Sabrina Li currently teaches Mandarin at the Taiwan Education Center on the campus of O. P. Jindal Global University (JGU), some 40 kilometers north of New Delhi. Originally just observing the class, we become the focal point when Li encourages students to “ask questions!” A flurry of queries follows: “How old are you?” “Do you prefer Indian or Chinese cooking?” “How’s the weather today?” “Do you own a dog?” As we watch these students rack their brains to recall vocabulary and sentence patterns and take part in the heated class discussion, albeit in not terribly standard Mandarin, we are left deeply impressed.

In the eyes of Dr. Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, dean of the Jindal School of International Affairs, the Taiwan Education Centers represent a wise investment on Taiwan’s part.

Taiwan Education Centers take root in India

Founded in 2011, India’s first Taiwan Education Center is located on the JGU campus. Dr. Sreeram Chaulia, dean of the Jindal School of International Affairs, chatted with us about the origins of this collaboration between Taiwan and India. At the time, the university was contemplating the questions of positioning, key strategies, and how to establish its international reputation. Having learned of Taiwan’s needs, the school made a proposal to the Tai­pei Economic and Cultural Center in India, and an agreement was quickly reached to jointly establish the “Taiwan Education Center ‡ Jindal Global University.” Supported by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, which stations teachers at JGU, the center provides a channel for Indian students to study Chinese and learn about Taiwan.

Taiwan Education Centers were subsequently located within six further Indian tertiary institutions: Amity University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, the SRM Institute of Science and Technology, the Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai, and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. For JGU, the establishment of its center stands as a milestone, since it was the university’s first foreign-invested body and highlights JGU’s ­innovative spirit to people throughout India. Dr. Chaulia explained that Indian students have long preferred to learn European languages, such as French and Spanish, and that further study in Europe is the first choice for most; but the situation is quietly evolving. More and more Chinese and Taiwanese firms are investing in India, fueling a tremendous rise in demand for personnel who can translate or communicate directly in Mandarin. Recent border disputes between China and India require Chinese-speaking military and diplomatic personnel, but given India’s wariness toward China’s Confucius Institutes, JGU is even more pleased to welcome the stationing of Taiwanese teachers at the Taiwan Education Center.

Outstanding instructors from Taiwan employ their vivid, practically oriented teaching to overcome Indian students’ wary attitudes towards Mandarin. At the same time, Taiwan Scholarships and ­Huayu Enrichment Scholarships funded by the Taiwan government make it possible for young Indians to experience Taiwan in person.

In addition, Dr. Chaulia hopes to take advantage of the Modi administration’s “Act East Policy” to gradually dilute the Eurocentric bias prevalent among Indian students, and encourage them to leave their comfort zone for a move in the direction of the East. The establishment of the Taiwan Education Center gives students an additional option beyond European languages, and is playing an important role in shaping change in the future.

With their practical and lively approach, Taiwan’s talented language instructors help students overcome their misgivings about learning Mandarin. (photo by Chuang Kung-ju)

Mandarin instruction: A new chapter

JGU currently hosts three Chinese-language instructors. Described by her students as a songbird, Sabrina Li is always high-spirited and full of energy in the classroom. Lin ­Shiao Yang has extensive experience teaching Mandarin, including a spell in northern Thailand. Newcomer Lin Yu Te came out of a desire to see for himself what distinguishes Indians from people of other countries.

When asked about their experiences teaching at JGU, they unanimously agree that Indian students characteristically “are too smart for their own good,” “treat class like a battle of wits,” and “love to challenge the rules.”
Via a little game played once in class, Lin Yu Te discovered that his students are capable of swiftly decoding the unwritten rules that govern a game, in order to obtain the optimal score. They are uninhibited debaters, but can sometimes be too clever by half, and are quick to figure out loopholes in the rules, which forces Lin ­Shiao Yang to spend much time keeping classroom order or matching wits with her students. For example, talking is forbidden during exams, and anyone who is warned three times will receive a “zero.” “That means I can break the rule twice!” retorted one student, a response which both annoyed and tickled the teacher. Sabrina Li feels similarly conflicted when students cite 101 bizarre reasons for missing class. Their talent for “sharing” their work is also a headache.

Li observes that Indians hold a positive and open attitude toward traditional Chinese characters. This is evidenced by Dr. Chaulia’s opinion that there is little difference between the Chinese spoken in Taiwan and on the mainland, and that oral and aural skills are more important to students’ careers. Moreover, adapting to switching between traditional and simplified scripts is not a big problem, so the two need not conflict.

