To help local students enhance their intercultural communication skills and better prepare for future study-abroad exchanges, as well as for serving as international buddies and language partners on campus, the International Student Advising Section of the Office of International Affairs and the Chinese Language Center jointly held the workshop “Speak with Impact: Intercultural Communication and Language Partner Workshop—Unlock Your Global Social Circle!” at 3:00 p.m. on December 23 in the lobby on the 10th floor of Ching-Sheng Building. The event invited Ching-Yi Yu, Head of the Digital Development Division of the Chinese Language Center, as the keynote speaker, and welcomed American high school students participating in the U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Chinese Scholarship Program. Through bingo games, conversational exchanges, role-playing, and other interactive activities, the workshop provided local students with abundant hands-on practice opportunities, allowing them to immediately apply the skills learned during the session.
Ching-Yi Yu began by explaining that the workshop was structured around three main themes: cultural decoding, communication tools, and the “Golden 7:3 Rule,” and practical simulation exercises. She opened with an icebreaking activity in which students wrote down the qualities they hoped for in intercultural buddy interactions, reminding them that communication goes beyond spoken language to include nonverbal elements such as body language, eye contact, cultural values, and social norms. Using Taiwan–U.S. exchanges as an example, she emphasized the importance of role awareness, noting that students are “not just friends, but also cultural ambassadors.” While friendship forms the foundation of successful interaction, local students should recognize that they serve as a window through which international partners understand Taiwanese culture, and should consider how to present their own culture while also appreciating the characteristics of their partners’ cultures.
Yu further introduced the “Golden 7:3 Rule,” recommending that conversation partners be given about 70% of the speaking time, while one speaks only 30%, to cultivate attentive listening skills and encourage partners to express themselves. This approach helps others feel respected and understood. She also suggested using open-ended questions and neutral topics, such as interests, food, travel, and campus life, to effectively apply the rule and facilitate dialogue. Buddy programs, she noted, offer local students a direct platform to interact with international students, helping them strengthen language skills, deepen cultural understanding, and broaden global perspectives.
On the topic of cultural decoding, Yu advised students to remain mindful of culture shock arising from differences in communication habits, such as responses to unread messages or varying social interaction styles, which can easily lead to misunderstandings. To address this, she proposed a three-step approach: first, pause judgment and avoid jumping to conclusions; second, reframe the situation by considering it from the partner’s cultural perspective; and finally, clarify directly by asking questions to resolve misunderstandings.
At the conclusion of the workshop, Yu organized practical role-playing activities in which local students and American students worked in groups to simulate cultural scenarios, sharing food, jokes, games, and other cultural elements to further deepen mutual understanding. She closed by encouraging students with the reminder that “language fluency does not automatically mean effective communication, only by breaking down cultural misconceptions can one truly smooth intercultural exchange.” She expressed hope that through such interactions, future cooperation between Taiwan and the international community would become even more seamless and dynamic.
