Taiwan wants to be bilingual by 2030, lifting English proficiency to take ‘another step’ to aid economy
- Taiwan has rolled out a plan for NT$30 billion (US$982 million) of spending until 2027 to help meet its goal of increasing English proficiency by 2030
- It is out to compete with Hong Kong, Singapore, India and the Philippines where English is used in the government and by the legal, professional and business sectors
David Feng, a 23-year-old bilingual student, embodies where government officials want Taiwan to be by 2030 to help boost the island’s competitiveness internationally.
Feng can communicate fluidly with foreigners, enjoys smooth travels overseas and can read information that would be off limits to a large number of his compatriots.
“A bundle of valuable information uses English as the primary language, which allowed me to cultivate some specific knowledge vaguely known in Taiwan,” said Feng, who will pursue a master’s degree in Asian studies at George Washington University in the US capital later this year.
Taiwan announced its plan to increase English proficiency in 2018 and in March rolled out a plan for NT$30 billion (US$982 million) of spending over the next five years, as well as specific targets for compulsory education as it seeks to compete with the likes of Hong Kong, Singapore, India and the Philippines.
We believe it will help to improve Taiwan’s attractiveness and competitiveness as an investment destination
A boost in English in Taiwan, where Chinese is the official language, is expected to help domestic companies seek more business overseas, while also making the island more attractive to investors and tourists.
If government regulations, policies, tenders and websites can be found in “legally binding English”, foreign businesses could save the trouble of translating documents into Chinese, said Freddie Hoeglund, chief executive officer of the European Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan.