Taipei needs improvement in English, say foreigners

This article was published by the Taiwan Headlines on April 19, 2006. It reports that according to a recent survey, Taipei City's English-language environment is better than other places in Taiwan. But English services in the city's service industries should be improved.

The survey was conducted by the Taipei City Government's Research, Development and Evaluation Commission. 300 foreign visitors and residents were interviewed. The survey measured satisfaction with Taipei City's English environment in transportation, tourism and leisure, shopping and consumer affairs, hotels and restaurants, mass media, educational and cultural institutions, medical services, police relations, and government agencies.

According to results of the survey, 83 percent of foreign visitors and 66.4 percent of foreign residents were satisfied with Taipei City's English-language environment, compared with Taiwan's overall approval rating of 36 percent.

English in hotels and restaurants received the highest approval rating of 78 percent from foreign residents and 65 percent from foreign visitors.

In contrast, the English-speaking ability of taxi drivers was rated the least satisfactory at 29.5 percent from foreign residents and 18.7 percent from foreign visitors. The police department did not do very well, either. It received 34 percent from foreign residents and 25 percent from foreign visitors. Both foreign visitors and residents gave Taipei City's tourism, leisure, shopping and consumer sectors "failing grades" of below 60 percent.

According to organizers of the survey, foreign residents and visitors in general complained about Taipei City's confusing addresses and taxi drivers who could not understand basic English. They also suggested that hospitals and tourist attractions should train more volunteers with English-speaking abilities.

Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou acknowledged that there were shortcomings in the city's English-speaking environment. He promised to improve this and to promote further consistency in road signs and mass rapid transit (MRT) stations that use Hanyu pinyin romanization.

Taipei City's Transportation Department began to offer English conversation courses at the Taipei City Driver Training Center in 2005, in order to improve the English-speaking skills of the city's taxi drivers.