New Taipei City launches multilingual TV show

2015/05/20

A TV program catering to Taiwan’s Southeast Asian immigrants will debut May 24 on all cable services in New Taipei City, underscoring local government efforts in promoting multiculturalism.

Broadcast in Mandarin, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese, the show is a collaboration with a number of local civic organizations. These include 4-Way Voice, Global Workers’ Organization, Taiwan International Family Association and TransAsia Sisters Association.

“New immigrants are important assets as they make valuable contributions to Taiwan’s increasingly diversified society,” New Taipei Deputy Mayor Hou Yu-yi said May 18. “This program aims at encouraging the younger generation to better understand the cultures and languages of their foreign parents.”

According to Hou, New Taipei City Government offers a wide variety of services to families comprising new immigrants, ranging from employment counseling and family support to language learning.

“The TV show reflects this commitment by addressing the needs of new immigrants and sharing their stories in languages they can better relate to culturally and emotionally,” he said.

Comprising four units, the program introduces viewers to the cuisines, fairy tales and folklore of Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as offering information and tips pertaining to all aspects of life in Taiwan.

Another goal of the show is to recruit qualified new immigrants to host episodes and groom multilingual talents as business and cultural ambassadors for Taiwan to the foreign countries.

Lin Chieh-yu, director of NTCGs Information Department, said the program will also be available for viewing online and via smartphones and tablets.

“We will continue working with the civic groups to create dedicated media platforms for new immigrants,” Lin said. “It is important that the new immigrants play a more active role in enhancing public awareness of related issues and policymaking.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=230559&ctNode=413)