National Chengchi University (NCCU) Taiwan Huayu BEST Program: Teaching Experience Shared by Ms. Shu-Wan Chang from the University of Leeds
Date :
2026-03-26
Department :
Chinese Language Center
【Article by CLC】
On March 5, 2026, NCCU’s Chinese Language Center invited Ms. Shu-Wan Chang, the Chinese language teacher dispatched to the University of Leeds (UK) under NCCU’s Taiwan Huayu BEST Program for 2025–2026, to deliver a speech titled “The Final Report of a Visiting Scholar at the University of Leeds: Observations and Practices in Taiwan–UK Collaboration on Chinese Language Teaching.” She shared her first-hand experience of teaching Chinese at the University of Leeds, providing valuable insights for those interested in teaching Chinese in the UK.
Ms. Chang previously taught at an international school in Thailand and worked for many years as a full-time Chinese language teacher at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the U.S. Language Flagship Overseas Center at National Chengchi University in Taiwan. With the support of NCCU’s Taiwan Huayu BEST Program, she began teaching Chinese at the University of Leeds in 2025. The University of Leeds, with a strong academic reputation, is one of the UK’s renowned “red brick” universities and is consistently ranked among the top 100 universities in the world. The School of Languages, Cultures and Societies (LCS) where Ms. Chang worked is one of the largest language centers in the UK. The school is currently undergoing a transition under the Modern Languages Framework, emphasizing that language learning should not be purely academic, but should be deeply integrated with society, culture, and professional skills.
Ms. Chang was a visiting scholar at the University of Leeds and her main responsibilities included offering Traditional Chinese character literacy workshops, student tutoring, participating in various seminars and workshops at Leeds, promoting the Taiwan Huayu BEST Program and offering consultation on scholarship applications. In practice, she encountered multiple challenges. For example, because the courses were non-credit, some students did not take them seriously, resulting in inconsistent attendance. In the UK, most mainstream Chinese textbooks are still based on Simplified Chinese, and students often find it difficult at first to read Traditional Chinese characters, creating challenges in bridging between simplified and traditional scripts. Regarding the Huayu BEST Program scholarships, Ms. Chang also pointed out that for UK students who have never been to Taiwan and have little understanding of Taipei’s cost of living, especially rent, the scholarship amount can feel abstract and unclear. Without concrete comparisons, students may struggle to determine whether the funding is sufficient to support daily life, which can affect their willingness to study Chinese in Taiwan. In addition, a Huayu BEST Program Chinese language instructor’s teaching hours were limited due to visa restrictions. In recent years, tighter UK work visa policies and higher hiring costs have created structural barriers for Taiwanese universities dispatching Chinese language teachers overseas, making it difficult for Taiwanese teachers to establish a long-term presence in the UK.
In response to these challenges, Ms. Chang proposed several strategies. Whether teaching credit courses or culture classes, teachers should prepare carefully and teach with dedication, taking every student seriously. During scholarship information sessions, she suggested inviting alumni and senior students who have studied in Taiwan to share their experiences and practical living information, using “peer endorsement” to reduce students’ anxiety about the unknown. Ms. Chang particularly emphasized that Taiwanese Chinese language teachers’ strengths overseas lie in their deep connection to values and culture. Taiwanese teachers, shaped by democratic and free values, can encourage more open and in-depth discussions of social issues. Their strong understanding of traditional Chinese characters and culture also enables them to provide more meaningful and human-centered instruction that traces language back to its cultural roots. Compared with other approaches, their teaching style is often more lively, flexible, and attentive to students’ feelings. She also noted that Taiwanese teachers can enhance their competitiveness in various ways, such as improving digital skills; participating in workshops, seminars, and training programs to build expertise and expand professional networks; developing additional foreign language abilities beyond English; and making good use of Taiwan’s cultural strengths, including cuisine, festivals, and the arts. Ms. Chang further shared that the ability to improvise is crucial in interviews for overseas teaching positions, so thorough preparation in advance is essential.
Ms. Chang’s excellent sharing helped participants who are interested in teaching Chinese overseas better understand real-world conditions and provided meaningful support for their future career planning. These dispatched Chinese language teachers are not only instructors of the language, but also important ambassadors who convey the essence of Taiwanese culture. NCCU’s Chinese Language Center will continue to send Taiwanese Chinese language teachers to partner universities across Europe and North America to expand Taiwan’s impact on Chinese-language education. Our Center will also regularly invite teachers returning from overseas to share their experiences and answer participants’ questions, helping more talented Chinese teachers to pursue their dreams abroad.
