Penn State students complete language program at partner university in Taiwan

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. — Nine Penn State students completed a language learning experience at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), where they were immersed in Mandarin through classes and cultural experiences throughout the summer.

While studying in Taiwan, the students participated in community engagement activities, including providing English-language tutoring to elementary school students across country. The program also allowed students to gain credits toward a Chinese major or minor at Penn State.

“My passion to learn Chinese motivated me to study abroad at NTNU,” said Annalise McIntyre, a junior majoring in biobehavioral health and Chinese with a minor in neuroscience. “On top of getting extra credits to go toward my Chinese major, the experience improved my speaking and listening because I was constantly surrounded by the Chinese language.”

A decades-long partnership

Founded in 1922 with an initial focus on teacher education, NTNU is one of Taiwan’s leading universities, renowned for its excellence in education, teacher training, and the humanities and social sciences. The Mandarin Training Center (MTC) at NTNU is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious centers for teaching Mandarin Chinese as a second language. Over the past seven decades, MTC has established itself as Taiwan’s leading center for Mandarin education and has played a significant role in shaping modern methodologies for teaching Chinese language.

Penn State and NTNU continue an over 70-year partnership in research and education collaboration. In 2022, Penn State and NTNU established an agreement through the Taiwan HuaYu Best Program, which allows NTNU to annually send two visiting scholars on exchange to Penn State, while Penn State students go to NTNU for in-depth Chinese language study. Since 2022, approximately 60 Penn State students have studied at NTNU through scholarships supported by the Taiwan HuaYu Best Program and NTNU that span two to three months or six to 12 months.

Understanding beyond language

Students experienced a unique blend of language learning and cultural immersion through the scholarship programs. Each program day began with Mandarin language classes in the morning, followed by cultural activities, such as calligraphy workshops, traditional tea ceremonies and martial arts classes. This daily educational program combined classroom language learning with co-curricular activities, offering a holistic approach for students to improve their Mandarin language skills while gaining an insight into the Taiwanese culture.

“My interactions with the local community really helped with my language learning, especially since I went to stores and restaurants very often, even becoming regular at the local food stands and boba shops near my apartment,” said Reilly Caslin, a junior majoring in supply chain and information systems with a minor in Chinese who participated in the program for two months. “Most people in Taipei are very helpful, especially to foreigners, so getting lost or needing help was rarely an issue because people nearby or on the street were willing to give directions or advice.”

The students lived among the local community in Taipei. Students were able to participate in cultural activities, such as touring a local high school and visiting the Taipei Zoo. After completing the program, students noted improvement in their Mandarin speaking, listening and writing skills, as well as confidence using the language outside of a controlled classroom environment.

"Life outside of the classroom proved beneficial to my academic growth. Each time I wanted to go hiking, peruse a museum, buy a gym membership, eat lunch/dinner, grocery shop, etc., I needed to use Chinese,” said Jay Reed, who recently graduated with bachelor’s degrees in Chinese and Japanese. “These daily interactions were also a method of studying Chinese. I realized that learning did not stop once I left the classroom — I constantly needed to apply my knowledge in all aspects of life.”

Upon graduation, Reed was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps.

He offered advice to future applicants to the HuaYu Best program.

“Take every opportunity to learn and use Chinese whenever you can," Reed said. "Don’t be afraid of failure/embarrassment. Besides, even if you do embarrass yourself, who cares? After all, you are going to leave Taiwan in a few weeks!”

Before departing Penn State, NTNU MTC offered the students a wide range of support, including pre-departure orientations, language proficiency assessments, academic advising, visa and travel assistance, and health and safety advice. Upon arrival, students received on-site orientation, academic guidance, housing assistance and mental health support.

“I owe a lot of my academic success to my NTNU professor. She was kind, understanding and a great teacher overall,” Caslin said. “The HuaYu Best Program coordinator was incredibly helpful; she helped us get set up in our classes, talked to faculty on our behalf and advocated for us throughout the process.”

Impact from student to faculty

Penn State’s Department of Asian Studies has hosted six visiting faculty members from NTNU since the HuaYu Best program began, further strengthening academic exchange between the two institutions. Faculty of both institutions participate in a variety of academic collaborations, including guest lectures, research seminars, and cultural workshops throughout the HuaYu Best Exchange program. Engagement from both sides of the exchange has helped garner more interest in the program from both students and faculty.

“More and more faculty members in and outside of the Department of Asian Studies are displaying interest in joining the HuaYu Best program on a faculty exchange,” said Yupeng Kou, associate teaching professor of Chinese and Coordinator of Chinese language program in the Department of Asian Studies at Penn State. “The current NTNU visiting scholar, Ms. Wen-Chi Teng, has been doing a great job associating with colleagues across different Penn State units and promoting for the HuaYu Best program to a broader audience.”

Scholarship applications for the HuaYu Best summer 2027 program are now open to undergraduate and graduate students.

For questions regarding NTNU scholarship programs, please contact Yupeng Kou, professor lead for Chinese language program at yqk5213@psu.edu, and for information to expand partnerships with NTNU, contact Anna Wei Marshall, associate director for Asia partnerships, at awm15@psu.edu.