Taipei, Oct. 31 (CNA) An education foundation aims to duplicate the success of the first English Village in Taoyuan County and take it to other cities in Taiwan by setting up more English Villages by mid-2008, providing better English learning environments for students, a foundation executive said Wednesday.
"With the experience and success of the Taoyuan English Village, we are looking for establishing two to three villages by summer 2008. We are also calling for more corporate sponsors to join us in developing better English learning environments for the next generation, " said Morgan Sun, General Director of King Car Education Foundation.
The foundation established the first English Village in Taiwan, which began operation in September. The village has 12 situational classrooms and employs volunteer American English teachers. It has received much praise and has been popular among students, Sun said.
The village creates all-English situational environments, such as an airline passenger compartment, a bank and a restaurant. Students are able to enjoy a virtual flight in the cabin, withdraw money from an ATM (Automated Teller Machine), and order meals in the restaurant with the help and an introduction from foreign teachers.
"All counties and cities interested in building up a program are welcome to talk to us by Nov. 15, " Sun said, adding that it will only take an estimate of NT$6 million to establish an English Village because the foundation planned to utilize abandoned classrooms across the country and turn them into situational classrooms.
Expenditures to hire 10 English teachers will cost around NT$2 million annually, he estimated.
Sponsorship from corporations will definitely ease the financial burden in setting up these institutions, Sun said. Currently, EVA Air and the International Commercial Bank of China's Cultural and Educational Foundation have pledged to sponsor the situational classrooms.
Sun encouraged more local companies from the hotel, high tech, and other industries to contribute to Taiwan's English education. However, Sun insisted on undertaking the project with "civil effort" rather than directly cooperating with governments because going through the endless official procedures would be a "waste of time."
English Villages will be financially supported by the local government, corporate sponsors, visitors and the foundation itself, Sun noted.