Page 22 - ELG1810 Oct Issue 461

RANKING 2018 .

Taiwan takes to Clil

Taiwan is introducing bilingual teaching with a view to moving towards
English medium. But is that a step to far? Melanie Butler investigates.

aiwan is the latest Asian region to look to Clil methods to ability, neither their English language
improve its English language results. The Ministry of Education levels, nor those of their subject
will establish 160 bilingual classes across the island, according to teachers, were measured. He also
Tthe Taipei Times. suggested that immersion might work
Currently, children are not taught English until they are nine years better at primary.
old and only do one hour a week until they are 11. Bilingual classes are Singapore, by contrast, has an
restricted to a small number of ‘experimental’ schools. extremely successful English medium
Closer inspection of the press reports, however, suggest that the long system. All academic subjects are
term aim is to introduce English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI). taught in English from the first year of school. The country not only
‘The administration plans to gradually introduce all-English teaching at consistently tops the international test results for academic study, it also
elementary, junior and senior-high schools,’ the Taipei Times reports. It has the best English language results in Asia.
also aims to provide ‘subsidies to 720 schools offering English medium But the reason for the difference between these two former British
classes in world history, world geography, mathematics and science.’ colonies is likely to be demographic. Over 95 per cent of the citizens of
EMI has long been popular with Asian parents, especially the ethnic Hong King are ethnic Chinese and 90 per cent are Cantonese L1. The
Chinese. Outcomes however, have been mixed. Chinese make up 72 per cent of Singaporean citizens but they speak five,
In Hong Kong’s state system, for example, parental demand for English often mutually unintelligible, dialects.
medium education has led to an increasing number of English schools English is the natural lingua franca of Singapore and of its schools.
but outcomes have been disappointing. Every Singaporean child must by law attend a state primary and every
A controversial of study in 2000 by Professor Herb Marsh found primary must represent the exact ethnic make-up of the citizenry.
that late entry English immersion in high schools led to an improvement Meanwhile in Hong Kong, where Cantonese is the lingua franca
in outcomes in both English and Mandarin but results in other and most state schools teach in Mandarin, more and more wealthy
subjects plummeted. parents are choosing private sector English medium schools.
International Clil generally denies these results. Marsh himself, The lesson for Taiwan, where 84 per cent of citizens speak Mandarin
however, points out that while the children were selected on academic at home, is that English medium may be a step too far.

22 October 2018