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Promote Teaching of Authentic Chinese Writing Form in Georgia

November 17, 2006

Director General R.C. Wu, accompanied by Senior Consular Officer Robin Cheng, spoke of promoting authentic Chinese teaching in Georgia during a luncheon in Nashville, Tennessee hosted by a Taiwanese delegation, the members of which also attended the annual convention and exhibition of American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Members of the delegation included Taiwan National Palace Museum executives, Association of Chinese Language Teachers in the U.S., and educational software and textbook publishers, all present to promote the teaching of traditional Chinese characters rather than the simplified and Romanized language forms that are now being promoted by China. Also attending the lunch were members of the U.S. College Board, ACTFL members and convention participants, and representatives from the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages.

Mr. Wu spoke on the cooperation between his office, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta, and the local and state boards of education regarding the teaching of traditional Chinese in state institutions. He noted that even in light of the unique and culturally diverse history of Taiwan, the Taiwanese were able and proud to maintain traditional Chinese language forms. Mr. Wu stressed the importance of combining tradition with progress to imbue modern relevance and renewed meaning into old and venerable ways.

Mr. Wu followed his speech with exchanges on the issue of traditional Chinese teaching with Mr. Tom Watts, Director of the Advanced Placement Chinese Language Courses of the College Board of Education and Mr. Bott Van Houten, President of the National Council of State Supervisors for Foreign Languages.

吳處長參加美國外語教學年會並發表演講

吳榮泉處長偕同鄭榮俊秘書參加全美外語教學年會，並在台灣代表團主辦的午餐會上發表演講，共有與會美國各州教育界官方人員及外語教科書業者共兩百多人出席。台灣代表團由駐美代表處文化組長及教育部派駐德州人員及由台北來的華語教材業者所組成。吳處長曾介紹亞特蘭大各來自台灣僑民所辦中文學校教學情形，並強調中國使用簡體字，其人民未能閱讀幾百年前，甚至幾千年前先人所寫的書籍，那是一項極為遺憾的事，而美國數千萬人竟然在中國熱潮中蜂擁地學習中國式華語。所幸台灣仍保有傳統，學習華語應到台北而非北京。

Click on thumbnails to enlarge:

照片說明 Photo captions from left to right:

(1) 吳處長參觀台北華語教材業者所設攤位。
Mr. Wu visits Taiwan both in the seminar.

(2) 吳處長與午餐會中演講。
Mr. Wu speaks at the luncheon, hosted by Taiwan Delegation, of ACTFL.