Yuan Ze University’s English Winter Camp: Intensive Training × Cultural Journey to Break Language Barriers

To help students continue improving their English proficiency during the winter break, Yuan Ze University’s International Language and Culture Center held the “Challenge Your Limits: English Winter Camp” from February 4 to 7. The three-day intensive program combined carefully designed lessons with a “cultural journey” led by foreign teachers, allowing students to integrate their classroom learning into real-life experiences and naturally enhance their English skills through interaction and exploration.

Chen Hsin-Hung, Director of the International Language and Culture Center, stated that the winter camp was led by five instructors, including three foreign teachers, who provided students with a fully immersive English-learning environment. The curriculum covered topics such as “Talk like TED”, academic English presentation structures, research paper organization, and logical reasoning, all aimed at strengthening students’ English expression and critical thinking skills. On the final day, under the careful planning of American instructor Trey and the center’s faculty, 21 students participated in a team-based competition in Dadaocheng. While exploring the historic cultural district of Taipei, students engaged in English puzzle-solving and interactive challenges, successfully achieving the goal of “learning English through play.”

Chen Hsin-Hung emphasized that this winter camp further reinforced Yuan Ze University’s commitment to establishing an English-learning environment. It also once again received recognition from the Ministry of Education’s Bilingual Learning Program for College Students (EMI Initiative). In addition to continued funding for the College of Electrical and Communication Engineering and the College of Informatics, the College of Management was also awarded the Social Sciences Benchmark Program, further enhancing Yuan Ze University’s language-learning environment and expanding English-learning opportunities for students.

British instructor Thomas shared that the students demonstrated a high level of enthusiasm throughout the camp. He was particularly pleased to see that, in just a short period, students not only improved their English skills but also gained confidence in their presentations, showcasing body language, eye contact, and good posture—a testament to the effectiveness of immersive learning. Meanwhile, Huang, a student from the College of Management who had previously attended the summer English camp and served as an assistant in this program, observed significant improvements in students’ speaking and listening skills over just a few days, highlighting the powerful impact of immersive language environments on language acquisition.

Chen Hsin-Hung further pointed out that the core goal of this winter camp was to increase students’ motivation and interest in learning English. Through diverse activities such as games, interactions, presentations, and public speaking, students unconsciously accumulated their English proficiency and confidence, enabling them to use English more comfortably while developing an autonomous learning mindset for continuous language improvement. This engaging learning model not only made English learning more natural and enjoyable but also laid a strong foundation for students’ academic and professional competitiveness in the future.