CNN `lessons' at justice ministry draw complaints

Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) yesterday emphasized the importance of being able to comprehend English as KMT Legislator Huang Teh-fu (黃德福) accused him of forcing ministry staff to listen to CNN news during their lunch hour.

At Chen's request the ministry started airing CNN news programs last year through its integrated audiovisual system between noon and 12:30pm daily so that employees would be able to improve their English abilities by watching or listening to the English-language news programs.

"I always stay tuned to CNN whenever I am working in my office. It helped me a lot to improve my pronunciation and I gradually got used to the normal speed at which native speakers speak English. As a result, I also want to encourage my colleagues to take advantage of it because it really works," Chen said.

Chen made his remarks during a meeting of the legislature's Judiciary Committee after Huang criticized the minister for requesting the airing of CNN programs.

Huang said that the ministry's employees need a quiet environment so they can take a relax during lunch, but Chen's decision forced them to spend their lunchtime on English instead.

"I think Minister Chen should also consider his employees' human rights while he was encouraging them to learn English," Huang said.

In response to Huang's criticism, Chen said that he would consult with the ministry's employees on the issue. He said he would not have problem if it proved necessary to adjust the length of the "English hour," move it to another time or cancel it.

During a conversation with reporters last June, Chen said that he felt that it was very important to master English -- because of his family.

"My two sons have been studying in Canada for years," he told reporters. "I suddenly discovered that there were more and more problems for me to communicate with them, since they spoke English most of the time, and I could not fully understand them. As a result, I decided to improve my own English and encourage my colleagues to do so as well."

Some employees have voiced support for the "English hour," while others said it is not working.

One employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said that CNN programs may be too difficult for those whose English ability was not very good.

"My English is poor. Honestly, listening to CNN will only make me more frustrated since I can hardly understand it," he said.