Taipei Times: Would you explain the reasons behind the drive to build Taiwan into a bilingual nation?
Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶): Trade groups, academics and lawmakers have called on the government to make English the nation’s second official language and the Cabinet in September promulgated the goal to build Taiwan into a bilingual nation by 2030. It is important for a nation to have broad horizons and possess international communication skills to stay competitive in the era of globalization. When I visited Germany earlier this year, I was impressed that its officials all communicated in fluent English instead of their native language.
Singapore, Japan, South Korea and China appreciate the importance of English proficiency and have gained significant headway in promoting it. Taiwan, on the other hand, has showed little progress. Many Taiwanese have good English skills, but are afraid to speak the language due to a lack of opportunities.
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
TT: The government has promoted English-language learning for years. What will make it different this time?
Chen: In the past, the government approached the issue from a supply-side perspective and focused on improving the physical environment, such as adding English signs for public buildings, roads and tourist attractions. The strategy failed to involve the private sector and the public.
This time, a demand-driven approach will guide the effort with a focus on verbal communication. Gone is the emphasis on exams, that drove teachers and students to give top priority to spelling and grammar accuracy. Rather, we hope that by 2030 people will be brave and ready to speak, listen, read and write in English, even if they still make mistakes.
TT: Why doesn’t the National Development Council propose additional funding for implementing the bilingual policy?
Chen: We aim to achieve the goal the best we can while keeping costs to a minimum. Government agencies can use their existing funds to promote English as they see fit. However, if authorities need extra money, the Ministry of Education can submit requests.
With the trend of a digital economy, people with English-language learning needs can use digital learning platforms to improve their skills anytime, anywhere. There are many free English-language learning channels in the private sector and over the Internet. The council will integrate the resources and set up a platform with related details on its Web site within a year.
TT: Are there any incentives for companies and employees to improve their English?
Chen: The bilingual policy covers all aspects of society, including students, the public sector, enterprises, as well as financial, medical and social-welfare institutions.
The government encourages companies to enhance their English. Some large technology companies actually use English for internal communication. The government is planning incentives for English translations of products and advertisements. English proficiency can be used for subsidy applications and reviews.
All government agencies should plan their own English-language enhancement measures and provide resources. The Cabinet’s personnel administration is to draw up measures to cultivate English-language proficiency for civil servants, especially for those who deal with foreign affairs.
Many government employees have excellent English communication skills, but many are shy when speaking to foreigners. The ministries should make good use of their English-speaking colleagues to help create an environment where all feel comfortable to communicate in English. At the council, I have encouraged colleagues to communicate in English as much as possible.
TT: What are the biggest challenges for the bilingual policy?
Chen: Many say that it might take more than a decade to build Taiwan into a bilingual country, as it took Singapore 20 years to implement its English policy. The colonial background of Singapore and Hong Kong lent a helping hand. Strong English proficiency in Singapore, Malaysia and India helps them win investment from multi-national companies and create well-paid jobs for local people. The trend helps boost their economic growth.
Taiwan will prove a more attractive foreign investment destination if people can demonstrate English communication skills, as most are already able to speak Mandarin, another widely used language in the world. Furthermore, Taiwan has the competitive edge of being a law-abiding and democratic society.
TT: Will the bilingual policy suppress efforts to preserve mother-tongue culture?
Chen: There is no need to worry about that or imbalanced development between urban and rural areas, because the prevalence of digital technology would help narrow the gap. Social media, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and other applications provide free personalized English-language learning accessible to everyone, everywhere.
According to the Cabinet’s blueprint, education is the key to achieving the 2030 goal. The Ministry of Education has been given three months to present proposals to promote bilingualism throughout the education system.
The goals include having English-language classes taught in English at elementary and junior-high schools, and skill-based courses at vocational high schools also to be taught in English. Local governments would implement the plan based on the unique characteristics of the city or county.
The education departments of about 18 colleges have agreed to provide a series of courses offering training and accreditation of English-language teachers. The number of teachers able to offer instruction in English is expected to grow to 3,000 in eight years and 5,000 by 2030.
TT: Has the council set up short-term goals for the bilingual policy campaign?
Chen: The council has drawn up key performance indicators for evaluating the effectiveness of the bilingual policy. They include making all official government Web sites bilingual, making official documents used by foreigners bilingual, providing bilingual frontline services in public settings, making the government’s public data available in English, making laws and regulations that pertain to foreigners bilingual, promoting bilingual services in cultural and educational settings, training civil servants to conduct business in English, and making professional and technical licensure exams available in English.
Within a year, more than 50 percent of official documents and licensure exams used by foreigners should be made available in English, 60 percent of frontline public services should be available in English, and 70 percent of the laws and regulations that pertain to foreigners should be available in English.
SEEKING CLARITY: Washington should not adopt measures that create uncertainties for ‘existing semiconductor investments,’ TSMC said referring to its US$165 billion in the US Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) told the US that any future tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors could reduce demand for chips and derail its pledge to increase its investment in Arizona. “New import restrictions could jeopardize current US leadership in the competitive technology industry and create uncertainties for many committed semiconductor capital projects in the US, including TSMC Arizona’s significant investment plan in Phoenix,” the chipmaker wrote in a letter to the US Department of Commerce. TSMC issued the warning in response to a solicitation for comments by the department on a possible tariff on semiconductor imports by US President Donald Trump’s
The government has launched a three-pronged strategy to attract local and international talent, aiming to position Taiwan as a new global hub following Nvidia Corp’s announcement that it has chosen Taipei as the site of its Taiwan headquarters. Nvidia cofounder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) on Monday last week announced during his keynote speech at the Computex trade show in Taipei that the Nvidia Constellation, the company’s planned Taiwan headquarters, would be located in the Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (北投士林科技園區) in Taipei. Huang’s decision to establish a base in Taiwan is “primarily due to Taiwan’s talent pool and its strength in the semiconductor
Industrial production expanded 22.31 percent annually last month to 107.51, as increases in demand for high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) applications drove demand for locally-made chips and components. The manufacturing production index climbed 23.68 percent year-on-year to 108.37, marking the 14th consecutive month of increase, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said. In the first four months of this year, industrial and manufacturing production indices expanded 14.31 percent and 15.22 percent year-on-year, ministry data showed. The growth momentum is to extend into this month, with the manufacturing production index expected to rise between 11 percent and 15.1 percent annually, Department of Statistics
An earnings report from semiconductor giant and artificial intelligence (AI) bellwether Nvidia Corp takes center stage for Wall Street this week, as stocks hit a speed bump of worries over US federal deficits driving up Treasury yields. US equities pulled back last week after a torrid rally, as investors turned their attention to tax and spending legislation poised to swell the US government’s US$36 trillion in debt. Long-dated US Treasury yields rose amid the fiscal worries, with the 30-year yield topping 5 percent and hitting its highest level since late 2023. Stocks were dealt another blow on Friday when US President Donald
RSS