In the act, “national languages” are defined as the natural languages used by ethnic groups in Taiwan, as well as Taiwan Sign Language. He asked whether enough teachers would be available to teach “national languages” at junior and senior-high schools when they become mandatory next year. The lack of teachers is the “biggest problem” with making “national language” classes mandatory for junior and senior-high school students, Cheng said. The definition of “national languages” in the act is wide-ranging, he said, adding that it is important to clarify which languages are to be options. In theory, languages such as Dutch, Spanish, Japanese and Cantonese could also be considered “national languages,” Ho said.

Source: Taipei Times January 14, 2021 15:56 UTC