05/21/2017．Wenzao Helps with the Internationalization of Taiwanese Glove Puppetry in Southeast Asia

 

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  　 　 　 view: Xie Nian-yu (right), a fourth-grade student of the Department of Translation and Interpreting of Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages put on the costume of a puppet character to promote Taiwanese cultures at Lohas Taiwan Travel Fair in MalaysiaPhoto courtesy of Associate Professor Shih Chung-hsien       May 21, 2017 【News release: Department of Applied Chinese】     　Pei-Yu Shih, third grader of the 5-year junior college program in the Department of English at the Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages (Wenzao), has been a diligent student. In mid-February this year, she took a TOEIC exam and got a perfect score of 990 (Taiwanese exam takers score 540/990 on average). Carrisa Jui-Fang Chang, Dean of the College of English and International Studies at Wenzao, awarded a certificate of merit to Shih for her outstanding performance. 　　Shih is 18 years old this year. She scored 875/990 on TOEIC when she was a second grader in junior high school. To apply for an exchange program, she took the TOEIC exam again, and turned out to score 990/990. Shih started to learn English when she was two and a half years old. During elementary school, Shih enrolled in all-English learning programs offered by an after-school institute near her school, which laid a foundation of English learning for her. In fact, Shih admitted that she had resisted English initially when she started learning the language. Fortunately, Shih’s teachers guided her step by step from memorizing English words and building vocabulary to keeping a journal after watching English TV series and even translating English textbooks into Chinese. Shih gradually developed a good command of English, and finally started to enjoy learning it. 　　“Learning takes passion,” said Shih. Every day after school, she spends three hours surfing the Internet, not only reading English novels and e-books, but also watching UK and US drama series, TV series, films, and talk shows on YouTube, or the BBC’s international news. Learning without stress allows Shih to develop English reading and listening skills. 　　Shih is currently in the third year of study in the Department of English at Wenzao. According to her, Wenzao’s faculty teach in a flexible and interesting manner, and she has benefited considerably from basic courses as well. For example, the courses taught by senior Lecturer Lee-Fen Lan are solid and practical. The instructor is attentive to every student’s learning condition, and encourages students to speak up in class. In the course “English Listening and Conversation” taught by Prof. I-Chen Huang, who is also Deputy Chair of the Department of English, pre-edited audio tracks are played for students to summarize and note down the detailed content promptly before practicing English conversation by topic. Students feel thrilled to meet every challenge in class, and their English listening and speaking skills improve substantially. 　　Shih joined the English Speech Club at Wenzao to increase the opportunities of practicing speaking English. Moreover, she provided English services in international competitions such as the 2016 Asian Junior Volleyball Championship, and attended the 2015 Asia Pacific City Summit in Taiwan as a Wenzao representative. Shih is curious about the world of English, and her interest in the language increases as she learns more about it. Usually, she chooses to read original English books rather than translated works. “It is very important to develop English skills in daily life,” said Shih. Currently, she has been admitted to the exchange program of Wenzao’s partner school Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, and is scheduled to start a 6-month study in Canada this September. After graduation, Shih plans to study for a master’s degree in Britain, and hopes to pursue a career in translation, teaching, or international trade.    Photos courtesy of Associate Professor Shih Chung-hsien, Department of Applied Chinese Xie Nian-yu (left) from the Department of Translation and Interpreting promotes traditional Taiwanese cultures at Lohas Taiwan Travel Fair in Penang, Malaysia  Amazed Malaysian visitors take photos with glove puppets Zhang Wei-ting (left) interprets for Samadhi Tang’s performance Zhang Wei-ting (left) introduces Taiwanese glove puppetry to a Western visitor   Xie Nian-yu (first from the left) interprets for a member of Samadhi Tang  Zhang Wei-ting (right) introduces glove puppets to visitors to the travel fair