Teaching Chinese as a Second Language at National Chi Nan University

Awards are available to pursue a full-time Master’s Degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language at National Chi Nan University (NCNU). The program is taught primarily in Mandarin.

Established in central Taiwan in 1995, National Chi Nan University is tasked with both securing the inheritance of classical Chinese culture and cultivating a new generation of global-minded professionals. With close access to Taiwan’s famed Sun-Moon Lake, NCNU is home to collegial teams competing in rowing, archery, yachting, golfing, and medals from recent international sporting events.

The program curriculum emphasizes: 1) inter-disciplinary training: Faculty members have expertise in the fields of curriculum and teaching; Chinese linguistics, lexicology, syntax and phonetics; Chinese literature, history and culture; second language acquisition, applied linguistics, philosophy education, programming language and computer science, international and transcultural studies; 2) focus on the integration of theory and practice: Taking a student-centered approach, the curriculum is designed to foster students’ self-awareness, knowledge acquisition, and skill building in the teaching profession and to empower their ability to gain and utilize knowledge from practice; 3) practical courses: Through teaching practica on campus in Taiwan as well as NCNU’s international cooperative schools or universities abroad, students are given opportunities to explore the actual practice of teaching in real-life classrooms and virtual ones under the supervision of a mentor, typically involving actual teaching as well as duties related to the profession; 4) Southeast Asian languages: Learning Burmese, Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese and making friends with international students from Southeast Asia has never been easier; the Department of Southeast Asian Studies in the College of Humanities has them all, which is unique both in Taiwan and other non-South-East-Asian countries; 5) English teaching opportunities: In collaboration with the Language Teaching and Research Center, international students are given the opportunity to teach English to local students on campus.

The award is co-sponsored by the National Chi Nan University. The program will take 3 years to earn a master’s degree. International students spend their first year in studying Chinese in order to improve their Chinese language and study skills to the level needed for the program study. After completing a Chinese language program, international students will continue their studies toward their master’s degree. NCNU offers full tuition waivers and student dormitory as long as the candidate maintains satisfactory academic standards.