The Taipei City Government is offering free Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) and Mandarin language classes for migrant workers employed in the city.
The Mandarin course, introduced this year, is aimed at helping migrant workers pass the basic Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) administered by the Ministry of Education, Taipei Department of Labor Commissioner Kao Bao-hua (高寶華) said in a statement.
The course’s goal is aligned with an initiative introduced this year by the Cabinet aimed in part at keeping migrant and foreign workers in Taiwan by helping them qualify as mid-level technical workers and earn higher wages, Kao said.
If migrant workers can pass the TOCFL test, it would help them to find better jobs and increase their chances of staying in Taiwan, he said.
Due to the limited openings for the classes, migrant workers who began their jobs in Taipei less than three years ago and are working their first job in Taiwan would have priority for admission, he said.
To be eligible for the speaking class, applicants would be required to pass a language proficiency test, the organizers said.
Another Mandarin class, which does not require applicants to pass a test for eligibility, is also available, they said.
Each course is to be taught over 48 hours from June 10 to Sept. 17, with the classes tentatively set for 9am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
All courses are to include six hours of “outside learning,” organizers said.
Class times are subject to change depending on the number of people who sign up, they said.
Taipei Foreign and Disabled Labor Office Director Liu Chia-hong (劉家鴻) said the courses would also be offered virtually for some live-in migrant workers who might not be able to attend in-person classes.
Those who want to register can apply online or call the Taipei Language Institute at (02) 2367-8228, ext. 816.
Registration ends on Friday next week.
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