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Executive Yuan boosts English usage in contest

The Executive Yuan will be holding its second annual High Quality English Living Environment contest this summer and fall, as part of the "2008 National Development Challenge."

Government agencies, schools and private groups are all encouraged to enter, starting from July 1.

Through rounds of grading and elimination, participating organizations will receive ratings based on the accuracy, comprehensiveness, usability, aesthetic appeal and convenience of their English systems, the Executive Yuan said.

Thirty organizations will be labelled "Outstanding" by the end of September, winning a NT$100,000 prize as well as official certification, a statuette and free links from official Web sites.

Previous winners, including the Bureau of National Health Insurance and the Chu Wei Elementary School, addressed this year's hopefuls at a presentation yesterday.

Liu Zai-Chuan (劉在銓), a representative from the Bureau of National Health Insurance, emphasized the importance of internationalizing.

"We serve approximately 450,000 foreign workers in Taiwan," he said, "and every year we receive several visitors who come to learn from our world-class health insurance system." Principal Ong Wen-Chi (吳信長) of Chu Wei Elementary stressed "integrating bilingualism into one's original mission."

His school's creative incorporation of English into its curricular and extracurricular activities earned it the award last year.

"We hope Taiwan will be able to match international standards and connect with the world," said Chang Rei-Hong (張瑞宏), chief of the Bureau of Local Development.

"The announcement of the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung creates an extra incentive for our efforts," he said.

"There is still room for improvement. We don't have the historical understanding of English like Hong Kong or Singapore, but we must follow the global trends," he said.
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