Placement Information
Partner Organization: Fulbright Taiwan
Eligible Program Dates: 3-6 months starting in mid-January 2025.
Host Institution Expectations: The participants’ host institution placements will be arranged and finalized in consultation with potential hosts by Fulbright Taiwan. Most participants will likely be placed at one of Taiwan’s leading universities.
Language Requirement: None. Knowledge of Mandarin is useful but not mandatory.
Dependent Information: An allowance of $2,000 per eligible dependent will be provided as part of the grant. For dependents to be eligible for school enrollment, participants are suggested to have the maximum 6-month grant. Please note if foreigners plan to study in Taiwan, they have to enter Taiwan with the resident visa. Resident visa application requires an intended stay for at least 6 months. Foreigners should go to Taiwan’s local immigration service centers to apply for the Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) within 15 days upon their arrival in Taiwan. Once foreigners receive their ARC cards, they can be eligible to enroll at schools in Taiwan.
Overview
Country Overview: Taiwan features a foreigner-friendly environment with increasing in-bound travel and immigration, thriving international trade, and democratic institutions and freedoms. While Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language, Taiwan citizens are capable in basic English. Taiwan places emphasis on education, with an adult literacy rate over 98%. Please visit https://www.taiwan.gov.tw/about.php to learn more about Taiwan, including history, politics/diplomacy, economy, science/technology, and education/culture.
Educational System Overview: Taiwan’s school system is renowned for producing exceptionally high levels of attainment with some of the highest scores in the world on comparative international tests, especially in mathematics and science. In the administration of the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) test every year, Taiwan’s students routinely score well above OECD averages. Over 95% of high school graduates go on to institutions of higher education. Taiwan’s educational performance has been attributed to its Confucian cultural values, sustained public investment in education at all levels, and active participation in the global economy. Currently, the main issues which Taiwan is addressing include:
• Demographic changes resulting in school consolidation and pressures on private tertiary education
• Bilingual immersion programs beginning in elementary schools and junior high schools
• Greater emphasis on two-way educational exchange (more foreign students studying in Taiwan and more Taiwanese students studying overseas)
English learning is a key focus of education in Taiwan. English education is treated as a tool to keep up with the rapid globalization of the world economy. In 2018 the Premier announced to extend English learning to pre-K schools and to extend content learning in English from the 1st to the 3rd grades. Taiwan has announced a goal of bilingual fluency by 2030. In developing English education in Taiwan, the following issues are to be addressed:
• Shortage of qualified English teachers, especially in remote areas
• Divergence of textbooks
• Large classes of students with mixed proficiency
• Need for more native speakers of English in teaching roles
For more information about Taiwan’s educational system, please refer to Ministry of Education’s website at https://english.moe.gov.tw/mp-1.html
Possible Topics of Interest for U.S. Educators:
All specializations are welcome, although these below are particularly appropriate:
• Cooperation and collaboration between schools
• School Leadership
• Behavior Management
• Subject knowledge in English, Math, Science, Chinese
• Curriculum Development
• Bilingual Education
• Teacher Training
• Teacher Recruitment and Retention
• Online learning and e-learning: Potential and Benefits
• Educational Technology and Teaching Computer Science
Additional Resources