 |
Serving
Students at
Santa Ana
College and
Santiago
Canyon College
TAIWAN
Language
|
Languages:
Languages:
Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese, Hakka, English and Japanese.
The official
language of the Taiwan area is Mandarin (based on the Beijing dialect),
while the major spoken dialects are Southern Fukienese (often called Taiwanese)
and Hakka (spoken by the Hakka minority group, which accounts for around
6 percent of the total population). While the official language is
Northern Chinese (Mandarin), Taiwanese is widely spoken. A standardized
Mandarin known as Putonghua (literally 'the common language'), is the official
language of government and education in mainland China, and everyone in
China is taught to speak it; it is essentially the same dialect that is
spoken in Taiwan. The Taiwanese do not use the modernized Chinese script
currently used in the People’s Republic of China.
A large
majority of people on Taiwan speak Mandarin Chinese, which has been the
medium of instruction in the schools for more than four decades.
Mandarin speakers are able to communicate with over 20% of the world's
population.
English
is by far the most popular foreign language. Many business representatives
can speak, understand, and correspond in English. Those educated
before WWII may speak Japanese.
Native
Taiwanese and many others also speak one of the Southern Fujianese dialects,
Min-nan, also known as Taiwanese. Recently there has been a growing
use of Taiwanese in the broadcast media. The Hakka, who are concentrated
in several counties throughout Taiwan, have their own distinct dialect.
As a result of the half century of Japanese rule, many people over age
60 also can speak Japanese. The method of Chinese romanization most
commonly used in Taiwan is the Wade-Giles system.
Literacy
for the total population has reportedly increased to 94% (1998 est.).
Education is compulsory for nine years.
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total
population: 86% (1980 est.); note - literacy for the total population has
reportedly increased to 94% (1998 est.)
male:
93% (1980 est.)
female:
79% (1980 est.)
Literacy
for the total population has reportedly increased to 94% (1998 est.).
Education is compulsory for nine years.
A nine
year public educational system has been in effect since 1979. Six
years of elementary school and three years of junior high are compulsory
for all children. About 94.7% of junior high graduates continue their
studies in either a senior high or vocational school. Reflecting
a strong commitment to education, in FY 2001 16% of Taiwan's budget was
allocated for education. Taiwan has an extensive higher education
system with more than 100 institutions of higher learning. Each year
over 100,000 students take the joint college entrance exam; about 66.6%
of the candidates are admitted to a college or university. Opportunities
for graduate education are expanding in Taiwan, but many students travel
abroad for advanced education, including 13,000 who study in the United
States annually.
Links
for More Information
.
Sources:
U.
S. Department of State
Central
Intelligence Agency |
