Event Summary

This 17th workshop hosted by the Taiwan Spanish Association focused on "Spanish, Diplomacy, and Diplomats." Three distinguished speakers shared their professional journeys, from language acquisition to their careers in the foreign service.

Speaker Profiles & Key Highlights

Verónica Tsao

Current Position: Division Director, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Spain Highlights:

• Spanish in Diplomacy: Discussed the current landscape of Spanish-related diplomatic roles, noting that Spanish-language posts in Europe and Latin America are second only to English in number.
• Diplomatic Competencies: Emphasized the need for strong communication skills, linguistic mastery, and deep cultural understanding of host countries.
• Field Experience: Shared photos and case studies from her career, illustrating tasks such as protecting citizen rights and promoting economic exchanges.

José Saul Yang

Current Position: Deputy Counselor, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Mexico Highlights:

• Career Transition: Shared his journey from a Computer Science background at NTU to diplomacy, driven by a passion for the Spanish language discovered during his university years.
• The PPY Philosophy: Encouraged learners with Pasión (Passion), Proactividad (Proactivity), and Yo (Self), stressing that maintaining one's original intent is key to long-term success.

Rafael Lin

Current Position: Foreign Service Officer (Portuguese Group, 2022) Highlights:

• Multilingual Journey: Traced his path starting from Spanish to learning French, German, Portuguese, and Russian. His background includes serving as an international flight attendant and traveling to over 100 countries.
• Language Learning Tips: Recommended mastering one language within a family (e.g., Spanish) before branching out to others (French, Italian, Portuguese) to better understand linguistic patterns.

Event Report (by Cheng Yi-Hua)

Rafael Lin recalled how, as an undergraduate, he took part in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' International Youth Ambassador program and visited El Salvador, an experience that sparked his enthusiasm for Spanish and diplomacy. Deputy Counselor José Saul Yang shared that, while working in Mexico, he noticed the differences between the Spanish spoken locally and what is taught in textbooks, which gave him a deeper appreciation of the richness of the language. Division Director Verónica Tsao offered in-depth observations on the cultural, climatic and geographic diversity of Spanish-speaking countries, inspiring many young students in the audience who aspire to a career in diplomacy.

Event Information

• Time: November 10, 2023 (Fri) 20:00-21:30
• Location: Online (Zoom)
• Moderators: Prof. Luisa Shu-Ying Chang (Professor, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Vice President, Taipei Medical University), Prof. Hui-Chuan Lu (Professor, Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, National Cheng Kung University)