By William Hetherington / Staff writer, with CNA
Recalling his time as an exchange student in Taiwan, Singapore’s deputy representative to Taiwan Wang Zonghan (王宗翰) said that Taiwanese people are what impressed him most about the experience.
Wang in a recent media interview spoke highly of the family that hosted him when he participated in the Taiwan-Singapore high-school exchange program in 1994.
The program, launched in 1983, is now in its 40th year. This year, the program saw Taiwanese students going to Singapore in July, and Singaporean students coming to Taipei in November.
Photo: CNA
For Singaporean students, participating in the program is about getting the full Taiwan experience, Wang said.
One of the things Wang felt everyone in the program should do is to take the bus to classes to experience commuting as a student, he said.
“Once I fell asleep on the bus and missed my stop, so I decided to go for chicken cutlets before getting the bus back home,” he said.
Initially, the program was envisioned as a way for Singaporean students to study Mandarin in an effective learning environment.
The experience allowed students to experience the language in an appropriate cultural environment, rather than just studying it in a classroom in Singapore, he said.
“It really is an effective approach, some students made miraculous progress in learning Chinese,” he said.
In addition to learning Mandarin, the program also includes extracurricular activities such as calligraphy classes, cooking and other cultural content, he said.
Every year, five high-schools in Taipei are chosen to hold exchanges with five junior colleges in Singapore. The Singaporean schools include Victoria Junior College, Raffles Institution, Hwa Chong Junior College, Temasek Junior College and National Junior College.
“The homestay was an opportunity for me to truly immerse myself in Taiwanese society,” he said.
“While friends of mine stayed in the middle of Taipei, I was in the suburbs, but I felt that gave me a greater emotional connection with my surroundings.”
Wang’s homestay was located in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District (三重) — formerly, Sanchong City in Taipei County, he said. When the homestay family suddenly had to leave the city and visit southern Taiwan to attend a funeral, they first made arrangements for him and ensured he was taken care of in their absence, he said, adding that he remains in touch with the family today.
“Singapore and Taiwan have many exchanges in the fields of economy, trade and culture, but student exchanges are the best way to deepen bilateral relations in the long term,” he said.
“As a diplomat, I will promote such exchanges for future generations of students.”
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