Bilingual 2030: Revving Up English in a Multilingual, Multicultural Taiwan

ABSTRACT This study investigates Taiwan’s language policies, in particular, the Bilingual Nation 2030 (BN2030), which was set to improve the English language proficiency of its citizens. I analyzed the policies’ aims and measures based on the economics of language framework, which was also used to deconstruct various ideological concepts underpinning the policies. The findings suggest that the BN2030 reflects an economic trajectory that banks on the population’s English language competencies. However, it is only a part of a bigger picture that is more grounded on the country's diverse social landscape. Hence, labeling the policy ‘bilingual’ is a misnomer, unfairly representing Taiwan’s multilingual, multicultural identity. Taiwan’s language policies have an outward-looking path to economic success, thus heavily investing in language education and training, but these efforts are obscured in the bilingual chatter and revving up of English.