2026/01/06 | Jane Shu-Chen Huang/ Report from Canada 
Paul Lan, Director of the Culture Centre of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Toronto, delivered an English presentation explaining the origins and educational vision of the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML). Photo by: Francis LeungOn January 6, 2026, Toronto was swept by heavy snow and freezing pellets under a bitterly cold winter night. Yet inside the Tzu Chi North Toronto Office, the atmosphere was warmly vibrant. Watching our very first group of students arrive on time—undeterred by the storm—to attend the opening ceremony of the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML) filled my heart with deep emotion and gratitude.
This was not merely the beginning of a new class. It marked a meaningful milestone: after years of cultivating education within the community, our school has officially entered an important new stage—adult Mandarin education.
Learning Has No Age Limit — Bringing Mandarin into Mainstream Life
I have always believed that learning has no age limit. The establishment of TCML was initiated in response to the growing demand for Mandarin learning within mainstream society. Unlike traditional heritage language schools focused mainly on children, TCML has a clear purpose: it is designed with adult learners’ needs in mind.
Whether learners are studying Mandarin for workplace communication, travel, family connections, or simply out of admiration for Taiwanese culture, we hope that within three months, students will be able to truly apply Mandarin in everyday life.
On the opening night, we were honoured to welcome Director Paul Lan and Deputy Director Daphne Hsu from the Culture Centre of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Toronto, who attended in person to show their support. Director Lan shared that TCML is promoted by the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) of Taiwan, with the goal of sharing a Mandarin learning model rooted in Taiwan’s values of openness, inclusiveness, and democracy.
Director Lan highlighted four core visions of TCML:
High-quality adult education
Tailored for busy adult learners—not only learning the language, but also understanding Taiwan’s creativity and modern society.
Communication and practicality first
Moving beyond memorization, TCML focuses on real-life conversational skills needed in daily life and professional settings.
Authentic Taiwan learning materials
Using teaching content rich in Taiwanese humanistic stories and cultural context, connecting language learning closely to real experiences.
Building bridges across borders
In Canada’s multicultural context, TCML provides a non-political, open, and friendly learning model that helps students strengthen global competitiveness.
The Taiwan calendars and Year of the Horse lantern gifts presented by Director Lan and Deputy Director Hsu symbolized Taiwan’s cultural blessings—lighting a warm and joyful start to our winter evening class.
Embracing Diversity and Sharing the Values of Gratitude, Respect, and Love
While planning this term, I reminded our team that we must create a learning environment that is friendly, equal, and inclusive. Within our school community, we actively promote values such as:
“Gender Equality Begins with You and Me”
“Embracing Diversity and Respecting Differences”
As I looked around the classroom, As I looked around the classroom, I felt deeply grateful. Our students come from diverse backgrounds—local Canadians, Indonesian learners, and even students from Africa. Their professional backgrounds range from working professionals and university PhD student to horse farm worker.
This diversity truly reflects Tzu Chi’s core spirit of “Gratitude, Respect, and Love.”
This term, our experienced Mandarin teachers Ms. Angel Cheng (An-Chi) and Ms. Sammi Huang (Shu-Fang) lead the Tuesday evening and Sunday afternoon classes respectively. Using the OCAC-published textbook series “Let’s Learn Mandarin (來！學華語)”, the curriculum integrates language learning with cultural understanding and daily conversational practice.
With fewer than 10 students per class, the small-class interactive format allows learning to happen naturally through engaging discussion, laughter, and meaningful exchanges.
Looking Ahead: Becoming a Bridge Between Cultures
For our school, 2026 will be a busy yet fulfilling year. We have already planned three terms of adult Mandarin programming for the year. While steadily developing beginner-level courses, my long-term goal is to gradually expand TCML into specialized programs for professionals in mainstream society—creating Professional Mandarin Courses tailored to different industries and needs.
In doing so, we hope the strength and beauty of Taiwanese Mandarin education will become an influential part of Canada’s multicultural foundation.
Gratitude and Invitation
I would like to sincerely thank all our students for your trust, and our teaching team for your dedication and hard work. TCML is not only a language learning center—it is a bridge, connecting Taiwan’s cultural aesthetics with local life in Canada.
We warmly invite more friends who are interested in Mandarin to join us on this learning journey. Are you ready to begin?
For registration details, please visit:
https://www.tzuchieast.ca/en/tcml-tzu-chi-academy-north-toronto
Principal Jane Huang welcomed students to TCML and introduced the development and core educational values of Tzu Chi Academy North Toronto. Photo by: Francis Leung 
Senior Mandarin teacher Angel Cheng warmly interacted with students in the Tuesday evening class. Photo by: Francis Leung
Senior Mandarin teacher Sammi Huang introduced herself as the instructor for the Sunday afternoon class. Photo by: Francis Leung 
Paul Lan, Director (right 6), and Deputy Director Daphne Hsu (left 5) visited the TCML classroom in person to greet and welcome the students. They also presented the OCAC 2026 calendar and a Year of the Horse lantern as gifts. Photo by: Francis Leung
On January 6, 2026, the TCML Adult Mandarin Program officially began its first day of classes. Despite the frigid temperatures, snow, and ice pellets across the Greater Toronto Area, Principal Jane Huang welcomed students with heartfelt gratitude. Photo by: Francis Leung 
On January 6, 2026, the TCML Adult Mandarin Program officially began its first day of classes. Despite the frigid temperatures, snow, and ice pellets across the Greater Toronto Area, Principal Jane Huang welcomed students with heartfelt gratitude. Photo by: Francis Leung
