitter pill to swallow. Although the MOE sanctions the joint employment of English teachers by several schools, the sparse distribution of schools in some regions presents serious obstacles. If, for example, Nantou County's Hsinyi Township were to employ a single qualified English teacher, it's entirely possible that it would be dusk before the teacher would arrive at the second elementary school.

In order to better understand the English-language education conundrum facing elementary schools throughout Taiwan, Control Yuan members Lu Hsi-mu, Lin Shih-chi, and Yin Shih-hao compiled an investigative report entitled "Problems in Elementary School English Education" at the close of last year. In it they discovered that rural schools were quite often unable to hire accredited English instructors. In Taipei County, for instance, out of 427 active instructors, only 255 had completed the MOE training program. County governments therefore have had to train teachers with backgrounds in other subjects in order to cope with the exigencies of the situation, which in turn has resulted in glaring discrepancies in the quality of instruction.

Schoolyards are awash with bilingual signs, allowing kids to learn English even as they play.

English for all?

According to Hsu Chia-ling, a professor at National Taiwan University Department of Foreign Languages who in recent years has been teaching pronunciation courses for teachers in Taipei County, some teachers who previously lacked any experience or background in English language pedagogy have to try their hand at teaching English after taking just 60 hours of training. She wishes that the training programs in each region were consistent, suggesting that teachers could first study at an academic establishment and later collectively take screening examinations that concentrate on pronunciation and pedagogical skill.

The Control Yuan survey revealed that elementary schools with only one class per grade level--over 800 in all--constituted a full third of the total number of Taiwan's schools. Under such circumstances, teachers who can cover all the bases are much more in sync with the schools' actual needs. On the other hand, English teachers, perennially designated as specialists, aren't as compatible when it comes to collaborating with other teachers. Nor do they necessarily have much to offer in terms of other, non-academic responsibilities. All things considered, it is difficult for them to mesh with their school environment.

Even more alarming than the lack of available English teachers is the problem of uneven distribution.

In September last year, Taipei found itself needing 299 English teachers. But these schools in the heart of the nation's capital had no trouble getting as many as 50-60 teachers leaping for the same bait.

Yet out in more bucolic parts, prospects are abysmal. Last year when Nantou County was in need of 159 English teachers, only 15 MOE-certified instructors stepped forward to fill the vacancies. Moreover, when the time came, only six out of those 15 reported to their new teaching posts. And in Hualien County, where 60 teachers were required, only 12 out of the original 24 successful applicants were willing to stick it out and complete their appointment.

Two years ago, the Ministry of Education began training potential elementary school English instructors that have since moved on to accepting teaching duties.

Jumping the gun

Both the shortage and lopsided distribution of English teachers derive from expanding the scope of the English-language curriculum to the elementary level. The nine-year integrated curriculum officially designated fifth grade as the new gateway to the study of foreign language, but scrutinizing the actual situation shows that over half of Taiwan's regional districts have "jumped the gun." In fact, eight locales--Taipei, Hsinchu County, Taichung County, Changhua County, Nantou County, Tainan County, and Taitung County, and Lienchiang County--have first graders embarking on their English studies.

On the one hand there aren't enough teachers to go around, yet at the same time schools everywhere, chomping at the bit to "go international," are loath to fall behind by playing by the rules. Exacerbating things further are those schools in rural locations that can't secure English teachers at all. Faced with such a quandary, the MOE then came up with the notion of bringing in foreign teachers who, by helping the Executive Yuan realize its "Challenge 2008" plan (part of which specifies raising the level of foreign-language proficiency) and alleviating the problem of understaffing, could kill two birds with one stone. The idea seemed sound enough, but from the moment it went public it came under heavy fire.

According to Chang Chiang-jiun, a member of the MOE Committee for the Development of English Language Education and also the director of the Graduate School of Child English Education at National Taipei Teacher's College, rural areas are the most resource deprived, but how are foreigners expected to function as instructors in places where living conditions--e.g., transportation problems and communication barriers--present such formidable obstacles?

At the end of February, legislator Lin Tai-hua held a conference to discuss the employment of foreign instructors at which a number of concerns surfaced: Would "importing" foreign instructors be a long-term policy or just a temporary relief measure? Would local teachers end up playing second fiddle to the newcomers, relegated to being assistants and translating machines? What with all the various channels that one can use now to obtain teaching credentials--three normal universities, eight teacher's colleges, and now the special teacher training programs at just about any university--will the graduates end up being crowded out of the job market by imported teachers?

Foreign teachers are no panacea

Huang Ya-wen, chairwoman of the Department of Elementary Education at National Taipei Teacher's College, indicates that two years ago the employment rate for graduates from her department was 97%. Last year, however, the figure plummeted to 50%, and it is estimated that the figure may sink to 30%. In order to prevent the government from wasting educational resources, Huang recommends grafting a 20-credit English teaching program onto the existing curriculum at teacher colleges, so as to improve graduates' chances of success.

MOE Department of Secondary Education Senior Specialist Huang Kun-jung points out that the MOE plans to reset the first year of English study to the third grade effective in 2005. The present 17 academic institutions with the appropriate English training programs could potentially turn out 2000 qualified instructors by then, which would be adequate to meet the demand.

As to the "import" policy that aroused so much consternation, the MOE decided to reduce the number of foreign instructors from 1000 to 400 for what would be a kind of "test run." Moreover, it was decided that the foreign instructors would not run classes directly, but instead assist in an auxiliary capacity by consulting with and providing training for local instructors.

