The students of NSLI-Y Taiwan are wrapping up the end of 2014 and their first exciting semester abroad. As they approach the midpoint of their year-long program, they have become much more comfortable with their surroundings and use of the target language. The Taiwan students balanced a busy academic schedule and heartwarming moments with their host families, while also enjoying opportunities to further their language skills and delve deeper into the local culture through activities such as:
A Weekend With San Hua High School
During the weekend of October 24th, NSLI-Y Taiwan students traveled to San Hua High School in Tainan, where they spent two action-packed days with a group of twenty San Hua students and were able to experience life as teenagers in Taiwan. The students took turns giving presentations on special foods from their respective countries and together completed a challenge based on these foods. The day ended with an excursion to the night market and overnight stays at the San Hua students’ homes. The next day was just as eventful with the students and their new friends exploring the Ten Drum Culture Village and Confucius Temple.
Virtual Event: “One Day in the Life in Taiwan”
Now somewhat experts on their host countries, five of the NSLI-Y students in Taiwan acted as virtual guides into life in Taiwan during a event held by NSLI-Y Interactive with two Chinese language classrooms in the United States. The students used their Chinese skills to cover various aspects, such as host family life, school life, language learning abroad and at home, Kaoshiung activities, and Taiwanese cuisine. They also shared interesting and authentic video clips from videos they had created to share visual insight into their experiences.
A recording of the session can be found here on the NSLI-Y Interactive website.
Taiwan Natural and Aboriginal Culture
On November 15th and 16th, Taiwan students had the chance to experience the country’s natural beauty with visits to the towns of Maolin, Duona, and Sandimen in the Maolin district. The students hiked up lush, green mountain paths as charming butterflies flew all around them. The following day was spent at the Indigenous People’s Culture Park, where the students watched a performance showcasing the different cultures of Taiwan’s aboriginal tribes and made their own traditional beads. The excursion was a wonderful opportunity for the students to experience firsthand a side of Taiwanese culture in which even many of the locals have not been able to partake.