With a newly elected president in 2024, Taiwan’s government will make policy decisions to impact the nation’s present and future in the years to come. As mainland China increasingly restricts English education, limiting resources and class time, citizens will not only face difficulties learning English, but even more urgently, struggle to understand, connect, and communicate with foreigners. Taiwan has set another distinct goal for itself. Having decided to move towards bilingual education by 2030, Taiwan has an opportunity to invest in the next generation of business leaders, managers, and experts for decades to come. To equip and encourage Taiwanese students to engage in international development, Taiwan’s education system should center educational goals for English as communication skills.

Taiwan’s current educational system heavily relies on exams; the higher one’s test score, the more academic and work opportunities open. It’s no surprise that teachers and parents push students along Taiwan’s academic pipeline, encouraging students to study to pass exams rather than understand skills behind criteria. As a result, students focus on earning higher scores than developing critical thinking or life skills. Do multiple choice exams really train students to communicate in English, or limit students to one-word responses? Are these the best assessments for growing soft skills in communication? When learning English, vocabulary tests and grammar quizzes can only take students so far. Where Taiwan now excels in test taking, the next generation will need to use English independently and creatively for international engagement. 

When Taiwanese students first encounter English in natural settings, their experience starkly contrasts with standardized test preparation materials. Even after accounting for talking speed and vocabulary, English conversations still prove challenging for Taiwanese youth. Feeling ill-prepared, many struggle to make the jump from passive listener to active speaker. As an English instructor who has taught hundreds of students across Asia, I believe that many Taiwanese underestimate their actual English ability primarily due to lack of confidence. Discouraged by stress-inducing English tests, Taiwanese students hesitate to speak to native speakers, who are not much bothered by inaccurate vocabulary, mispronounced words, or messy grammar. Through exams, students have been trained to produce one-word answers, but have not learned how to continue a conversation. Ultimately, this habit will prevent students from developing the natural confidence they need to use English to develop lasting relationships with peers, coworkers, or international friends. 

Normal conversations in English often expect each participant to directly explain their logic, share personal opinions on sensitive subject matters, or ask clarifying questions. Compared to students in the West, Taiwanese youth have been conversely trained to only answer questions explicitly asked. Students might tell themselves, don’t risk a wrong answer, don’t expose what I don’t know. Instead of striving for perfect test scores as a foundation for confidence, Taiwanese students would benefit from training in critical thinking and social engagement. Could there be another approach to English education, one that would equip students to engage confidently in conversation?

If Taiwan has set its sights on implementing bilingual education by 2030, citizens must ask, why? If English were only a domestic tool, then there would be no reason to pursue this goal beyond mere test content. However, if Taiwan’s purpose behind bilingual education is to open doors to boost international cooperation, and prepare students for a brighter future, then education models should support critical thinking, cultural competency, and communication skills. Instead of using difficult vocabulary and complex grammar as the metric for academic success, English education could instead become the primary tool used to develop soft skills in critical thinking, expressing opinions, and asking questions. So, how can Taiwan accomplish this new goal?

Taiwan’s overarching educational system must shift English language teaching methods to achieve the goals the nation has set for establishing future international connections. Instead of encouraging students to merely memorize words, educators must create opportunities for students to use new language words and forms, even at the risk of reduced accuracy. While students must still continue to learn new vocabulary, and will face quizzes at some point, making mistakes becomes an essential part of learning. As educators model healthy responses to mistakes, increase relational connection, and provide timely correction, Taiwanese students will begin producing language without the same fear that now limits their progress. 

As usage and accuracy develop through consistent practice, students will develop confidence.

Together, practice and confidence will train students to independently express their thoughts. The earlier this training starts, the more fluently students will share their opinions, offer advice to peers, and volunteer to share information that they found valuable or interesting. Spurred by a desire to connect with peers, students will develop newfound confidence in themselves, independent of ranking or exam scores.

Instead of training skills for passive learning (memorizing, test-taking, etc), students could invest in critical thinking skills to actively train for English writing and speaking. The earlier schools and cram centers encourage students to produce answers independently, the greater an effect their efforts will produce. Even from primary school, activities could include discussion questions after lessons, or games and activities to help students creatively engage with lessons.

When children have fun, their natural curiosity draws them to make observations about the content before them. As teachers train students to proactively ask questions, share different ideas, and think about “why” events happen, students will actively engage with class content on a deeper level, ensuring that lessons “stick” past exam dates. The more guided talking opportunities, the more students will practice sharing different opinions, asking thoughtful questions, and using English in practical conversation.

