The Tts Times
Date: August 30, 2020
By: Katherine Wei Taiwan Correspondent In Taipei

The Taiwanese government has big plans to make Taiwan bilingual in 10 years, but the project to raise English proficiency has drawn flak for being too ambitious, and has sparked concerns that it will dilute attention on the island's indigenous languages.

"Bilingual by 2030" aims to help the younger generation connect with the international community by learning to speak fluently in English and thus promoting Taiwanese values.

The project was first introduced by President Tsai Ing-wen's administration in 2018 and has two main objectives: to elevate national competitiveness and cultivate people's English proficiency.

The administration said it plans to create more English-speaking environments for students to move beyond learning only vocabulary and grammar in school and provide more opportunities for civil servants to "hone their ability to communicate in English". It also wants to establish an exclusive English-language TV station while encouraging other media outlets to provide English coverage, among other plans.    [FULL  STORY]