The International Education Week in Taichung City was recently hosted at Hui-Wen High School, where internationally renowned scholars, Taichung’s local schools specializing in international education, and educators and students involved in international education shared their experiences and engaged in professional discussions. In addition, Nicholas Katalifos, the Director General of the EMSB from Montreal, Canada, was invited to present on bilingual immersive teaching. Educators, including principals and teachers from schools across Taiwan, expressed that they gained valuable insights from the event.

Kuo Ming-chou, Chief Secretary of the Education Bureau, noted that Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen highly values the development of bilingual and language education. As Canada is a bilingual nation with both French and English as official languages and a large number of French and English-speaking communities, Montreal’s experience in bilingual immersion education can serve as a model for Taichung City’s efforts in promoting bilingual teaching. He also thanked the Ministry of Education’s K-12 Education Administration and the Department of International and Cross-strait Education for their support and for sending representatives to the event.

The Education Bureau highlighted that Nicholas Katalifos’ sharing helped to realize that bilingual education goes beyond simply teaching languages; it also involves the conflicts, integration, and mutual understanding that emerge when different languages interact. In Taichung City, in addition to promoting bilingual education, there is also a focus on teaching local languages and the languages of new immigrants.

Nicholas Katalifos, Director General of the EMSB in Montreal, explained that the EMSB was founded in July 1998 to offer both English and French education. The city’s multicultural history, where students speak a variety of languages at home, has led to challenges in advancing bilingual education. The EMSB’s bilingual education aims to improve students’ fluency in both languages, raise cultural awareness, and support academic success and cognitive development.

Wu Yen-ching, a professional at the International Education Center of Taichung City and a recipient of the Education Bureau's scholarship for studying in Canada, shared that while English is Canada's official language, schools there offer French immersion programs. Their government allocates a set percentage of GDP to fund these programs. From kindergarten through third grade, students are taught in French, and from fourth grade onward, they can decide whether to switch back to an English-speaking education system or continue with the immersion program. There is a well-organized plan for higher education and follow-up support. Taiwan, in promoting bilingual education, can take inspiration from Canada’s systematic approach to bilingual immersion and provide students and parents with more educational options.