在傳統觀念中，文學被認為是一門高不可攀的學問，跟注重實用價值的語言學習相比，甚至帶點不食人間煙火的味道，因此長久以來，對於語言及文學在人類發展過程中所扮演的角色，大家總是習慣用既定的價值觀來加以解讀。雖然在人文教育的領域中，文學始終保有一席之地，但是在當今語言能力受到高度重視的全球化時代，文學教育的定位又在哪裡？
為了探討此一議題，輔英科技大學應用外語系在五月一日舉辦「英語文全球化與文學教學國際學術研討會(International Symposium on Teaching Literature in the Age of Global English)」，不但安排多場精采的演講及論文發表，更特邀英國諾丁漢大學語言與文學研究特別教授John McRae擔任主要講者，發表專題演講《The Changing Faces of English: Implication for teaching languages and literatures》、參與座談會，並主持一場工作坊「Workshop on Teaching Literature In the Age of Global English」。
John McRae是聞名國際的文學教學學者，在英文文學教學理論和實務方面均有深入研究。他在演講中強調，文學教學的目標在於培養學生的第五項技能 (fifth skill) － 批判性思考 (critical thinking) 的能力。他以為過去的語言教師只強調傳統上所謂聽、說、讀、寫四種技巧，使學生的學習流於文字練習，而欠缺批判、創新的能力。第五項技巧的養成是文學在語言教學中應該扮演的角色；換言之，語言教學一定要注入文學內涵，才能豐富教學內容。而教材的選用亦在教學過程中扮演重要的角色，好的教材必須要具備多元文化的思維，以兼顧來自不同文化背景學生之差異性，而教師選材時則應該考量題材是否與學生成長經驗相關、能否引起學生的共鳴。
在為期兩天的研討會中，有多位國內學者以主講、主持、或講評人身分應邀出席，共襄盛舉，包括輔英科技大學人文與管理學院院長陳英輝、世新大學英語系客座教授李振清、台灣科技大學人文社會學院院長林茂松、政治大學英國語文學系教授陳超明、大葉大學應用外語研究所教授林耀福、交通大學外國語文學系教授馮品佳、亞洲大學外國語文學系教授古綺玲以及高雄大學西洋語文學系顏淑娟教授。
而輔英科技大學張一蕃校長在開幕致詞時的一席談話，不僅妙語如珠，更點出「文學」及「文化」教育對於下一代的重要性，讓全場聽眾留下深刻的印象。本刊特徵求其授權，將講稿全文刊登於后，與讀者分享。
Distinguished Speakers, Friends and Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good Morning and Welcome.
The Swine Flu reminds me of our former Minister of Education Dr. Tu, who claimed that “Three Little Pigs” should be rendered as an idiom. His logic might run like this: Just as we can say “Fooyin is a Cinderella team in the tournament”, so may “You and your brothers are like three little pigs” be a compliment. A Minister of Education, for all his political tendency, ought to be a learned person in the first place. However, if Dr. Tu could argue that he was only using the idiom in question properly, there must be something wrong. Either he misunderstood the story, or he misunderstood the language, or most likely both. No wonder the Ministry of Education refused to sponsor this symposium.
Some of you may wonder why Fooyin, a professional institute, would host such a conference. Being a physicist, I personally would prefer a Symposium on Teaching Science in the Age of Globalization. Yet I heartily support Professor Yinghuei Chen’s endeavor in organizing this conference on our campus. Fooyin is dedicated to training and cultivating quality healthcare professionals. Good professional services depend on good communication. And in the globalized environment, international language is a necessary vehicle for good communication. Here comes in the Global English.
But, as the name of “university” suggests, a university is supposed to inculcate cultural literacy, in whatever form, in its students. As Matthew Arnold mentioned in 1882 in his famous essay “Literature and Science”, “The meaning of culture is to know the best that has been thought and said in the world.” Since most of the best that has been thought and said are recorded in letters and kept as written works, here comes in the Literature.
Language and literature, can they be separated? Should students learn literature through language or vice versa? The discussion and debate have been going on for a long time. In the age of globalization, we need some new vision as well as insight. Fooyin is glad to make some contribution by providing this forum. We’d like to thank the National Science Council and the British Council for their generous sponsorship and all the invited speakers, presenters and participants for your enthusiasm to help make this activity a success.
I regret and apologize for not being able to stay through the conference because I have to receive a visiting group from China. It’s the pity for being a president; you can not choose to do what you like. Hope you will all enjoy the Symposium.
Thank you.
各位演講嘉賓、朋友、同事、女士與先生：
早安，歡迎你們！
最近的豬流感讓我想起，前教育部長杜正勝教授認為「三隻小豬」應該被當作成語。他的邏輯可能是這樣的 ─ 如果我們可以說：「輔英是這場賽事中的一匹黑馬」，那麼「你跟你的兄弟就像是三隻小豬」也是一句讚美的話。
一位教育部長，考量其政治上的趨向，首先應該是一名博學之士。如果杜教授認為自己使用這個詞語的方式很恰當，那麼一定有什麼地方出了問題。可能是他誤解了這個故事，或者誤解了語言本身，最有可能的情況是兩者都發生了，難怪教育部拒絕贊助今天的研討會。
在座有些人可能覺得奇怪，輔英是一所科技大學，為什麼舉辦這樣的學術研討會。身為物理學家，我個人比較偏好舉辦以科學教育及全球化時代為題的研討會，但是我全心支持陳英輝教授為安排本校籌辦這場研討會所付出的努力。輔英致力於醫護專業人才的訓練及養成；優良的專業服務奠基於良好的溝通，而在全球化的環境中，國際語言正是不可或缺的溝通媒介 ─ 這就跟全球化英語有關。
而根據university 這個字的意涵，大學就應該要培育學生的文化素養，無論其形式為何。如同Matthew Arnold 在其1882 年的著名文章《Literature and Science》中所言，「文化的意義在於認識這個世界上最好的思想及話語」。而最好的思想及話語，大多透過文字記錄，以書面形式留存下來 ─ 這又與文學有關。
語言和文學可以分開嗎？學生應該透過文學來學習語言，還是相反過來？諸如此類的討論和辯論已經持續了很久。在全球化的時代，我們需要新的眼光與新的理解。輔英很榮幸藉由今天的研討會對此做出一些貢獻。我們要感謝國科會與英國文化協會的慷慨贊助，也謝謝受邀講者、報告者及參加者的熱心參與，讓本次活動成功舉行。
我因為待會兒要接待一個中國大陸的訪問團，所以必須先離開，對此向各位致歉。這是我擔任校長一職的遺憾；不能選擇做自己喜歡做的事情。希望各位盡情參與今天的研討會。
謝謝大家。
(中譯內容僅供參考)