Parents’ attitudes toward the english education policy in Taiwan

Taiwan, like many other countries in Asia, introduced considerable changes in English education policy in response to the need for English communication in the global market. During the process of implementing the new English education policy, the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Taiwan encountered several problems. Although researchers have examined other issues concerning the implementation of the English education policy, such as the shortage of trained English teaching personnel, the selection of textbooks and the difficulty of teaching a class of heterogeneous learners, parental attitudes toward or expectations for the English education policy itself remain unexplored. Parental opinions about English education and the extent to which parents support English education reform play a large role in the success of the implementation of the policy and are important factors for the government to consider when shaping future education policies. The perspectives of parents, therefore, should be included in a research-based examination. This study surveyed the opinions of Taiwanese parents on current English education policy and practice.