Although society is full of conflicting opinions, those who are eager to promote English-language study have greeted the prospect of importing foreign teachers with considerable enthusiasm. By March, 25 separate local governments posted requests for a total of 993 foreign instructors. To sort out all the requests, an MOE subcommittee was established to evaluate each region's petition. At the end of April, Huang Jung-tsun reported the latest developments in elementary and junior high school English education to the Legislative Yuan. He emphasized that the MOE has consistently opposed the teaching of English at the first and second grade level. Furthermore, he warned that schools who persist in teaching English to first and second graders would automatically be disqualified from receiving any MOE subsidies in the future. Presumably, if these schools have the resources to hire the extra teachers, then they are not in need of government assistance.

Chang Chiang-jiun has urged patience for local governments in which the teaching environment is not yet ripe, pointing out that they needn't be so hasty to recruit foreign instructors until they have taken all the appropriate measures to make the presence of the foreign instructors worthwhile.

Sweatin' their ABC's

In resource-abundant Taipei, there are already scores of foreign instructors teaching at local schools, a situation made possible either by the money that parents scrape together to entice them or because of arrangements with local cram schools. Taipei Municipal Teacher's College Department of English Instruction Associate Professor Wang Feng-min made tours of various elementary schools that employed foreigners, and came to the conclusion that both local and foreign teachers had strong and weak points. One of the drawbacks that the foreign teachers presented was the fact that they usually prepare teaching materials ad hoc and only just before each class. Another was the fact that they tend to disappear after fulfilling their teaching obligations for the day, leaving no time for further teacher-student contact, thus adversely affecting the quality of instruction. Although she didn't discern any truly salient advantages, Wang nevertheless pointed out that when students discover that "my foreign instructor really understands my English," their confidence receives a tremendous boost.

Given the novelty of foreign instructors in Taiwan, it's still too early to render a verdict regarding their pedagogical merit. However, judging by the controversy that employing foreign instructors has ignited, many scholars have concluded that the crux of the current dilemma is not a paucity of suitable teachers, but instead relates to how English-language education continues to burrow deeper and deeper into childhood. Different regions have implemented language programs at varying rates, which has carved out a cleft between urban and rural areas and forced a glaring disparity in student ability levels.

At the Control Yuan's conference on English-language education last November, the chairman of the National Taiwan Normal University English Department, Chang Wu-chang, remarked that the motive behind readjusting the first year of English study to the first grade was to allow children equal access to knowledge--children from lower social strata wouldn't have to fall behind on account of their inability to pay cram-school tuition. However, what this reasoning perhaps failed to take into account was parental "one-upmanship." Back in the days when English classes didn't begin until junior high school, parents sent their kids to cram schools starting from fifth or sixth grade. Now with schools teaching English from first grade on, parents will just send their children to English-language kindergartens. In the end, poor families are no better off than before.

"Taipei sets the pace," comments Chang Chiang-jiun. Taipei's decision to begin the English-language curriculum from the first grade has counties in the central and southern Taiwan in a panic, and because parents in rural areas are so preoccupied with how things are done in Taipei, nearly all of the counties have followed suit. As an example, Chang cites the Taipei government's recent, rather startling guidelines for the English-language curriculum, which among other things stipulated that children should read 100 children's books in English prior to graduation. Despite the fact that this kind of intensity overshadowed even the Mandarin Chinese curriculum, other cities and counties were once again quick to take their cue from Taipei.

Lai Cheng-cheng, a former cram-school proprietor currently doing a year of "practice" internship at Tunglung Elementary School in Pingtung, observes that with the media constantly bombarding people with stories of "English fever" in elementary schools, rural parents grow concerned. Sure enough, their children end up at cram schools.

Clarifying language policy

The fact that Taipei schools are permitted to sort English classes according to student ability levels has been the target of much criticism. At present there are approximately 30-some elementary, junior high, and high schools that sift children into three classes of varying ability levels. Wang Feng-min, who opposes such stratification, contends that this kind of policy is a throwback to the days of the strict examination system. Now that education has finally started to gradually diversify and students' abilities and interests have begun to branch out, there's no need to return down that rigid, not to mention already discredited, path.

"Teaching classes with students of varying levels of ability is a teacher's greatest challenge. Parents should recognize that education must serve the majority and not be tailored for the exclusive benefit of the minority," avers Chang Chiang-jiun. If parents want to push their children to excel they should send their children off to cram school instead of whining about the pace of learning in the classroom. She understands that schools must withstand a lot of pressure from parents who are worried about hampering their child's growth. "To be honest, a lot of kids do speak good English, and that's usually money well spent. But public education should proceed at the properly prescribed pace," says Chang.

Regarding the problem of diverging developmental rates in English language education, the Control Yuan's recent report censured the MOE: "As the highest executive authority on national education, (the MOE) is responsible for defining and regulating (the early stages) of English language education, and should not allow each local government go its own way. Nor should the MOE allow local governments the power to extend the scope of the English language curriculum based on the obfuscation of existing statutes. The result of the continual and uneven expansion of the English language program has adversely affected the education system and the government's efforts to implement the nine-year integrated curriculum."

A lot of scholars emphasize that evaluations of the level of English ability in Taiwan should be based on adults rather than children. However, English education is now unduly targeted at elementary school children, which has families, communities, and the entire nation trembling with anxiety. What we really ought to do is first clarify the thrust of our language policy--only then will we know whether or not recruiting foreign teachers is really the solution to our problems.