The Taiwan-Thailand Talent Circulation Base at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) recently collaborated with the university’s Language Center to host the “Mandarin Teacher Training Program” for Thai educators.
In order to meet the growing demand for Mandarin Chinese learning in Thailand and enhance cultural exchange between Taiwan and Thailand, NPUST is building up a supportive learning system for Thai students coming to Taiwan. To facilitate these efforts, the Talent Circulation Base and the Language Center co-organized a training program from October 13 to October 18 this year (2025). Following a selection process, a total of 20 outstanding Mandarin Chinese teachers from Thailand were chosen to participate in the training in Taiwan.
The opening ceremony for the program was held at NPUST on October 14. Vice President for Educational Affairs, Dr. Shang-Min Ma, remarked on the program, saying that, “for Thai students who wish to pursue advanced studies in Taiwan, the teachers undergoing this training will play very key roles.”
In addition to participating in online courses and conducting teaching demonstrations, the visiting Thai teachers experienced the local culture of Pingtung and Kaohsiung, with a visit to the Pingtung-based cultural and creative brand TAIWAN DYE and the Pier-2 Art Center in Kaohsiung.
COURSE CONTENT
Some of the program highlights included, “Digital Learning for Mandarin Chinese”, “Demonstration and Practice of Intermediate and Advanced Level Teaching”, “Pronunciation Correction for Hanyu Pinyin and Chinese Characters”, “Curriculum Design for Language and Culture”, and “Introductory/Basic Mandarin Chinese Learning and Activity Design”. The program also incorporated three hours of Teaching observations and demonstrations.
Through the program, the instructors enriched the Thai teachers with an abundance of online teaching resources and valuable classroom experience. For instance, the “Digital Learning for Mandarin Chinese” course demonstrated how to integrate AI and use platforms like Canvas and Google Sites to create engaging learning webpages and in-class quizzes. This approach makes Mandarin learning more vibrant and it is able to transcend the limitations of time and location. Other courses, focused on teaching philosophies and cross-cultural classroom management techniques. The “Curriculum Design for Chinese Language and Culture” course highlighted activity design experiences and emphasized the vital role of cultural experience in language acquisition.
CULTURAL IMMERSION
The 20 Thai teachers selected for the training program possess diverse and extensive Mandarin Chinese teaching experience. The program was designed to give each teacher an opportunity to conduct a trial teaching presentation, where they demonstrated impressive creativity and passion.
To provide the teachers with a deeper sense of local Taiwanese culture, the Talent Circulation Base team led the group to visit a betel nut orchard, where they experienced the cultural and creative vitality of Hakka villages. Furthermore, the Dean of the Office of International Affairs, Dr. Vincent Ru-Chu Shih, personally served as the local guide, leading the teachers to visit well-known scenic spots in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area, and providing them with a rich experience of the local culture.
The Taiwan-Thailand Talent Circulation Base at NPUST was officially inaugurated in July this year (2025). Its goal is to leverage resources from industry, government, and academia to cultivate leadership talent in both Taiwan and Thailand. This will be achieved by providing students with international perspectives and practical skills through academic exchange, corporate internships, and cultural activities. The recent Thai teacher training program represents a significant milestone on the path toward this vision and emphasizes Taiwan and Thailand’s bilateral commitment to build a better learning and employment environment for higher education.
