With the summer semester now underway both on campus and online, the halls are a bit quieter than usual, yet the main office is more bustling than ever as ICLP prepares to launch a brand new program. The Chinese Gap Year (CGY) in Taipei this September will welcome high-school graduates from around the world to spend nine months here at National Taiwan University to not only learn a lot of Chinese, but also explore and grow into young adults. High-school seniors have a lot on their plate. The specter of university looms, with all the expectations that go with it. Academics are supposed to take precedence, but so should learning how to be independent, deciding on your future, and somehow still finding time to enjoy the “best four years of your life.” And with costs rising and majors becoming more specialized, taking a gap year is looking more appealing to many. At this time of life, academics are of course important, but so is having the chance to explore, make mistakes, and have fun. With this in mind, director Chen Xinchun (陳欣均), academic director Xu Zhicheng (徐志成), and international affairs director Cory Renzella (雷義) designed CGY to especially cater to these students’ needs. “Students at their age are hoping to explore and find themselves. They’re still discovering their interests and figuring out what they want to do,” Chen told the E-Newsletter. “So what we hope to give them is a little time to allow them to slowly form their future goals through not only study, but also daily life, interacting with different people, and exploring a different culture.” To them, the key is balance. While CGY students will be provided with a litany of activities to keep them engaged, the ultimate goal is to find a happy medium between structure and freedom. “Hopefully in a normal week they will be having classes, they will be having office hours if they want, activities if they want, but they’ll also be with their language-exchange partner or maybe going to student group practices ... and gradually becoming more and more independent, whether they’re making friends in the city or on campus,” Renzella said. And as a city to serve as a backdrop for self-exploration, there are few better than Taipei, which is renowned for being safe, affordable, and friendly, but will still push students to step outside of their comfort zone every day. “That can mean something as simple as asking questions in class, but it can also mean making friends on campus or joining student groups,” Renzella said. “Just ordering food in a restaurant in Chinese is uncomfortable, but you grow through those sorts of small experiences.” “There’s a feeling of adventure, but it’s actually very safe,” Xu added. “Parents can feel at ease entrusting their free-spirited kids with us.” CGY also aims to balance academics with daily life. Quality Chinese instruction is to be expected at ICLP, and with a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:2.5, CGY will be no different. Yet on top of getting a head start on Chinese, students will also have the chance to explore other interests through activity-based culture classes, as well as a discussion course to help students process their thoughts as they find their way in a (literally) foreign environment. Supplementing the classes will be