National language act is not honoredBy Huang Li-fen 黃麗芬In 2009, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) made a welcome move to offer in-house contracts to all outsourced employees. Every day across Taiwan, local language teachers are traveling between schools to classes, promoting culture and mother tongue development. The government has repeatedly made noises about wanting to “protect language rights” and “cultivate language talent,” but local language teachers continue to be left out in the cold. The driving force of this practice is, of course, those educators who quietly travel from school to school as local language teachers. Reforms must begin with respect for local language teachers, just as linguistic equality begins with addressing systemic injustices.

Source: Taipei Times December 30, 2025 16:07 UTC