The Taipei City Government yesterday launched an online learning system for Aboriginal languages in elementary schools, the latest in its effort to encourage the learning of mother tongues, as the city observed International Mother Language Day.
The “Aboriginal Language Long-Distance Learning” system, launched by the city’s Department of Education last month, aims to fill the gap caused by a shortage of teachers of Aboriginal languages in elementary schools.
Chan Yi-tsong (諶亦聰), a section chief at the department, said the system offers online courses in three languages: Atayal, Saisiyat and Puyuma.
More than 10 students in six elementary schools have started to use the system, with the students learning their mother tongues face-to-face with their teachers online.
Of the 43 languages used by Taiwan’s Aborigines, there are only about 60 to 80 teachers available to teach these courses to about 1,700 Aboriginal students in elementary schools in Taipei.
The department would continue to expand the scope of the system and offer courses on 12 Aboriginal languages that are spoken by a smaller number of people, she said.
The Ministry of Education has made mother-tongue education a compulsory subject in elementary school since 2001. Taught once a week, these courses are offered in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), Hakka and Aboriginal languages.
Chan said the city established the system last year and tested the online courses at three schools before launching it last month. She invited elementary schools to apply with the department for the online program.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday joined students of Hakka and Aboriginal ancestry in promoting the importance of mother languages on the UN-declared International Mother Language Day at Taipei Hakka Culture Park. The mayor pledged to dedicate more educational resources to preserving local languages.
“There are more than 6,000 languages around the world, but about 10 languages become extinct every year ... The online learning system for Aboriginal languages is a pioneer system in Taiwan and reflects the city’s dedication in preserving languages and promoting mother tongues,” he said.
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
RSS