Challenges and Prospects: A Forum on English and American Literary Studies in Taiwan

In 2018, the English and American Literature Association held three forums to discuss the challenges and prospects of English and American literary studies in Taiwan. In the October forum, four international scholars working in Taiwan discussed the challenges they face while teaching English and American literature and other cultural texts. The topics for discussion focusing on the teaching of English and American literature branched out into questions about its evolving function within the humanities in Taiwan. Other areas of discussion included developing alternative methodologies and perspectives when approaching ''Western'' theories in Taiwan university classrooms| the challenges faced by second-language learners when being taught English and American literature| and how local cultures could be integrated into English and American literary scholarship. These themes were also extended into considerations of the relationships of English and American literary studies with other fields （including Taiwan studies, comparative literature, film studies, and TEFL） and the professional prospects of students graduating from English or Foreign Languages and Literatures departments.