To prove this point: in adult conversation classes at Thrive English, in one of my favorite debate activities, I ask students, “Do cats or dogs make better pets?” Shock echoes around the room; students are stunned at first. “Does Teacher really care about pets?” they wonder. To be clear, my goal is not to prove which animal is better, but to challenge students to express their reasons logically, and strive for clarity over perfection. If I hear students using words like “pilous” or “flocculent” instead of “furry,” I might first compliment them for having learned such a hard word, but in the next breath correct them, since their partner probably won’t understand vocabulary used in scientific research.

When every participant’s goal is to communicate clearly, students focus less on peripheral goals, and focus more on the activity’s purpose. With support and correction from instructors, speakers learn to discern proper usage and pronunciation of topical vocabulary, and students train each other to clarify their ideas.

I train students to speak as clearly as they can! Even without perfect grammar, discussions are lively, and debates become heated. Through our class games at Thrive English, students forget about perfect English. Instead, students focus their attention on their main goal: convincing their opponent that their favorite pet is truly the best! Regardless of students’ industry or TOEFL score, Thrive English designs classes to welcome students of varying skill levels, guaranteeing that everyone has time to ask and individually respond to questions.

By increasing the relational component of English, stress associated with learning a language is reduced. As teachers intentionally build connections with and between students,then turn-and-talk activities, creative lying games, and acting segments turn into opportunities to express their personal ideas and exchange questions. Through continual practice, positive reinforcement, and nurturing curiosity, our adult students who were once “too shy” to say a word in front of strangers have given speeches before classrooms of thirty-plus members. What remarkable growth!

As a foreign teacher, I welcome mistakes in my classroom, and I am the first to openly share my own mistakes from the past. Mistakes become engaging stories and learning opportunities for the rest of the class. Instead of shaming the student who made the error, I lead by gentle correction, substituting improper grammar or pronunciation with the correct form. However, beyond technical accuracy, I make it a point to share my own past experiences when I made mistakes, many of them learning Mandarin Chinese, or adjusting to life abroad.

While students seem surprised that teachers make mistakes, my goal is to foster a growth mindset in my classes. As opposed to zero-sum thinking, where mistakes immediately induce stress or shame, adopting a growth mindset requires that we admit mistakes, and then ask, “What can I learn from this?” The next time a student faces a similar situation, the weight of shame or stress from the previous mistake will be greatly reduced. With mental clarity to focus on the conversation at hand, students have developed the courage to stay engaged in conversation, imperfections and all.

I acknowledge that Thrive English’s buxiban (cram school) model was developed for adult learners with intermediate English. Most participants are university students or young workers seeking opportunities for work or study abroad. The same tools appropriate for adults might not work as well for younger ages. That said, English educators across Taiwan still have the opportunity to impact students from developmental stages, which will influence students’ lives and careers. Creating age and level-appropriate opportunities for students to independently use English will support Taiwan to move from merely learning English to learning in English. Implementing tools now will help Taiwanese youth achieve bilingual status by 2030.

By using games and activities aforementioned–turn and talk, discussion sections, or debates will not cost excessive amounts of time, but will equip students to effectively produce the language they spend years learning. Across Asia, teacher-student talk time dominates most classroom time. Increased student talk time in Europe and North America, however, reflects these countries’ desire to train students to think independently and express their thoughts, instead of relying on passive learning. By following these models, Taiwan could now, even in 2024, increase student-to-student engagement to encourage practical interaction with English content.

In terms of curriculum, textbooks have standardized English learning across Taiwan, but educators and designers could create content to train students about sports, food, mental health, leadership skills, volunteer opportunities, or culture. All of these topics relate directly to student interests, and have the advantage of developing life skills beyond English. Through English content, curriculum designers could equip youth with communication skills that older generations had to move abroad to acquire. With a culturally sensitive mindset and English speaking skills, Taiwanese students would better adapt to international work with companies and cultures across the globe. In the years to come, Taiwan would benefit through healthier students, increased economic activity, and improved international relationships.

Equipped with these skills, students will be better trained to strengthen Taiwan, contribute to business, and engage with the global community. As China becomes increasingly antagonistic to English education and international cooperation, Taiwan has an opportunity to reverse this trend, and opt to invest in globalization. The more Taiwan opens itself up, facilitated by smoother communication, the more the world would seek to build financial, economic, or tourism-based relationships with Taiwan. Thus bolstered by its bilingual education policy, Taiwan could establish its future for decades to come as it prepares to reap the benefits of communication on a global scale. 

 (This piece reflects the author's opinion, and does not represent the opinion of CommonWealth Magazine.)

About the author：

Cate Shubat has worked as an English teacher and private tutor since 2016. After studying in English and Linguistics in Boston, she taught university English and IELTS in Shanghai, China. In 2019, Cate and a team of co-founders launched Thrive English to help college students in Taipei develop confidence and build friendships using English. 

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