“In fact, the Taiwan Education Center’s mission is not simply to teach Chinese,” says Lin ­Shiao Yang, quoting Tsou Woan-yuh, a senior instructor with the Taiwan Education Center at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Chen­nai. “It’s to help them appreciate Taiwan. This is more important than teaching the language.” Indeed, Indian students’ understanding of Taiwan is still spotty. If Taiwan can make good use of this platform, it could create more opportunities for collaboration between the two nations. For this reason, Sabrina Li often includes Taiwan pop songs when teaching, and course materials refer to singers Jay Chou and Jolin Tsai. She points out to her class that ­Taiwan is very ­advanced in fields such as medical treatment and the sciences, as well as the consumer electronics they are familiar with.

Lin ­Shiao Yang chats with her students about the status of demo­cracy and freedoms in Taiwan. For example, the issue of marriage equality is currently being discussed in Taiwan, so she mentioned that her homeland may become the first Asian country to accept same-sex marriage. This surprised her class, deeply impressing her listeners with Taiwan’s progressive demo­cracy. It is a pleasure to see such interaction and discussions in an environment where a healthy variety of viewpoints can be expressed. Thanks to the bridge provided by the Taiwan Education Centers, Taiwan‡India exchanges are moving forward step by step.

A view of part of the campus at OP Jindal Global University, a young and vibrant Indian school.

Study Mandarin at “Han You”

“Han You Chinese” is located in South Delhi, where Cannie Min set up shop in 2012. She began as an import‡export trader in 2006, but it was thanks to Mandarin instruction and founding Han You Chinese that her feet took firm root in Indian soil. In contrast to Chinese language training schools opened by locals, what makes her school stand out is its emphasis on instructors whose mother tongue is Chinese.

When Min arrived in India a decade ago, the majority of the students she tutored were businesspeople, but in the last five or six years, backgrounds have diversified. Now there are businesspeople in their sixties, young people who want to be Chinese-speaking guides, second-generation entrepreneurs, foreign diplomats, and even boys and girls in their early teens, which illustrates the prospects for Mandarin in India.

Indian learners’ main weak points in Chinese are unclear pronunciation of the tones, and difficulty in phrasing sentences correctly. Min emphasizes reading aloud in her courses, because only by voicing the text can ­students commit the sounds to memory, and ­identify where to pause between phrases. The curriculum is designed to target the needs of distinct learner types. For students who attend business Chinese class on weekends, the focus is on oral practice and business terminology; the full-year curriculum emphasizes every­day dialogue and recognizing Chinese characters.

Explaining differences between Taiwanese and Indian culture can be challenging. To illustrate what a ­baozi is in a lively, easy-to-grasp way, on the way to class Min buys a momo, a steamed bun with stuffing that is popular in South Asia, and explains that a ­baozi is like a larger version of a momo. Her Indian business partner, Arun Jaswal, draws on his own experience learning Chinese to counsel Indian students, including the benefits of learning Mandarin for one’s future career, and identifying potential barriers to mastery.

As her enterprise expands, Min has begun to contemplate how to move up to the next level of success. In 2014 she took advantage of a trip back to Taiwan to organize sharing sessions. On the one hand she conveyed her own impressions of India, and at the same time she recruited Mandarin teachers keen to experience teaching in India. Her sole requirements are completion of at least 60 hours of Mandarin instructor training, and possession of basic English communication skills and an inclusive and open heart—one like hers, free of preconceived notions when she came looking for adventure.

Class snapshot: Indian students engaged in lively discussion.

A smart win‡win investment

In India, Min recognized a new blue ocean. She was quick to board the boat, becoming an early pioneer who by now has acquired years of navigation experience. Even more, she is a bridge between Taiwan and India, teaching Indians to speak Mandarin and become familiar with Taiwan along the way.

To date, more than 6000 people have attended Mandarin courses provided by Taiwan Education Centers in India. The centers are a very wise investment on Taiwan’s part, in Dr. Chaulia’s eyes.

This is not merely about language instruction. Exploiting language to deepen connections at every level—be it in commerce, culture or education—is a mode of soft power at which Taiwan has the potential to excel. Cultural strength can be instrumental to achieving breakthroughs and creating win‡win outcomes for Taiwan’s international exchanges.

A view of part of the campus at OP Jindal Global University.

Spring couplets in Chinese: A touch of the exotic at O. P. Jindal Global University’s Taiwan Education Center.

A scene from the daily life of Mandarin instructors.

At Han You Chinese, the classroom is often filled with the sound of laughter and students’ imaginative efforts to express themselves in a new tongue.

His concentration evident, a student practices Chinese characters one stroke at a time. (photo by Chuang kung-ju)