Education in Taiwan

English teaching in Taiwan is a huge industry that is supported by a plethora of schools islandwide. Schools at which English language instruction is available can largely be divided into six types –kindergartens, immersion preschools, buxibans (cram schools), Chinese style buxibans, mainstream schools (elementary, junior high, and high school level), and universities. A searchable database of schools offering English language instruction here in Taiwan can be found at Buxiban.com.

Kindergartens – Chinese language kindergartens and day care centers are widespread and serve an ever-growing need as both parents of many families are active in the workforce. These institutions may be either public or private, and the medium for instruction is Mandarin Chinese. Although many of these schools offer English within their curriculum, English language classes are not really emphasized. Although some kindergartens will pay for native English speakers to conduct these classes, most employ local staff for these purposes on an as needs basis.

Immersion Preschools – There has been a huge growth in the number of privately owned and operated English immersion preschools in Taiwan since 1999. The majority of these schools are part of large school chains, which operate under franchise arrangements. In return for annual fees, the chain enterprises may supply advertising, curriculum, books, materials, training, and even staff for each individual school. These English immersion preschools generally employ native English speaking teachers to teach the whole preschool curriculum in an ‘English only’ environment. Such curriculum often encompasses subject material such as science, art, physical education and even maths classes. The legality of these types of schools has been called into question on many occasions, yet they continue to prosper. Some members of Taiwanese society have raised concerns as to whether local children should be placed in English immersion environments at such a young age, and have raised fears that the students abilities in their mother language may suffer as a result. The debate continues, but at the present time, the market for English Immersion Preschools continues to grow.

Buxibans (cram schools) – These types of schools are also privately owned and operated, and can be seen throughout the island of Taiwan. Ranging from well known chain schools such as Joy and Hess, who each have hundreds of locations islandwide, through to single independents, the market for this type of school is huge. The students that attend these programs are generally of elementary school age, and most are seeking an advantage in their English language studies within the very competitive mainstream school network. Students generally attend cram schools twice a week after their mainstream school classes. The quality of cram schools varies considerably. Some of the larger schools and chains write their own programs and produce their own textbooks specifically for Chinese students. A lot of the smaller schools buy curricula and texts from overseas, for use here in Taiwan, with varying degrees of success. These types of cram schools are generally built upon a system of team teaching between local Chinese and native English speaking staff. Many of the schools concentrate on students oral and listening abilities, with grammar and reading taking a back seat. The concept of most of these types of schools is based upon making English language learning fun. Games, songs, and activities are all used in this regard.

Chinese style buxibans – These schools take a more traditional approach to English language instruction. Classes are generally very orderly and controlled, with class sizes as high as 200 or so students in some famous institutions. Instruction is generally undertaken completely in Mandarin Chinese and therefore most teachers within these institutions are local Chinese. Although in recent years native English speakers with a competency in Mandarin Chinese have also become popular. The aim of these types of schools is on assisting students to pass their English tests within the mainstream school system, and as such the teaching emphasis is largely grammar based. Junior high and high school students, for whom test preparation is of utmost importance, generally attend these types of schools.

Mainstream school system – English is a compulsory subject within the mainstream school system from Grade 5 Elementary School and up. Instruction is generally undertaken by local Chinese staff, some of whom are dedicated English teachers, while others are required to teach the subject English regardless of their own English level merely because they are the only available teacher. As such the quality of English language instruction is quite variable from school to school, and from city to city. A further complicating factor can be that in any given class a teacher may have a mix of students who are at beginner level and others at an advanced level – largely attributable to whether or not students have studied in English language cram schools before or not.

Universities – English language instruction at university level is a core subject in some institutions and an elective in others. The level of instruction and the students level of ability are reflected by this inconsistency. A very informative discussion site about Taiwan’s Universities can be found at Scott Sommers Weblog.

Taiwanese Universities:
Graduate Institute of Guidance and Counseling at National Kaohsiung Normal University