Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Abstract: ABSTRACT \nLANGUAGE POLICY IN TAIWAN: AGE AS A FACTOR OF SECOND \nLANGUAGE ACQUISITION \nby \nPei-Ying Lee \nMaster of Arts in Teaching International Languages \nCalifornia State University, Chico \nSpring 2009 \nAge has been viewed as the most important factor of language acquisition in \nTaiwan, and it is also used as a slogan to attract parents to send their children to learn \nEnglish at an earlier age. The theory of the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) leads parents \nto believe that children should learn English as soon as possible or lose their advantages. \nOther factors such as motivation and environment have been ignored in considerations \nof language acquisition in Taiwan. Proponents of the CPH have argued that \nchildren who acquire a second language earlier can obtain native-like accents, but opponents \nstress that children perform better in second language acquisition once they already \nacquire their first language. \nIn the last ten years, English language policy has been changed and revised, \nespecially the official starting age of learning English in Taiwan. Before 2001, English \nvii \nwas officially taught in seventh grade. Due to a high demand from the public, the Ministry \nof Education (MOE) decided to offer English instruction in the elementary \nschools. Related to the issues of English language policy in Taiwan are unqualified \nteachers, limited class time, inconsistent curriculum, limited teacher training and resources \nfor rural areas. It is important to help children establish interests in learning \nEnglish and the government should provide alternate ways for public to access English \neducation, such as television program on public television service and internet resources.
Author: Pei‐Ying Lee
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2135190480