At 4:20pm on March 12, a speech on the TOEIC English Proficiency test was delivered by the General Manager of TOEIC Taiwan, Wu Shao Ming. Held at the Student Activity Center, Tamsui Campus, the speech drew around 1,200 students from the colleges of Liberal Arts and Education. The Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Dr. Chiu jeong-Yeou, stated that the lecture would help raise students’ confidence when taking the TOEIC exam, and as a result, increase their competitiveness in the workplace.

General Manager Wu explained that a TOEIC score of 650 and up is considered a high score. However, in Taiwan the average score obtained is 550, which means there is scope for improvement. Mr. Wu also cited several statistics related to the importance of gaining English language accreditation in Taiwan. At present, in Taiwan, 83.1% of enterprises express a willingness to provide higher salary to employees with professional accreditation. Moreover, 72% of enterprises consider language as a primary criterion in the hiring of employees. Statistics show that 97% of people aspire to find employment at a locally-based foreign firm; and the key to obtaining such employment is foreign language ability.

Third year student, Hung Tsai-ling, commented: “The speech presented a detailed explanation of the benefits of TOEIC. It was very useful. I gained a lot of insights into how to prepare for TOEIC”.