by Timothy Beach
Although I am an American, my children are Taiwanese. How did I happen to raise and homeschool Taiwanese children? I came to Taiwan in 1993 in order to teach English and Montessori. Shortly after I arrived, I met my future wife, a Taiwanese widow with three children: a boy age six, and two girls ages 5 and 4.
We married in 1995. In 1997 our younger son was born. He is the only one of our four children who has heard both English and Chinese spoken at home right from birth. Therefore, my three older children are not like typical Taiwanese-American children who have heard English spoken at home their whole lives. They have struggled, and continue to struggle, towards becoming fluent in English.
Because my wife and I planned for our children eventually to attend university in the U.S., we knew that they would have to learn English well. Unfortunately, because they attended Chinese school during the day, and I taught other students at night, we just couldn't find enough time for them to learn English well enough and fast enough. So, after the three older children finished the 6th, 5th, and 3rd grades respectively, we began to homeschool them in both Chinese and English, but with greater emphasis on English.
After two years of general homeschooling, they started a distance-learning high school program without ever having attended junior high school. Our older son is now a third year student at Cal. State University, Long Beach. Our older daughter is a third year student at Univ. of Cal., Irvine. Our younger daughter graduated from her accredited correspondence American high school program in August 2006 at age sixteen which allowed her to start college right away. She is now in her fourth year at U.C.L.A.
Our younger son child, now age 12, is enrolled in an American correspondence high school program and has already begun earning high school credits. He also studies Chinese, art, and music.
Bilingual homeschooling has brought us many challenges. Although we have made mistakes along the way, we’re learning from our experience and we’re still making progress towards achieving our goals. Because of our success, I firmly believe that many Taiwanese students, if given the chance and the proper preparation, can earn an American high school diploma in Taiwan while still living with their parents, and be prepared to attend college in the U.S.
We married in 1995. In 1997 our younger son was born. He is the only one of our four children who has heard both English and Chinese spoken at home right from birth. Therefore, my three older children are not like typical Taiwanese-American children who have heard English spoken at home their whole lives. They have struggled, and continue to struggle, towards becoming fluent in English.
Because my wife and I planned for our children eventually to attend university in the U.S., we knew that they would have to learn English well. Unfortunately, because they attended Chinese school during the day, and I taught other students at night, we just couldn't find enough time for them to learn English well enough and fast enough. So, after the three older children finished the 6th, 5th, and 3rd grades respectively, we began to homeschool them in both Chinese and English, but with greater emphasis on English.
After two years of general homeschooling, they started a distance-learning high school program without ever having attended junior high school. Our older son is now a third year student at Cal. State University, Long Beach. Our older daughter is a third year student at Univ. of Cal., Irvine. Our younger daughter graduated from her accredited correspondence American high school program in August 2006 at age sixteen which allowed her to start college right away. She is now in her fourth year at U.C.L.A.
Our younger son child, now age 12, is enrolled in an American correspondence high school program and has already begun earning high school credits. He also studies Chinese, art, and music.
Bilingual homeschooling has brought us many challenges. Although we have made mistakes along the way, we’re learning from our experience and we’re still making progress towards achieving our goals. Because of our success, I firmly believe that many Taiwanese students, if given the chance and the proper preparation, can earn an American high school diploma in Taiwan while still living with their parents, and be prepared to attend college in the U.S.
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