東西文化交流與交融的速度隨著全球化而加速﹐第二語言教育是跨文化交流最直接、有效的媒介﹐更是人類共榮共存的確據。全球各對外華語教學單位學習人數遽增﹐足以證明非華人世界的人士意識到了此一事實。

As gloabalization increases the pace of cultural interaction and exchange between East and West, second language education is believed to be the most straightforward and efficient medium of cross-cultural communication. The demand for second language education is also evidence of the possibillity of harmonic co-existence among human beings. This is affirmed by the increasing number of people  learning Chinese around the world.

ICLP今年暑期班人數創出歷史新高﹐一來反映上述的事實；二來ICLP自1962創所以來﹐以培訓口語評析能力帶動聽、讀、寫四項能力而舉世聞名。全球各華語教學單位培訓的初學者﹐若希望在9-12個月期間﹐讓口語能力晉級到評析能力﹐進而擁有語言職業能力﹐就會向ICLP提出申請的手續。

The number of students in the ICLP Summer Program has reached its all-time high in 2009.  This reflects two facts: for one thing, it affirms the statement in the previous paragraph; for another, ICLP has always been renowned for its training of oral analytical ability, followed by training for listening, reading and writing.  Therefore, those who wish to advance their oral skill to the professional level within one year are the most ideal ICLP candidates.

ICLP學生人數固然創下歷史新高﹐然而﹐學生的素質一如創所以來的特質﹐絕大多數(94.88%)來自美國長春藤盟校的菁英﹐少部份(5.12%)來自歐洲、日本的菁英。男女性比例仍以男性居多﹐具體數據為62.86%比37.14%。

Although the number of ICLP students is at its peak, the student quality is well maintained: about 94.88% of our current students are elites from institutions such as Ivy League universities while the rest of them (5.12%) are elites of a variety of backgrounds from Europe and Japan. Male students outnumber females, with a percentage of 62.86% to 37.14%.

ICLP的教學成效高與教師團隊的素質與專業有著密切的關係。在教師團隊中﹐擁有研究所碩士學位或肄業或修博士學位者中高佔75%﹐其中在臺師大華語文教學研究所獲得碩士學位或肄業者佔59.25%[1]；通過臺大華語師訓班專業培訓者佔27.77%。無論ICLP教師的教育背景如何﹐能夠成為ICLP合格教師﹐必須通過嚴格的口試、筆試、試教三關﹐才取得試用一學期的機會。試用期間得接受四天的密集職前培訓﹐全學期接受輔導教師的輔導與一系列的在職訓練﹐如若表現不佳者﹐當學期就加以淘汰。凡是ICLP的教師都是通過上述嚴格篩選與培訓的過程﹐毫無例外。教師團隊平均年齡為37.06﹐教學資歷在10-30年者有14位。

The teaching efficiency at ICLP arises from our professional instructors.  75% of the faculty are MA degree holders and MA/PhD candidates, among which 59.25% are graduates or degree candidates of Graduate Institute of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, National Taiwan Normal University, and 27.77% of them are certificate holders of the Teaching Chinese as a Second Language Program, National Taiwan University.

Regardless of background, to become a trial Chinese instructor at ICLP, one must pass three rigorous steps of selection process: interview, written examination and teaching demonstration. To be qualified as an official Chinese instructor, a trial instructor should attend a four-day intensive initial training and constant in-service training courses led by senior instructors for one quarter. Those who do not meet the requirements in due course will be eliminated at the end of the quarter. The above standard applies to all candidates with no exception.

The average age of ICLP faculty is 37.06. Up to now 14 teachers have 10 to 30 years’ teaching experience.

暑期班新生簡介時﹐所方特別針對ICLP以培訓口說能力為導向的課程設計與教材教法加以說明﹐勉勵學生一定要充分備課﹐才能達到事半功倍之效。開學的幾天內﹐學生們體驗著堂上教師使用新詞語引導學生說話﹐而且﹐引導學生說出準確得體的語言而感到驚喜。開學後的幾天內有好幾名學生主動來說，他們沒想到ICLP的老師真的是讓學生說話，而且讓他們說的話得說到好為止，他們以前學習的經驗都是聽老師說話。

During orientation of the Summer Program, ICLP explained the “speaking–oriented” curriculum design and teaching methods to students and at the same time, encouraged them to do sufficient preparation before each class starts in order to meet the most efficient academic objective.

In class, teachers apply new vocabulary for guided speech. In the first week of the Summer Program this year, many students were impressed by the exceptional teaching method at ICLP which enables them to speak as much as possible in class, and more importantly, speak correctly.

ICLP數十年來創造了高語言成就等於高事業成就的事實﹐這絕對不是偶然的﹐而是ICLP歷久彌新的教育理念和與時俱進的精進的成果。因此﹐ICLP是人類珍貴的資產﹐值得地球村的人類加以珍惜與維護。

The fact that “high language proficiency brings about the high professional achievement” that ICLP creates is absolutely not accidental. It is, rather, the product of ICLP’s ever-improving pedagogy. Thus, I believe ICLP is a valuable asset for human beings which is worthy of global villagers’ valuing and preservation.

[1] 臺師大華語文教學研究所是全球首座把漢語當作第二語言教學與研究的研究所﹐創立於1995年﹐創所所長為鄧守信教授﹐鄧教授歷任過ICLP-IUP時代兩任歷時3年所長。台灣大學2010學年度設立華語學程﹐但迄今尚未成立華語文教學研究所。