A closing and opening ceremony was held Tuesday for the Mandarin programme for police officers, marking both the completion of one course and the launch of another.
The first cohort took place in Vieux Fort, while the new programme begins February 16 in northern Castries.
Now in its fourth year, the course continues to provide local officers with Mandarin training, with this marking the third time it has been hosted in Castries.
During the ceremony, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, Nicole Su, praised the dedication of officers who completed last year’s course, adding that their strong determination and sense of discipline are truly “admirable”.
“I’m impressed with your commitment over those past eight weeks consecutively, a total of 32 hours last year. I can well understand it is not an easy task to balance your job, your duties, and also at the same time, practice a new language,” she said.
Su added that the new cohort of 25 officers would embark on the same eight-week journey of immersion in Mandarin language and culture. “The course is not about just following a new language; it’s also opening more new opportunities…by learning Mandarin, you are demonstrating your determination in professional development and international cooperation as well as the strengthening of Taiwan Saint Lucia bilateral relations.”
For student and officer Carlene Charles, the course was both challenging and rewarding. She reflected on the learning experience, noting that Mandarin required a completely new way of listening, understanding and speaking.
“On day one of the Mandarin class, we received handout captions, Chinese pronunciation and Chinese characters. Going through it, we saw little lines about letters and strokes which appeared less like writing and more like abstract art with rules,” she explained.
Carlene added that the course helped broaden the perspectives of participants. “This experience reminded us that being a police officer does not limit what we can achieve. It even inspired some of us to continue learning the language…Each lesson reminded us that effective law enforcement is not only about authority, but also about understanding.”
She encouraged fellow officers to embrace the opportunities the language offers, concluding, “Two languages open every door along the way. May the skills we get there lead us to new opportunities in education and global friendships.”
Instructor Yu-Chin Peng also praised the enthusiasm and energy of the students. She hopes that through this course, the students have gained a better understanding of Taiwan and its culture.
