1. Why did you decide to come to Taiwan?

Taiwan is a lovely country, and people are very nice and friendly. The public transportations are convenient. If talking about education, according to expats, Taiwan has one of the best quality educations in the world. Additionally, Mandarin is commonly known as the national language which I am very interested, although Taiwan mandarin is a traditional Chinese which is quite hard for foreigners, but I think it is challenging for me. It is a great opportunity to learn new things, both academic and Chinese. So, I decided to come to study in Taiwan and all the time that I stayed here, I have learned a lot and wish that I can bring the knowledge that I have learned back to Thailand and apply to my work in the future.

2. How did you find out about Taipei tech? And why you decided to study at Taipei Tech?

My friend recommended me this university, and of course, Taipei Tech also offers the course that related to Education and Technology which I am very interested. Because I am working in the education field for many years and I am trying to apply technology to education for the kids in this generation. That’s why I decided to study here.

3. What surprised you most about the culture here?

The things that surprised me most is about the Environmental Protection and awareness. It is very remarkable. Everyone is willing to follow the rules. Taiwan has the campaign to Ban on All Plastic Bags, Straws, and Utensils which has a good response from the people. Cleanliness Including the knowledge of garbage separation has been cultivated since childhood. One more example is people bring their utensil and straw to reduce the plastic which also has a good response too. This is one of the impressive things in Taiwan.

4. How is your Chinese? And How can you deal with it?

My Chinese level can be considered as an intermediate level and able to communicate in general. I have been studying at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou for two years, which has given me the fundamental of Chinese language to this day. However, the mandarin in mainland China is simplified Chinese which has different characters in Taiwan. So, when I am studying in Taiwan, it is quite difficult for me to read and write at the beginning. But fortunately, that I have classmates and roommates, they are super nice and helped me a lot in any circumstance. I have to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH for them! However, as I applied for a master’s degree in Chinese program, it allowed me to have a chance to gradually improve my Chinese at the same time.

5. How has your education at Taipei Tech helped you?

In my program, there are many courses about education and technology, and most of the classmates are all experienced teachers, combined with my experience, this is such a good opportunity for me to learn new things, share the ideas and experiences which are very precious. I wish that I can bring all of this knowledge to benefit in my work in the future. Lastly, it is not only the academic knowledge that I can learn from this program but also good experiences and friendship that will last forever.

6. Have you appreciated particular courses that we offer? Which ones? Why?

I particularly appreciated The theory and practice of e-learning and The use of technology in teaching and learning courses that I took in GITVE. This is the first time that I have officially attended this kind of classes, and I think these courses were useful and practical for the people who work in this field. I’ve learned a lot about E-learning from taking these courses. Importantly, I already brought the knowledge back to apply to my students and their feedback was very good. These can beneficial to my career advancement.

7. What courses have you found the most interesting or useful?

Most of the courses that I took were new to me, and they are all useful. They enhanced my skills and contributed to my knowledge for my further career. While I’m quite interested in technology courses such as Theory and Practice of E-Learning, The use of technology in teaching and learning, and Special Topic on Game-Based e-Learning, these courses introduced many online programs and game platforms, which are becoming more popular in the field of education. I can not only gain many useful techniques but also shared the experience with my classmates from taking these courses.

8. What should incoming students know about the program?

The Graduate Institute of Technological and Vocational Education (GITVE) offered a variety of courses that related to TVE such as E-learning, Organization behavior, Human relations, Psychology and many others that can be applied to further career, whether it is related to TVE or not. Although this program is a Chinese-English program, all of the classes are taught in Chinese and attending this program; it would be better for you to have at least intermediate level in Chinese so that it could help you greatly in your learning. Moreover, most of the classmates are Taiwanese, so you will have an opportunity to advance your Chinese with them since they are the expert. Also, basic English might be required for general communication.