A Complete Ban on 2nd Foreign Language in Kindy

[Taiwan Luthiers]

Also, a fine of around 30,000nt for violation? That's a drop in the bucket compared to how much those cram school makes..

I've noticed from news reports that most fines (for businesses) are pathetically small compared to the magnitude of the offence, especially those related to health&safety or environmental pollution. I'm pretty sure it's intentional: the gov't is saying, sorry guys, we have to make this law so that we can look like a civilised country/appear to be doing something useful/pacify our rabid voters, but we'll make sure the fines are no more onerous than paying an equivalent bribe. Nudge nudge wink wink.

Its especially true for DUI. It makes me think its intentional too, they don't want serious penalty for DUI because legislators drive drunk themselves and don't want to get in hot water, but they have to do "something". Ever notice that most news report involving DUI causing death always involves a Mercedes or other high value vehicle?

I think if I have money to buy a car, I won't buy a car, but a truck because the only way you can die from a truck crash is if you crash into something bigger, or if you get hit by a train.

[Hamletintaiwan]

And why was my thread (German government passing law Excluding Turkish from working in Kindergartens) deleted.
Oh yes, it was a ridiculous joke.

Can't say I recall that one. We had a system glitch the other day where a number of posts were lost, could yours have been one?

That's when it disappeared.
Was a provocative false news, I came up with, anyway.
One kindergarten told me during an interview to use the back-door. That pissed me off, especially after requesting a University Diploma.

[MikeN]

The other things it mentions are forbidding teaching bopomofo until 10 weeks before elementary school, and forbidding teaching of any Chinese writing at all.

Right- like that's going to happen. I used to work in a public kindy that followed those rules, and parental pressure was so great that for 'da ban' they had to introduce after school classes that basically all the kids were signed up for.

[Enigma]

The teachers pressure for this ban because most of them have little or no English skills. It basically cuts into their teaching hours and thus their paycheck.
Later, Junior High, things begin to heat up and Westerners are activily sought to do this task. Only the really needy or stupid teachers accept these jobs. JH students dont give a shit about English and sleep through the class.
Now comes High School when they really need the skill because most are planning to study abroad after HS.
Guessed right! No classes because students need to get prepared for Uni Entrance Exams and we can't offer these frivolous classes. Thus, folks like me and some of you with an APRC get the privates that know the only way they will get past TOEFL is to pay us the money.
Ya gotta love the wisdom that puts NT in your pocket!

[Enigma]

On a side note, does anybody know of a High School that offers TOEFL as a class? I have been asking students but haven't found one yet in 12 years here. Curious.
Thanks in advance if you have a nomination.

[MikeN]

Does anybody have any references to all the in-depth studies, research projects, multi-year surveys etc. they did to arrive at this conclusion?
Because I'm sure the ROC MOE wouldn't initiate a policy calling for such hugely disruptive changes simply based on something it hauled out of its arse.

I remember a few years back when Mr.Ma was Taipei mayor, and suggested that Kindy English should be limited to backing up what the kiddies were studying in Chinese. Since that year, xiao bans were studying ants, the official suggestion was to teach 3-4 year-olds English terms such as 'larvae' 'pupae' and 'drone' instead of dog, cat and pig.

Da bans were doing colours, so the approved-by-Taipei-City book I was handed included sentences such as "the feathers of the peacock are resplendent in the mating season"- yes, that's an actual quote of what the Education Dep't thought was appropriate for 6-year-old ESL learners.

[kelake]

The other things it mentions are forbidding teaching bopomofo until 10 weeks before elementary school, and forbidding teaching of any Chinese writing at all.

Right- like that's going to happen. I used to work in a public kindy that followed those rules, and parental pressure was so great that for 'da ban' they had to introduce after school classes that basically all the kids were signed up for.

In my experience there is no topic of greater debate/concern among Taiwan parents then when to start their children writing and memorizing bopomo. The elementary schools that I have visited tell the parents to chill, that there is no rush, then at least half go home and start teaching them on their own.

[GuyInTaiwan]

Does anybody have any references to all the in-depth studies, research projects, multi-year surveys etc. they did to arrive at this conclusion?
Because I'm sure the ROC MOE wouldn't initiate a policy calling for such hugely disruptive changes simply based on something it hauled out of its arse.

I remember a few years back when Mr.Ma was Taipei mayor, and suggested that Kindy English should be limited to backing up what the kiddies were studying in Chinese. Since that year, xiao bans were studying ants, the official suggestion was to teach 3-4 year-olds English terms such as 'larvae' 'pupae' and 'drone' instead of dog, cat and pig.

Da bans were doing colours, so the approved-by-Taipei-City book I was handed included sentences such as "the feathers of the peacock are resplendent in the mating season"- yes, that's an actual quote of what the Education Dep't thought was appropriate for 6-year-old ESL learners.

Yet simply memorising that makes no more or less sense than all the other rote learning typically done in this industry.

[Whole Lotta Lotta]

Here are a list of schools that have kindergartens that I would love to see busted:
1. Any Hess school.
2. Taipei Oxford American School in Neihu. (I would really love to see that one !)
3. Future Heir in Taichung.
4. Season Arts in Taichung.
5. Washington Kindergarten. (Well not really. I have friends who work there and they seem to be genuinely nice people.)
6. Any WAGOR school.
7. Any other school with a lot of Guanxi.
If I ever hear of this happening to one of these schools, I will pop some corn and sit in front of my TV to watch the carnage, because it would be fun to see one of the big boys get caught doing what the little guys can't get away with .

[GuyInTaiwan]

WLL: I don't envision you eating any popcorn for quite a while.