a host of activities, from weekly cultural events and trips, to quarterly excursions around Taiwan. All of these activities will be tied in closely with the classroom, where teachers will work together to design holistic course material that brings students’ experiences outside campus into the curriculum. After class and homework, students can fill their time however they would like before returning to their suite-style campus accommodation, where they can relax, cook together, or seek advice from their live-in faculty advisor. With a small cohort of up to 30 and 24-hour support, students can expect a family-like atmosphere, but Chen emphasized that staff is not there to smother them: “It’s safe and there will be people to help them, but we’re not their parents, so we’ll give them an appropriate amount of distance.” After nine months studying and living in Taipei, where every interaction is an opportunity for growth, students will be better poised to take full advantage of their college years, whether that means getting a head start in Chinese or gaining the confidence to take on more responsibility. While Renzella admits that CGY isn’t for everyone, “if a student wants to learn Chinese, if they want to experience a different culture, and if they want to spend time outside of their comfort zone, then I think this is a perfect program for them.” The directors are also closely watching the global COVID-19 situation and — although they hope they can welcome students to Taipei in September — have formulated a number of scenarios to respond to each possibility. Yet no matter what, Renzella said, “the program will happen, even if we have to start online.” Applications are being accepted until August 1st or until the program reaches capacity, so apply now to join the CGY family! 暑期班已經開學了，但是由於課程分成實體跟網路兩軌的緣故，ICLP的走廊上比平時安靜了一點。不過，為了預備嶄新的課程項目—華語菁英壯遊專班（Chinese Gap Year，CGY），辦公室裡比平時熱鬧得多。 今年九月，CGY將歡迎來自世界各地的高中畢業生來到國立臺灣大學留學九個月，不僅一起努力，學習中文，同時也探索自己並成長為成熟的青年。 面對未來，高中畢業生總是有些發愁，尤其是被籠罩在眾多期望下的人。在大學的四年當中，學生應當以學習為優先，但也應當儘早養成獨立自主的個性、尋找未來的目標、並享受「人生中最快樂的時期」。隨著學費的上漲以及學術界的專業化，越來越多高中畢業生決定將入學時間推遲一年，以便更好地規劃自己的生涯。 在此重要的人生階段中，學習與探索同樣重要，為此，CGY主任陳欣均、教務老師徐志成、與國際事務主任雷義（Cory Renzella）特別設計了該項目，以滿足選擇壯遊的年輕人特有的需求。 「在這個年紀他們希望可以探索一下，然後確定一下自己。他們還在一步步發掘自己的興趣，還在尋找他們未來的目標。」陳老師告訴電子報主編。「所以我們希望給他們一點時間，讓他們除了學習以外，也可以透過他們的生活、跟不同的人的接觸、和對於不同文化的觀察，慢慢地確立他們未來的目標。」 對他們來說，以學習生活的「平衡」為主。儘管CGY所規劃的課程與活動足夠佔掉學生大部分的時間，但能在規範與自主之間達到平衡才是最佳的教育方式。 「在正常的一周中，他們要上課，願意的話，可以在辦公時間跟老師談話，或者參加活動，另外，他們也會跟語言交換夥伴一起複習，或者參加臺大學生團體的活動······這樣學生才會逐漸變得越來越獨立，不論在學校裡或者在城市裡都能交到朋友。」雷老師表示。 作為一個自我探索為基礎的項目，CGY在台北開辦有得天獨厚的條件，我們可以大膽地說，沒有幾座城市比臺北來得更安全、方便以及友善了，但又正好能讓學生每天都受到一些小考驗。「這種考驗可能是很簡單的行為，比如在課堂上提出問題。」雷老師說：「甚至用中文點餐也算是考驗，但學生就是透過這種小小的經驗而成長。」 「會有一點冒險的感覺，但是其實是很安全的。」徐老師補充「父母可以放心地把有獨立自主精神的孩子交給我們。」 CGY的概念也著重於學習與生活之間的平衡。ICLP以其優質教學而著稱，CGY當然也不例外，不過課程不僅限於中文。透過文化課及討論課，學生也有探索自身興趣的機會，而且老師還能指導學生省思在國外生活所產生的疑問。 為了加強日常課程，CGY還舉辦每週文化活動與每期遊覽活動，但是不同於其他項目，老師們仍會保持緊密連結，一起設計具整體性的課程，如此便能將參與活動的收獲運用在課堂上。下課以後，學生可以安排自己的時間，然後回到舒適的套房式宿舍休息、或是跟朋友一起做飯或是向住宿老師尋求建議。 由於學生人數少，CGY試著營造一種「家」的感覺，但是陳老師強調，「不但是安全的，而且是有人陪伴的，可是因為我們並不是父母，所以我們也會適度地保持一點距離。」 一旦經歷過在臺北留學的獨特經驗，相信學生無論在中文能力或自信心上都會有所提升，進入大學後更能獨立自主、盡興而學。雖然雷老師承認CGY未必適合所有的學生，他還是強調：「如果學生想要學習中文、體驗不同文化以及跨出舒適圈，我覺得這是一個十分理想的項目。」 為因應新冠肺炎疫情帶來的影響，主任已經針對各種情況制定了應變計畫，但是無論如何，「即使必須在線上舉行開學典禮，項目肯定還是會進行的。」雷老師表示。 申請截止日期為8月1日，若額滿則停止招生，所以歡迎及早申請，加入CGY大家庭！
