What My Almost-Perfect Community Needs on Language Planning

        I’ve lived in Mucha for 10 years now, and it is indeed a perfect community—a quiet atmosphere with fresh air and beautiful sceneries. However, one thing I cannot tolerate about the place is the lack of international perspective among inhabitants. I have come up with a few ideas to improve that aspect in my community, with the help of language learning-facilities.

        I strongly trust that English is the key towards developing a community’s international potentials, and hence I conjecture that the local government should promote more free English courses to all. The authorities may think of ways to motivate people to participate in these courses, say, provide free meals for those who come to the community English classes or provide coupons in the local market for those who pass a community English test. With food and money pushing on its back, perhaps there would be more people who would take time to take English courses and improve their speaking abilities.

        Another way to promote English in the community would be to encourage foreigners to live in Mucha. The local authorities could offer cheaper rents to foreigners, and with a rapid increase of international inhabitants, people in the neighborhood would be obligated to speak English in work, in the bus, in the market, and in the elevator. Though this may seem like a less effective way of improving the local Taiwanese’s English, in the long run at least Mucha would become a more international area in Taipei.

        Mucha seems like a village that one would see in late 18 century Taipei, and it is time to build intercultural mindsets among the people. I sincerely hope that in the near future, the government could take measures and examine ways to improve that aspect.