It has always been a primary objective for universities of science and technology to train students to have fundamental foreign language skills in order to further portray their excellence. In order to promote the education level of Taiwanese people, numerous educational institutions have been established, but this has led to an imbalance in students’ quality and educational institutions’ services, despite the increase in the proportion of students studying for a higher education. Due to the declining quality, students have difficulties in learning, especially in language courses. The Language Assessment Program designs classes based on students’ language proficiency and their specialized field to promote their language ability. In the 2007 academic year, YunTech set the rule that students should acquire a certain level of English proficiency prior to graduation (DAFL students should acquire a high intermediate English proficiency certificate and non-DAFL students a pre-intermediate level English proficiency certificate). In order to meet this standard, instructors integrate the TOEIC test into required courses of the freshman curricula. TOEIC simulation exams are held every year, and the grades account for 10~30% of the students’ total academic grade. Since the 2006 academic year, the English preparation courses and English redemption courses have been opened. Furthermore, e-learning has been offered freely with the funding from Program for Promoting Teaching Excellence of Universities

    In order to improve students’ language learning ability and proficiency so that they may be able to live and work successfully in a global world, the plan of special English courses was made. Since the year 2007, all YunTech’s students must meet an English proficiency requirement before graduation (English major students should acquire at least a high intermediate level while non-English major students should acquire at least a pre-intermediate level). To promote their English and test-taking ability, TOEIC has been integrated into freshman and sophomore English courses. Students in the four-year program must take an English proficiency test once within their first two years and students in the two-year program students within the first year. Mentally and physically challenged students might not be subject to the English proficiency requirement depending on their condition.

    The Language Center has been conducting leveled instruction by dividing freshman students into classes according to their English ability since 2003. Students are first classified as “Group of Management”, “First Group of Engineering”, “Second Group of Engineering”, or “Group of Design and Humanity” students and in each group that are A, B, and C level classes for students to be arranged into based on their reading and listening pretests. A list of suitable teaching materials for each level is provided as a reference for instructors.

    To strengthen students’ learning of English, simulated versions of the GEPT elementary and intermediate level are implemented every year GEPT intermediate level simulated tests were taken by a total number of freshman students of 1,424 people, yet, some 509 students took test, and some 208 students passed the first test, with 41% passing rates. GEPT high-intermediate level simulated tests are taken by freshmen in the Department of Applied of Foreign Languages. with a total number of students of 62. Yet, some 39 participants took the test, with 27 students passing first test. The passing rate is around 69.23%. Based on their score on the simulated test, students are divided into classes. Also, different learning activities and programs are available for different levels of students and all students are highly encouraged to participate in them. Finally, the score on the simulated test accounts for 10% to 30% of students’ final grade in their English courses.

    Different from traditional teaching methods, the online self-learning English courses are helpful in eliminating the fear of directly facing the teacher, and are thus very useful to get shyer students to practice speaking English. The Language Center has been able to obtain funding from the Teaching Excellence Program to provide an online English learning platform since 2006. The online learning platform comprises of programs such as My ET, the GEPT and TOEIC testing system, Easy test, and Live ABC. In order to promote self-learning of English , all freshman and sophomore students are required to take online courses and tests for at least two hours per week.

    The total number of Students on online course learning has reached to 86,068. (Statistics retrieved from Jan,1, 2007 to Jun, 5, 2008 )

    The aim of English Remedial program is to help students to improve their English ability to the basic learning standard, by going through a certain process of diagnosis, make-up, and assessment. From the courses, students can expect to catch up with their peers.