In this age of information we are constantly stormed and overwhelmed by waves of information flows. Every single day, we are inescapably involved in processes of information exchange; receiving information; trying to distinguish between what is to be accepted as true and what to be rejected as false. In this process of information-processing, we form and gain our knowledge and belief of the world, the society and the people around us. Information transmitting could be carried out either in terms of image processing or, more traditionally and basically, by way of language use. Indeed, in the final analysis, image making depends fundamentally upon linguistic explication and definition to make the images precise and clear in meaning, and effective and convincing in use. In this respect, language competence is the most important determining factor in our knowledge formation.
However, many people feel the language competence in our youngsters is declining. Although speculations and explanations of this phenomenon vary, and the real cause or causes of the decline may never be conclusively established, many of our teachers have been working really hard on it trying to cope with this phenomenon. They devote their efforts selflessly trying to improve the language standard of our students. One such effort is the establishment of the Language Independent Learning Centre for both Chinese and English on Campus, providing an alternative mode of language learning, i.e., self-learning, for our students, in addition, and as complement, to the regular classroom learning environment.
In a university setting, self-learning is much to be encouraged and emphasized . This is particularly true in the case of language learning as there is no upper limit in the degree of perfection of the art of language use, which may now be called "linguistic performative act" according to the recent philosophical trend of treating language-uses as performative acts. To learn a language is not just to learn to communicate, to understand and to be understood. It is to participate in a culture of facts and knowledge, and to share a world of ideals and values. Students should be self-motivated in their language learning not just because they know best of their own needs, they should be active learners so that they can develop their own personalized art of language use.
Language teaching today seems to over-emphasize practical communicative uses while its role in cultivating one's character and in transforming the human heart is very much neglected. Of course, in every field of teaching, the language teaching in particular, educational paradigms shift with the age, and pedagogical theories come and go from time to time. But the art of teaching originated from human care and devotion has never vanished. It is the glory of our past, the blessings of our present and the hope of our future. This is not only for particular students but also for studentship as a whole, not only for human individuals, but for humanity in general. So, come and join us in the Language Independent Learning Centre where experienced and devoted teachers stand ready to assist you in the process of self-learning, self-improvement and self-realization.
Hsiu-hwang HO
Dean of Faculty of Arts
May 31, 1996.