Incorrect and conflicting English signs at Kaohsiung International Airport are creating problems for travelers, said Ni Jing-tai (倪京台), who has a doctorate in English from the University of Pennsylvania.
The exit for travelers into the main hall has a sign saying “No Entrance” instead of “No Entry,” while the sign for the National Immigration Agency is translated as simply “Immigration,” which is misleading, she said.
The information center in the main hall is labeled “Service Counter,” while a similar counter on the third floor is labeled “Information,” she said.
“Estimated Arrival Time” was translated as “Schedule Time” and “Actual Arrival Time” reads “Arrival Time,” she said.
If “Schedule Time” were to mean “Estimated Arrival Time,” it would have to be put into past tense, “Scheduled Time,” to have the intended meaning, she said. However, the airport separates arrival times into scheduled, estimated and actual arrival time.
She said the taxi stand sign reads “Scheduled Taxi,” suggesting that the designated area is meant for those who have called for a taxi in advance.
The acronym for Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT or MRT) could cause confusion with the MRT system in Taipei. A sign stating “Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System” would be clearer, she said.
“You’re able to tell what the signs are trying to say. However, since this is an international airport, the signs should be more precise in order to better serve foreigners,” American Brian Sweeney said.
Meanwhile, a new survey found that a majority of workers have a dim view of their own English-language abilities, the online employment broker 104 Job Bank said yesterday.
Data from 104 Job Bank shows that the number of jobs requiring English language skills increased 16 percent between 1999 and this year, with 47 percent of the 260,000 jobs listed by Job Bank expect applicants to have English-language ability.
However, a survey conducted from July 4 to July 7 among 1,997 workers found that 63 of respondents thought their English did not meet employers’ requirements.
More than 76 percent of respondents expressed a lack of confidence in their English speech skills and 69.3 percent had no confidence in their listening comprehension.
More than 50 percent of master’s or doctorate degree holders rated their English proficiency as senior high school level or lower, while 57.6 percent of bachelor’s degree holders believed their English proficiency was at the junior high school level or lower.
Only 24.5 percent of respondents said they improved their English skills on a regular basis through self-study materials or attending cram schools.
The survey found that 34.6 percent of respondents have had job interviews conducted in English.
While only 2 percent thought they performed perfectly in those interviews, 58 percent rated their performance a disaster.
Additional reporting by CNA
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