wfn.org | Taiwan's Aborigines Master The English Language

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Taiwan Church News 2725, 17 through 23 May 2004
Reported by: Li Hsin-ren.  Translated and Rewritten by David Alexander

Taiwan's Aboriginal peoples share many similarities with their "cousins" in
other lands that have been taken over by outsiders.  They live (for the most
part) in isolated regions and do not share in the nation's wealth in
proportion to their numbers. They are also noted for their abilities in song,
dance and competitive sports. Now there's a group of junior middle school
students who have become notable for their skill at use of the English
language!

Tongfu Junior Middle School in Ren-yi Township in Central Taiwan is filled
with students from the Bunun tribe.  On May 15th a troupe from the school
took
first place in a nationwide short play contest.  Most of these young people
are members of congregations from the Central Bunun Presbytery of the
Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.	Their faith is seen in their expressions of
thanks to God for what has been achieved.

The school is situated in a remote and resource-poor area. Under the
leadership of English teacher Wang Ming-te and lay missionary Hsieh Tien-jen
the dramatists surpassed the performance of groups from famous schools, many
of whose members had been studying English in supplementary classes for
years.

The students performed a skit written by Mr. Wang, "The Animal Family", in
which four abandoned animals wander into a den of thieves and win a battle.
The play involves nature, suspense, bravura and humor. Mr. Wang inserted
songs
into the story. The conclusion had the players singing the Sunday School
favorite, "I've Got Peace Like a River" as they ate and drank at the thieves'
table.

Mr. Wang said that the phonology of the Bunun language is similar to that of
English. Bunun students who master English pronunciation become proficient at
the entire language. He put that together with the inherent Aboriginal talent
at song and dance and nourished the mix to a prize winning conclusion.

Lay missionary Hsieh Tian-jin is the husband of Angela Chou, the minister of
Bread of Life Church in Nantou.  He holds the MBA degree and left a good job
at IBM to join his wife in church work. He sees the depth and potential of
Aboriginal youth as unlimited. In the prize-winning production he took
responsibility for diction and delivery of lines.

Because of the poverty of the school, the costumes and props were all
home-made. This added to the sweetness of the victory.

One contest judge, Chen Li-ching, is a teacher from Fengshan and a member of
North Gate Presbyterian Church there. She mentioned her admiration of the
students' enthusiasm and her high regard for their clear pronunciation.

Prior to their going on stage Mr. Wang assewmbled the entire troupe for
prayer. His principal, Wu Ming-sun, said, "It's a good thing that these
students have religious faith.	Prayer gives them spirit and fortitude and
helps them to face the pressure of the contest with ease."

For More Information: Hsieh Tian-jen tjhsieh@ix.netcom.com
Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local languages.
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