Exchange students from Canada share views on Taiwan
Betel nuts, Taiwan-isms, and political views. These are some of the aspects of life in Taiwan that stood out the most to 12 students from Canada's University of Alberta who arrived here three months ago.
The students were led by a U of A teacher, Zeb Raft, in a program meant to expand their horizons and offer intensive Chinese instruction. At an event last Thursday marking the end of their trip, Raft praised NTNU's Mandarin Training Center and talked of plans for closer cooperation between the two schools.
Students also shared their experiences living in Taiwan. One student named Branda said she was fascinated by youth slang, like using the word "motorcycle" to call someone annoying. Another student, Tyler, talked about his informal man-on-the-street research on Taiwanese attitudes toward political identities. A third-year Social Education major at NTNU, Li Wan-chien (李宛蒨), said it was fascinating to see how Westerners approach learning differently from Taiwanese students.
The students will give a more detailed end-of-semester report on June 13 at NTNU's Wenhui Hall (文薈廳), open to the public.