To promote the quality of bilingual education across Taiwan’s higher education institutions, the EMI Teaching Resource Center at Taiwan Tech recently held a "Teaching Development Consultant Training" program. The training brought together 17 teachers from eight universities and colleges, including Ming Chi University of Technology and Chang Gung University, representing a variety of disciplines. The four-day, 20-hour program focused on establishing and implementing classroom observation and feedback mechanisms, aiming to help participating institutions strengthen the quality of their EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) courses and, in turn, improve students’ English learning outcomes.

To enhance the quality of bilingual education across Taiwan’s higher education institutions, the EMI Teaching Resource Center at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology recently held a "Teaching Development Consultant Training" program, bringing together 17 teachers from eight universities and colleges, including Ming Chi University of Technology and Chang Gung University, representing a wide range of disciplines.

The core goal of this training was to establish a teaching support and quality assurance network that can be extended to universities and colleges nationwide. Participating teachers not only conducted in-depth analyses of teaching cases but also used standardized classroom observation forms developed by the center to practice on-site observation and feedback, improving both the accuracy and usefulness of their evaluations.

The program featured Professor Ng Ying-Seng from the National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore as the keynote speaker. A three-time recipient of the “Best Teacher Award”, Professor Ng brings extensive experience in teaching guidance and quality management. Through real-world cases and digital resources, he guided teachers to reinterpret what constitutes a “good lesson” from a fresh perspective, earning high praise from participants.

Professor Ng Ying-Seng from the National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore used real-world cases and digital resources to guide teachers in interpreting a “good lesson” from a fresh perspective.

Professor Huie-Jhen Wen from the Center of Physical Education at Tzu Chi University noted that this training broke away from the typical lecture format, encouraging teachers to reflect on the core values of effective teaching from different perspectives. Wei-Zhi Lian, Director of the Bilingual Teaching Center at Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, praised the long-term potential of the “Teaching Development Consultant Training” program and expressed hope that, with continued support from Taiwan Tech’s EMI Teaching and Learning Center and the Ministry of Education, its scope could expand nationwide to help universities establish a systematic quality assurance mechanism for teaching.

Teachers who completed the first cohort of the training were recommended by the EMI units at their respective universities. They will be certified by the Taiwan Tech EMI Teaching and Learning Center as “Teaching Development Consultants” and will participate in classroom observation and feedback activities for EMI courses nationwide, assisting faculty in enhancing bilingual teaching skills and improving course quality and student learning outcomes.

In addition to conducting in-depth analyses of teaching cases, participating teachers used standardized classroom observation forms developed by the center to carry out on-site observations and feedback exercises, enhancing the accuracy and practical value of their evaluations.

Teachers participating in the Teaching Development Consultant Training engaged in group discussions and feedback exercises focused on teaching cases.

The Ministry of Education and the Taiwan Tech EMI Teaching Resource Center jointly released the “Guidelines for Strategies and Reference Resources to Improve Students’ English Proficiency in Technical and Vocational Universities and Colleges,” which emphasize that teacher professional development and teaching feedback are key factors in ensuring the quality of EMI/ESP courses and enhancing students’ English skills. Taiwan Tech EMI Teaching and Learning Center Executive Director Yo-Ming Hsieh stated that the center will continue to organize advanced training programs to cultivate more consultants with professional classroom observation skills and invite more bilingual education advocates to join, collectively opening a new chapter for bilingual higher education in Taiwan.

The Taiwan Tech EMI Teaching and Learning Center is committed to providing customized resources for higher education institutions nationwide to support EMI/ESP course implementation. Services include teacher capacity-building training, expert consultant matching, cross-institutional teacher communities, TA and tutor training, and ESP curriculum development, all aimed at strengthening professional English proficiency and international competitiveness among faculty and students in the technical and vocational education system.

For more information on the Teaching Development Consultant Training and EMI-related resources, please visit the Taiwan Tech EMI Teaching and Learning Center official website: https://ntusttlc.ntust.edu.tw/