More than 2,000 people sat Tai-wan's first-ever Aboriginal language proficiency tests held simultaneously at eight locations across the country on Saturday.
Successful candidates will be issued certificates that can be used when applying for teaching jobs.
Taiwan launched its formal Hokkien, Hakka and Aboriginal language courses for elementary and junior high schools this year.
Previously, a serious shortage of Aboriginal-language teachers had prompted the Ministry of Education to approve informally hired teachers certified by specified language institutes.
Yesterday's tests were commissioned by the Cabinet-level Council of Aboriginal Affairs and organized by National Chengchi University. It will be up to the schools to decide whether or not to hire the certified candidates as teachers.
"Many Aboriginal people are worried that their children may be uncompetitive [if they do not speak Mandarin], so they speak Mandarin to their kids. Because of this and other factors, fewer and fewer young Aborigines are now able to speak their languages," said Lin Hsiu-che (
The examinations included 38 tests for the major Aboriginal languages and some of their dialects. Those sitting tests for the Ami language, for example, were offered specific tests on the Northern, Maran and Hengchun dialects.
The tests did not require any particular educational credentials and there was no limit on age, nationality or ethnic background of the candidates.
People from the Ami tribe accounted for around one-third of the examinees, while those from the Bunun tribe accounted for around 20 percent. The Ami tribe accounts for around half of Taiwan's Aboriginal population of 400,000, while the Bunun tribe accounts for 14 percent.
In related news, the Executive Yuan on Saturday held a ceremony honoring 14 individuals and organizations for their contribution to the development of Taiwan's Aboriginal society.
Among those honored were Bjarne Gislefoss, a veteran Nor-wegian nurse who served at a Christian hospital in Puli for 50 years, and his wife Alfhild.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting
RSS