Welcome to the web site of the Applied Foreign Languages Department (AFL) at the Ta-Hua Institute of Technology.

Teaching Goals

AFL curriculum design aims to equip students with professional English training for the globalization of English and the future job markets. The objectives of the curriculum are

1. to help students reach the required language proficiency levels and acquire the professional knowledge and skills with a balance of the theory and practice in the courses.

2. to focus on students' needs and abilities in the English digital information processing with the coming of the information age.

3. to develop students' professional knowledge and skills in Travel English, Business English, and Children English teaching/ learning.

4. to understand the foreign languages and cultures and develop global perspectives of the World English.

Characteristics

Students' training in AFL is focused on acquiring basic English proficiency and professional knowledge and skills in international trades, children English teaching, and information processing. It will help them be prepared for Business service and English teaching careers.

To reach the aims, teachers are expected to give students varied instructions and provide them with extra-curriculum counseling. Instructors may also utilize new technological equipments in the classrooms and the theater, and design authentic teaching materials.

To increase students' English learning motivation, Students' Association in the AFL regularly holds interesting activities or contests in drama performance, recitation, speech delivery and English songs.

As to the professional courses, they are concerned with Scientific and Business English, translations, and accompanied with the training practices.

Faculty

The AFL Department currently has 19 full-time faculty members in 2008 as follows:

- one associate professor

- two assistant professors

- thirteen lecturers including two foreign teachers

Our faculty members are either with a master or PhD degree in their specialized areas in English teaching, linguistics, English/ American Literature, and Multimedia or currently studying in in-service teacher education programs in Taiwan or English-spoken countries. They are all experienced teachers. About one-third of them have practical experiences in the areas of the business or industry.

In addition, every full-time faculty member serves as a consultant, providing free academic assistance and life guidance to students. At least two-hour learning counseling is offered in the language laboratory center and another two in the classrooms based on our school-based curriculum to enhance students' English proficiency.

Equipment

1. Language Labs : Each language lab has audio-video equipments and Internet.

2. English Theater : English Theater is frequently utilized for conversation, performance courses due to the equipments for video-taping and photography.

3. Language Center : Language Center is one place for students to read English books, magazines as well as graduate students' research projects or self-study with English learning tapes and VCDs.