English in Taiwan.

Tonight I went to a conversation party for a group of English-speaking university students of NCKU. They are among the very top in their class from various disciplines like mechanical engineering and urban planning. They are also very fluent in English. I was surprised - I'm in the English Department and yet many of them spoke English better than some of my classmates.

I haven't yet described just how insane the Taiwanese education system has become - and I don't mean that negatively; its just that, as far as I know, Taiwan is the only country in the world to teach every university student of every degree completely in a second language. As of about three years ago, Taiwanese lecturers have to teach all disciplines in English - so Taiwanese PhD's of Engineering or physics who had been teaching in Chinese for 30 years and perhaps had at best rusty English, suddenly had to lecture in English. The classes are in English, the books are in English, the tests are in English. At least in theory - some professors begin in English and after about 5 minutes, when all the students are falling asleep because they can't understand anything, they switch to Chinese.

I'm a little outspoken on this subject because I think its crazy - how can you learn a subject any better by studying it in a foreign language? I don't think you can; I think Taiwan will produce a generation of incompetent English speakers, who speak English pretty well and know their subject slightly less than they would have if they studied it in their own language. But that's my prejudice because I know, if I studied philosophy in German or theology in Latin, I would have improved my language skills but not fully understood the subject.

However, I admit that I'm probably wrong. Ludicrous as it sounds, Taiwan is not crazy. It's just a small island. There are too many graduates and not enough jobs in Taiwan. What will happen is an economic crisis and lots of unemployment. By forcing students to learn English, they are increasing the opportunity and likelyhood that Taiwanese professionals will move abroad to work, or at least have that ability in a scarce job market.

And, these students are probably smarter (or at least more industrious) than I am. While many won't be able to manage, most of the practical skills you need to do a specific job are learned on the job, not at university - they will probably learn enough to get the degree, which is enough to get the job - and they can learn what they have to later. And some, like the students I met tonight, will be able to move flawlessly back in forth between English and Chinese, in a complicated discipline; there is hardly a country they couldn't work in.

It's a double standard for me - I'm in Taiwan studying English, my native language. People ask why not study Chinese literature: well, because there's no way in heck, even if I'm an excellent Chinese speaker and a great academic, that I will be chosen to teach Chinese literature. In Taiwan, and probably also in America, a native Chinese speaker will get the job. It's the same in Taiwan. The university positions for teaching English and teaching English literature will often go to Native Speakers who also have an MA in English (which is what I'm studying for.)

Off the subject, I'm sick. I was sick yesterday (very sick) and today I'm sick again, although I haven't eaten anything dangerous. (Except an unwashed apple, and ONE Dorito.) It's gotten to be my private joke, when people ask, "Oh, you're allergic to MSG? So. . . do you cook at home?" And I say, "No, I just get sick." Ha. Of course its silly and stupid, but then so is throwing up after eating one Dorito. It's a ridiculous situation. I handle it the best I can.