【College of Social Sciences】On June 13, 2024, the CSS interviewed Professor Stephan van Gasselt, who recently became the first foreign faculty member to receive the “Outstanding Teaching Award” for the academic year 2022-2023 from the CSS. The award was presented by Professor Wan-ying Yang, Dean of CSS. Professor van Gasselt joined the Department of Land Economics in August 2017. In this interview, Professor van Gasselt shares his teaching experience in Taiwan. It is worth highlighting that he is a native German speaker and teaches natural science-based subjects in the English language to predominantly Chinese-speaking students.
The interview began with the question “Why Taiwan?” Professor van Gasselt stated that Taiwanese society is welcoming foreigners, where multiculturalism and diversity are celebrated and embraced. In terms of academics, not only are Taiwanese students ranked high in aptitude tests internationally, but also the unique Taiwanese geographical characteristics (such as being located near the boundaries of tectonic plates) suit his area of expertise in cartography, spatial modeling and planning, and so on.
Being a non-native English speaker, Professor van Gasselt finds himself sharing a common basis with most Taiwanese students who do not speak English as their first language. As such, both he and students prefer to use simpler vocabularies and a more direct way of communication, thus benefiting both sides. However, being an English-speaking teacher in Taiwan, he still faces many challenges as most Taiwanese students are not fully ready for the English as Medium of Instruction (EMI) program.
Apart from the language-related issues, cultural differences are evident too, not only towards Taiwanese students but also towards international students coming from outside the Western world. As Asian people in general are more respectful towards the social hierarchy, students are generally less likely to voice their opinions, even if their views are right. Most in-class discussions are dominated by international students from the West. This lack of multi-directional communication causes teachers to find alternative ways to understand and resolve difficulties faced by non-Western students. For example, a student’s performance might be affected when he faces family problems or is injured by a traffic accident, and the teacher must adjust his teaching accordingly.
Despite all the challenges related to language and communication, nonetheless, Professor van Gasselt very much appreciates when students write to encourage him or provide him with constructive feedback when filling up the course evaluation form at the end of each semester.
In recent years, National Chengchi University (NCCU) has engaged in promoting and implementing bilingual projects in administration. Professor van Gasselt welcomes this change in that it could solve his difficulties in handling many administrative tasks, such as filling up online forms previously only available in Chinese. The transition into bilingualization has increasingly become comprehensive and complete, thanks to the relentless efforts by NCCU. Professor van Gasselt also voices gratitude towards the department and the college, which have provided him with substantial support throughout his academic career at NCCU for almost seven years. In the face of the ever-changing academic environment, many colleagues, especially new teaching staff, are making efforts to regularly redesign or recreate the entire lecture notes and teaching materials. Besides, foreign teachers must also work harder in networking to establish connections locally as well as internationally.
Regarding the aforementioned EMI program, Professor van Gasselt observes that while many Taiwanese students face significant challenges, he is impressed by their resilience and ability to persevere in their studies and succeed despite these difficulties. Therefore, students feel valued when professors indeed remain committed and respond promptly to students’ concerns. Additionally, by granting students more autonomy, we can encourage them to be more creative and take the lead in discussions without relying heavily on specific instructions. Professor van Gasselt emphasizes that his opinions are purely based on his personal experience. As everyone’s experience is unique and each situation varies, professors have demonstrated an ability to adjust their approaches to achieve the best outcomes for their students.
The interview was concluded in a pleasant atmosphere. Both the interviewer and the interviewee agree that foreign teachers are keen to integrate themselves into Taiwanese society and become part of the Taiwanese education system. With efforts to intensify internationalization, an increasing number of foreign scholars have joined Taiwan to contribute their skills and knowledge. Meanwhile, Taiwanese students are also getting more confident to go abroad for student exchange programs or to further their studies. The CSS wishes Professor van Gasselt to continue to enjoy his teaching life in Taiwan.
