Elaine Wu's internship report

As of early September, I have been an intern at National Chiayi University (NCYU), working under Professor Huang in the Department of E-Learning Design and Management. My job responsibilities mainly entail assisting in the development and transition of a LEGO Education Robotics course to become level-one English Medium of Instruction (EMI), including providing Mandarin to English translation of digital class materials. This is a part of the current push for EMI education among Taiwanese youth, in the light of the “Bilingual Nation 2030” plan developed by the Taiwan Ministry of Education in 2018.

Outside of my primary project, I also hold the position of Teachers Assistant for a separate EMI Communication and Presentation Design course, providing discussion facilitation and translation assistance. To supplement my work and professional development, I have participated in several EMI teaching workshops, including the EMI Teaching Training Series organized by National Kaohsiung Normal University hosted from October 14th to December 9th. Additionally, I am auditing two NCYU university classes: a Digital Video Production course entirely in Mandarin to further build upon my visual communication and Mandarin listening and speaking skills, and a “Taiwan Education and Culture Research'' course in the NCYU Global Master’s Program of Teaching Profession to gain a deeper understanding of the Taiwanese education system and the historical, cultural, and political influences that still continue to affect it today.

Additionally, the experience gained from the cultural immersion offered by this program has been invaluable. From both a personal and professional standpoint, I recognize that this opportunity to live in rural Taiwan has offered me a unique perspective in the navigation of cultural nuance and difference, in living independently and taking initiative to find support systems in a place that is foreign. Despite my previous experiences living in Yilan and Taipei, I was still often struck by differences in behavior and thinking found in Minxiong. Educating myself as an outsider and within that finding space for myself has been an incredible challenge, and there were many moments where I truly questioned my role here. However, although there were many low low’s, the sense of accomplishment and the sheer joy of the knowledge that I am growing as a person and professional in Taiwan has been invaluable.