On March 5, 2026, NCCU’s Chinese Language Center invited Ms. Shu-Wan Chang, the Chinese language teacher dispatched to the University of Leeds (UK) under NCCU’s Taiwan Huayu BEST Program for 2025–2026, to deliver a speech titled “The Final Report of a Visiting Scholar at the University of Leeds: Observations and Practices in Taiwan–UK Collaboration on Chinese Language Teaching.” She shared her first-hand experience of teaching Chinese at the University of Leeds, providing valuable insights for those interested in teaching Chinese in the UK.
Ms. Chang previously taught at an international school in Thailand and worked for many years as a full-time Chinese language teacher at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the U.S. Language Flagship Overseas Center at National Chengchi University in Taiwan. With the support of NCCU’s Taiwan Huayu BEST Program, she began teaching Chinese at the University of Leeds in 2025. The University of Leeds, with a strong academic reputation, is one of the UK’s renowned “red brick” universities and is consistently ranked among the top 100 universities in the world. The School of Languages, Cultures and Societies (LCS) where Ms. Chang worked is one of the largest language centers in the UK. The school is currently undergoing a transition under the Modern Languages Framework, emphasizing that language learning should not be purely academic, but should be deeply integrated with society, culture, and professional skills.
Ms. Chang was a visiting scholar at the University of Leeds and her main responsibilities included offering Traditional Chinese character literacy workshops, student tutoring, participating in various seminars and workshops at Leeds, promoting the Taiwan Huayu BEST Program and offering consultation on scholarship applications. In practice, she encountered multiple challenges. For example, because the courses were non-credit, some students did not take them seriously, resulting in inconsistent attendance. In the UK, most mainstream Chinese textbooks are still based on Simplified Chinese, and students often find it difficult at first to read Traditional Chinese characters, creating challenges in bridging between simplified and traditional scripts. Regarding the Huayu BEST Program scholarships, Ms. Chang also pointed out that for UK students who have never been to Taiwan and have little understanding of Taipei’s cost of living, especially rent, the scholarship amount can feel abstract and unclear. Without concrete comparisons, students may struggle to determine whether the funding is sufficient to support daily life, which can affect their willingness to study Chinese in Taiwan. In addition, a Huayu BEST Program Chinese language instructor’s teaching hours were limited due to visa restrictions. In recent years, tighter UK work visa policies and higher hiring costs have created structural barriers for Taiwanese universities dispatching Chinese language teachers overseas, making it difficult for Taiwanese teachers to establish a long-term presence in the UK.
In response to these challenges, Ms. Chang proposed several strategies. Whether teaching credit courses or culture classes, teachers should prepare carefully and teach with dedication, taking every student seriously. During scholarship information sessions, she suggested inviting alumni and senior students who have studied in Taiwan to share their experiences and practical living information, using “peer endorsement” to reduce students’ anxiety about the unknown. Ms. Chang particularly emphasized that Taiwanese Chinese language teachers’ strengths overseas lie in their deep connection to values and culture. Taiwanese teachers, shaped by democratic and free values, can encourage more open and in-depth discussions of social issues. Their strong understanding of traditional Chinese characters and culture also enables them to provide more meaningful and human-centered instruction that traces language back to its cultural roots. Compared with other approaches, their teaching style is often more lively, flexible, and attentive to students’ feelings. She also noted that Taiwanese teachers can enhance their competitiveness in various ways, such as improving digital skills; participating in workshops, seminars, and training programs to build expertise and expand professional networks; developing additional foreign language abilities beyond English; and making good use of Taiwan’s cultural strengths, including cuisine, festivals, and the arts. Ms. Chang further shared that the ability to improvise is crucial in interviews for overseas teaching positions, so thorough preparation in advance is essential.
Ms. Chang’s excellent sharing helped participants who are interested in teaching Chinese overseas better understand real-world conditions and provided meaningful support for their future career planning. These dispatched Chinese language teachers are not only instructors of the language, but also important ambassadors who convey the essence of Taiwanese culture. NCCU’s Chinese Language Center will continue to send Taiwanese Chinese language teachers to partner universities across Europe and North America to expand Taiwan’s impact on Chinese-language education. Our Center will also regularly invite teachers returning from overseas to share their experiences and answer participants’ questions, helping more talented Chinese teachers to pursue their dreams abroad.