Welcome to a Taiwanese Elementary School

Introduction:

Penny, Lis and Hana are my fifth-grade students at Xikou Elementary School. All three of them come from Indigenous backgrounds and speak multiple languages at home. Once a week, I travel to their school to practice English with them. In addition to English, these students are very busy with other classes and activities! Take a virtual visit to their school here.

What do you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?:

Of course, every day is different, but Penny, Lis and Hana shared that for breakfast, they often eat a sandwich with some type of meat, egg and a tomato. Taiwanese twists on Western dishes are very popular here. They also drink milk with their sandwiches. For lunch, the school often provides rice, chicken, an assortment of green vegetables, soup and fruit. Dinner looks much like lunch, except that each dish is laid out separately at the table and the families will eat together, taking each bite from the dishes in the middle of the table. Unlike what is typical in the U.S., food isn't distributed to each person's plate for the meal!

What is your house like?:

Hana shared that her house has two floors but no basement. "I have my own room, but it is very messy," she said. Houses in Taiwan do not have carpets, but other than that, each house looks very different.

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