Magdalene volunteers at International Companions for Learning (ICL), where she teaches weekly English classes and sometimes takes students on a field trip.
發稿單位：駐紐約辦事處教育組
發稿人：Magdalene Castro
編輯：Kay Chang
來自美國紐約州的孔蕾雅（Magdalene Castro）經駐紐約教育組推薦獲選為2021年教育部華語文獎學金受獎生，目前就讀臺灣師範大學國語教學中心（MTC）。孔蕾雅擁有國際關係及新聞學位並立志成為一名外交官，透過華獎赴台深造華語使她能具備優秀的語言能力。除臺師大正規課程外，她也參加校方安排之選修課程，如臺語對話課程、臺灣電影欣賞及節慶文化相關活動，藉此更深入了解臺灣文化。孔蕾雅並在課餘時間參與「國際學伴計畫」（International Companions for Learning）與台灣中小學生進行文化交流。
Magdalene Castro is a Dominican-American 2021 Huayu Enrichment Scholarship recipient. She is currently studying Mandarin at National Taiwan Normal University, Mandarin Training Center (NTNU, MTC). She holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations and Asian Studies, and a master's in Journalism from Columbia University. Magdalene aspires to become a diplomat and bring about great change in this world. She deftly knows that her language skills will be vital in facilitating dialogue between different people, both domestically and abroad. This scholarship is equipping her with language tools to further her goal of making the world a more connected and empathetic place.
“One of my passions is learning about the world through language. I’m fluent in Spanish and English and also speak French, Japanese, and a bit of Arabic and Russian. It’s such a beautiful thing being able to communicate with someone in their mother tongue and deepen your connection to the culture associated with that language,” she says. As Magdalene’s Mandarin skills improve, her connection to Taiwan deepens.
Magdalene has enjoyed her learning experience at NTNU’s Mandarin Training Center where she has been challenged daily to reach a new potential with her Chinese language acquisition journey. The university provides students with resources to improve their Chinese through supplementary courses which included Chinese conversation classes, Taiwanese conversation classes, and movie classes to develop listening skills. The university also hosts hands-on events where you can learn more about Taiwanese culture. Magdalene recently participated in a calligraphy class and found the experience to be very enriching. She also loves that her university is diverse and has had classmates from Belgium, the United States, India, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and Italy.
When Magdalene isn’t studying, she spends a lot of time exploring Taiwan. “Though Taiwan is small, there’s a lot to do here. I live in the metropolis of Taipei and all I have to do is get on a train and 2 hours later I’m at a beach surfing or up in the mountains hiking. It’s a small yet lovely place.” She also dedicates time to giving back to the community and is a volunteer with International Companions for Learning (ICL), where she teaches weekly English classes to elementary school children and introduces them to her Dominican-American culture.
發稿人：Magdalene Castro
編輯：Kay Chang
來自美國紐約州的孔蕾雅（Magdalene Castro）經駐紐約教育組推薦獲選為2021年教育部華語文獎學金受獎生，目前就讀臺灣師範大學國語教學中心（MTC）。孔蕾雅擁有國際關係及新聞學位並立志成為一名外交官，透過華獎赴台深造華語使她能具備優秀的語言能力。除臺師大正規課程外，她也參加校方安排之選修課程，如臺語對話課程、臺灣電影欣賞及節慶文化相關活動，藉此更深入了解臺灣文化。孔蕾雅並在課餘時間參與「國際學伴計畫」（International Companions for Learning）與台灣中小學生進行文化交流。
Magdalene Castro is a Dominican-American 2021 Huayu Enrichment Scholarship recipient. She is currently studying Mandarin at National Taiwan Normal University, Mandarin Training Center (NTNU, MTC). She holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations and Asian Studies, and a master's in Journalism from Columbia University. Magdalene aspires to become a diplomat and bring about great change in this world. She deftly knows that her language skills will be vital in facilitating dialogue between different people, both domestically and abroad. This scholarship is equipping her with language tools to further her goal of making the world a more connected and empathetic place.
“One of my passions is learning about the world through language. I’m fluent in Spanish and English and also speak French, Japanese, and a bit of Arabic and Russian. It’s such a beautiful thing being able to communicate with someone in their mother tongue and deepen your connection to the culture associated with that language,” she says. As Magdalene’s Mandarin skills improve, her connection to Taiwan deepens.
Magdalene has enjoyed her learning experience at NTNU’s Mandarin Training Center where she has been challenged daily to reach a new potential with her Chinese language acquisition journey. The university provides students with resources to improve their Chinese through supplementary courses which included Chinese conversation classes, Taiwanese conversation classes, and movie classes to develop listening skills. The university also hosts hands-on events where you can learn more about Taiwanese culture. Magdalene recently participated in a calligraphy class and found the experience to be very enriching. She also loves that her university is diverse and has had classmates from Belgium, the United States, India, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and Italy.
When Magdalene isn’t studying, she spends a lot of time exploring Taiwan. “Though Taiwan is small, there’s a lot to do here. I live in the metropolis of Taipei and all I have to do is get on a train and 2 hours later I’m at a beach surfing or up in the mountains hiking. It’s a small yet lovely place.” She also dedicates time to giving back to the community and is a volunteer with International Companions for Learning (ICL), where she teaches weekly English classes to elementary school children and introduces them to her Dominican-American culture.