SU’s Foreign Language E-Book Course Inspires Creativity among High Schoolers

Soochow University’s School of Foreign Languages and Cultures, in collaboration with the New Taipei City Government, successfully concluded a two-week course titled “Read with Fun: Creating E-Books in Foreign Languages.” The four-session program, held on November 2 and 9, attracted high school students from across New Taipei City, offering an immersive experience in digital storytelling, language learning, and cross-cultural exploration.

The first session, instructed by Prof. Kuei-E Chang from the Department of Japanese Language and Culture, introduced students to a comparative study of Little Red Riding Hood in Chinese and Japanese. She also demonstrated Japanese subtitling tools to help students create their own Japanese e-books.

In the second session, Prof. Hui-Wen Cheng from the Department of English Language and Literature guided students through translation techniques, comparing human and machine translation approaches.

The third session, led by Prof. Hsin-Lien Li from the Department of German Language and Culture, provided an introduction to German fairytale traditions and basic German expressions. Students also recorded audio materials as part of their digital storytelling projects.

The final session, taught by Prof. Chiu-Hua Su from the English Department, introduced digital design tools such as Canva and ChatGPT, allowing students to transform their language knowledge into creative e-books.

By the end of the course, students not only enhanced their language proficiency but also gained valuable experience in digital content creation. Many participants expressed that the program deepened their interest in language learning, sparked enthusiasm for digital creativity, and broadened their understanding of cultural diversity.

To further encourage students to complete their e-book projects, a follow-up competition, was launched, reinforcing their motivation to apply their newly acquired skills.