Page 6 - 學華語向前走-基礎冊課本A

Preface

The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) has been developing Taiwanese teaching
materials for the overseas community for many years. In response to changing trends in Mandarin-
language education and learning environments around the world, the OCAC asked dozens of
scholars, instructors with experience teaching overseas compatriots, and Mandarin language teachers
from around the world to work on Let's Learn Mandarin (For Children) project. The outline for
these teaching materials is based on the latest theories on teaching Mandarin as a second language
and was designed in accordance with the topics set forth by the California World Language Content
Standards as well as language teaching standards set by the American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages. Cultural content and notes on local characteristics were added when deemed

appropriate. These teaching materials can help increase interest in learning the Mandarin language
among students regardless of ethnic background.

Let's Learn Mandarin (For Children) consists of 12 volumes of 12 lessons each with content
that gradually increases in difficulty. Lessons are centered around daily conversation, while
the content adheres to the principles of communication, culture, connection, comparison, and
community. This series is suitable for the elementary and junior high school levels. The objective
of this series is to train students to use Mandarin to communicate in everyday life and to be able
to apply what they've learned right away, either at home or in Mandarin-language environments.
The various levels are tied together with common themes and expand from the narrow to the broad.
They are suitable for use by schools employing topic-based education to help advance familiarity

with this range of common topics.
On the occasion when the global demand for Mandarin learning is increasingly intense, in

situation of family and society nowadays and gear to international conventions, the OCAC asked
specialists and academics in Taiwan as well as individuals located abroad with extensive experience
in teaching and using teaching materials to persistently review and edit the series it published in
2017. As a result, not only is the content even better, two Taiwanese Culture Units have been added
to each volume. The Taiwanese Culture Units cover such topics as rhymes, Taiwanese opera, puppet
theater. The series edited in 2023 was based on universal values and diversity. We hope that the
series conforms to the diverse values of the current society and local needs, to facilitate teachers to
introduce Taiwan’s characteristics and modern development timely and make the materials more

interesting and to enhance student understanding of Taiwan's diverse culture.

Going forward, the OCAC will continue to improve its Mandarin language materials to raise
interest in studying the Mandarin language among children. By helping overseas compatriot schools
boost their teaching capabilities, the OCAC hopes to further enhance our reputation in the area
of teaching the Mandarin language using traditional characters and to accomplish its objective
preserving cultural heritage through language education.

Overseas Community Affairs Council,R.O.C.(Taiwan)