Date and Venue
Pre-conference workshops:
- March 22, 2024
- The Language Training & Testing Center（財團法人語言訓練測驗中心）, Taipei, Taiwan
Main conference:
- March 23, 2024
- Zonghe Lecture Building, National Taiwan University（國立臺灣大學綜合教學館）, Taipei, Taiwan
Supervised by
Ministry of Education
Organized by
Language Training & Testing Center
Co-organized by (in alphabetical order)
- British Council
- Center for Higher Education EMI Professional Development (EMI PD Center)
- National Sun Yat-sen University
- National Taiwan Normal University
- National Taiwan University
- Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages
*Special thanks to the Ministry of Education for its guidance and support and to the British Council for its sponsorship.
Conference Chairs
Sherry Hsin-ying Li
李欣穎
Professor, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, National Taiwan University
Vincent Wuchang Chang
張武昌
Theme Statement
The Program on Bilingual Education for Students in College (the BEST program) was initiated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in 2021 to equip college students with the English communication skills for effective participation not only in local English Medium Instruction (EMI) courses but also in future global academic pursuits and professional advancement. The BEST program has launched several noteworthy initiatives, including the establishment of resource centers strategically designed to provide support for the diverse stakeholders, as well as tailored teacher training programs for both EMI and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses. Furthermore, the program incorporates the development of the BEST Test of English Proficiency (BESTEP), an assessment platform designed specifically for Taiwanese college students.
The BEST program has been in operation for nearly three years now. We believe that hosting a conference with the theme “Rethinking English Language Education at the Tertiary Level Under Taiwan’s Bilingual Education Policy: Synergizing Learning, Teaching, and Assessment” will offer valuable opportunities for a critical examination of the aforementioned initiatives. Such an evaluation will not just showcase the experiences and outcomes achieved through the BEST program, but more importantly, it will facilitate a comprehensive exploration of the roles of teaching, assessment, and technology in the development of English language education at the tertiary level. To lay the groundwork for this exploration, it is imperative to first adopt a robust and inclusive learning system that aims to synergize learning, teaching, and assessment. Such a system will enable us to thoroughly review current implementation efforts, guided by clearly defined language proficiency models that align with the characteristics of English learners at the tertiary level in Taiwan. We believe that this holistic approach represents significant progress toward realizing the goals of the overarching conference theme.
In light of these considerations, the LTTC, under the supervision of the MOE and in partnership with the British Council and university resource centers across Taiwan, will convene an International Conference on Bilingual Education on March 22 (Fri.) and 23 (Sat.), 2024, at the campus of National Taiwan University. The conference will address the following sub-themes critical to enhancing the English proficiency of college students in Taiwan:
- EAP/ESP course design and instruction
- Planning and implementing EMI/CLIL
- Learning-oriented assessment in EAP/ESP education
- Alignment of college English programs to international standards
- Technology-enhanced English education
- Professional development of English instructors
The conference will feature two pre-conference workshops, two plenary speeches, over twenty invited paper presentations, and one panel session, all aimed at addressing crucial issues pertaining to the ongoing implementation of the BEST program. We have invited both international and domestic scholars and experts to share their research findings and professional insights in these fields. Our goal is to provide English language education planners, researchers, and practitioners at the tertiary level with fresh perspectives on how to redefine English language education within the framework of Taiwan’s bilingual education policy.