Saint Lucians interested in learning a foreign language have become proficient in Mandarin following a series of trainig sessions in Mandarin education.

That was evident when two dozen students from Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) displayed their impressive skills in the language during a Mandarin Showcase held in the College’s Innovation Hub on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

During the one-hour showcase, the Mandarin 102 students made opening presentations, while the Mandarin 101 students did role-play. This was followed by the Mandarin 102 students highlighting various characteristics about Saint Lucia’s districts, while the Mandarin 101 students did a presentation that highlighted Taiwan City. Both groups also performed a song together, entitled “Péngyŏu” (Friends)”. 

H.  E. Peter Chia-Yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, congratulated the students on their achievements in learning Mandarin, and also recognized the contributions of Mr. Andres Chi, the dedicated Mandarin teacher from the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Saint Lucia.

Ambassador Chen admitted that Mandarin is a very challenging language to learn, even among native speakers like himself, who must spend a lot of time practicing writing and memorizing from a young age.

“Your willingness to invest so much effort into learning Mandarin and maintaining long-term enthusiasm for learning impresses me greatly,” he told the students.

He added: “By learning a new language, I am sure you have made very rewarding investment to yourself. Your Mandarin language proficiency will broaden your horizons in life. You all  deserve a big round of applause.”

Ambassador Chen expressed gratitude to the leadership and vision of Hon. Minister Shawn Edward, and the great support of Hon. Dr. Pauline Antoine-Prospere to the Mandarin Pioneer Program in two secondary schools and Mandarin education in the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. He also extended appreciation to Principal Jameson-Charles, Vice Principal Auguste, Vice Principal Phulgence and Dr. Depradine for their guidance towards the Mandarin programme at SALCC. Ambassador Chen commended Mr. Chi for his outstanding dedication to teaching and his unwavering commitment to nurturing the students’ language skills and cultural understanding.

Ambassador Chen reiterated the commitment by the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to continue working with the Ministry of Education and Sir Arthur Lewis Community College to provide top-notch Mandarin learning opportunities for the young people of Saint Lucia.

“Saint Lucia and Taiwan share the same value of freedom and democracy,” Ambassador Chen told the audience. “I am proud to say that Taiwan’s Mandarin teachers are professional, creative and flexible. Learning Mandarin under the guidance of Mr. Chi will not only empower you, but also unlock opportunities for overseas study, job searching and expose you to a whole new world of possibilities.”

Dr. Madgerie Jameson-Charles, Principal of Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC), noted that although learning a foreign language is not often easy, the experience nevertheless opens doors to opportunities for development.

“When we learn a foreign language,” she said, “we’re opening doors for us to be the best that we can be. Sir Arthur Lewis Community College thanks the Republic of China (Taiwan) for the opportunity you have given to our students to be able to learn that language and to be proficient in the language. I also want to thank you for all of the opportunities you have given to our Saint Lucian students in terms of scholarship opportunities for them to develop themselves so that they can come back to our country as functional citizens who would be able to make a meaningful contribution to society.”

Hon. Dr. Pauline Antoine-Prospere, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology & Vocational Training, said the Ministry of Education will endeavour to give students the opportunity to learn multiple languages, thereby making it easier for them to study overseas.

“I want to thank the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and let Ambassador Chen know how elated we are for this initiative and how beneficial it will be for the students of Saint Lucia,” Hon. Dr. Antoine-Prospere stated. “Thank you very much for the investment you have made in our students. I’d also like to thank the staff of Sir Arthur Lewis Community College for embracing this initiative because I’m sure it’s of value for the students learning Mandarin in Saint Lucia.”

During the Mandarin Showcase, the students also gained some insights on what it is like to study in Taiwan from three previous scholarship recipients, namely Mr. Gregg Michel, Ms. Stephie Ramine, and Mr. Rody Stanislaus.