Friday
3:00 - 3:50 PM
Magnolia A
Primary School English Teachers Training in Taiwan: An Investigation
Yui-narn Leung and Johanna E. Katchen
National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan
In September 2001, Taiwan will commence teaching English in all primary
schools, with instruction initially beginning in the fifth and sixth grade.
By this date, over 6000 new teachers will be needed. College graduates
with or without teacher training/teaching experience may take a screening
exam (both written and oral) to enter this program. Under the guidance
of Ministry of Education, a number of universities will train these prospective
teachers. Trainees who pass the Spring 1999 exams start courses in mid
July and are required to complete a minimum of 360 contact hours of training
within three months to one year. Course emphasis is on developing communicative
skills and pedagogy. In this paper we explain the Ministry of Education's
objectives for this program, analyze curriculum development, describe potential
problems, and review the initial stages of implementation of this fast-track
training of primary school English teachers. |