As the British Representative to Taiwan, I am struck by how much Taiwan and the UK have in common.
Although our vibrant democracies are situated nearly 10,000km apart, we are closely aligned on many of the areas which will define the future.
The UK and Taiwan’s shared priorities include driving innovation and cultivating the next generation of technology, tackling climate change and ensuring that our citizens can thrive in a competitive global market.
In both the UK and Taiwan, you will hear a wonderful array of languages, dialects and accents. Languages are the fabric of both our sets of islands, weaving together cultures, backgrounds and experiences.
The UK supports Taiwan’s ambitions to use the English language as a lingua franca at home and abroad. As Taiwan sets out to become bilingual in Mandarin and English by 2030, I believe passionately that the UK is a natural partner to help at every step of the way.
Every April 23, we celebrate English Language Day.
We might think of the UK as the home of the English language, but we are happy in the knowledge that it has never belonged to us. It is a shared language of global communication used by billions of people across the world.
The story of the English language began in the fifth century, when Germanic tribes invaded Britain and brought their languages with them.
In 1066, William I of France became king, and French became the language of officials. Today, an estimated 45 percent of all English words have a French origin.
By William Shakespeare’s time, modern English had developed, printing had been invented and people had to agree on “correct” spelling and vocabulary.
Today, English is being used more and more as a lingua franca, a way for two speakers with different first languages to communicate with each other. For many people, the need to communicate is much more important than the need to sound like a native speaker.
Much has been said about how the English language will continue to open doors throughout this century. Efforts to create an inclusive bilingual environment will help enhance Taiwan’s competitiveness, forge business connections, strengthen its protective alliances and create high-quality jobs.
So yes, there are practical economic advantages, but there is so much more than that. Even as a native speaker, I am still learning new things about the merits, the beauty and the brilliance of the English language. It is a versatile and wonderfully imaginative tool. It is at the heart of many of the world’s greatest achievements in films and songs, in books and plays, and in technology and ideas.
English evolves with the times, adjusting to the everyday needs of its speakers. It absorbs new ideas and never stands still.
April 23 was chosen for English Language Day because it is thought to be Shakespeare’s birthday, and he alone is credited with the invention of more than 1,700 words and phrases that are still in use today. For example, the words “gossip,” “fashionable” and “lonely” were all first used by Shakespeare.
And more are being added all the time. An update of the Oxford English Dictionary in December last year recognized another 700 just since the previous edition.
Language is a democratic and limitless thing we can all own throughout our lives. It allows great personal expression, offering options to convey thoughts and feelings in myriad different ways.
However, as I know from my own experience, mastering foreign languages can be challenging. It is often frustrating and the road to fluency can be a long and winding one. So how can the UK help Taiwan chart its course?
The UK is contributing decades of industry expertise in English language training, education technology, publishing and assessment.
The British Office and the British Council are working closely with the Ministry of Education, the National Development Council and Examination Yuan to cultivate English-language proficiency. We are also fostering partnerships between the education sectors of Taiwan and the UK.
We recognize that there is no “off the shelf” solution. Skills development must always be tailored to local contexts for a whole-of-society transformative approach.
Experience from around the world has taught us that successful education reforms cannot be made in isolation. Reforms to the curriculum, teaching and assessment of English should be developed holistically. This is the most effective way to create a bilingual learning environment that will meet the needs of the people in every part of Taiwan.
Improvements in language learning should be guided by comprehensive analysis of the needs and aspirations of the stakeholders: the students, the parents, the teachers and the policymakers.
Teachers will always be the single biggest factor in language-learning success. Research suggests that money spent training local teachers is likely to be a much better investment than recruiting native English speakers.
Innovative thinking is required on how best to support teachers’ continuing professional development; how to build in English proficiency and enhance pedagogical skills for lifelong learning.
To this end, over the past 12 months, we have organized a series of seminars to share the experience of some of the leading UK experts in the field of English-language teaching and learning, and English-medium education. We hope that their experience can lead to even better teaching and learning outcomes in Taiwan.
To ensure their advice reaches as wide an audience as possible, we have made recordings of all their presentations, available online.
Please visit the British Council Taiwan’s official Web site and search for “UK Experience and Expertise in Support of Taiwan’s Bilingual Policy.”
The opportunities of Bilingual 2030 are moving rapidly toward us, and the UK is ready to work in partnership with Taiwan as it enters the next chapter of this story.
John Dennis is representative at the British Office in Taipei.
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