The Taipei City Public Transportation Office has found that the metropolis is playing host to an ever-increasing number of foreign tourists, who usually speak English, a language that is Greek to many public transport drivers. In view of this, the office decided to hold English and Japanese conversation classes. Recently it even held an English speech contest for bus company staff and taxi drivers, with the aim of boosting drivers’ motivation to learn.
Danan Bus drivers Li Ming-chien and Chiang Kuo-chin used drama to simulate a scene in which a bus driver uses English to give a foreign passenger guidance on how to go to the Taipei 101 bus stops and how much money to pay for the bus fare, as well as considerately reminding the tourist to prepare an umbrella on a rainy day, thus showing the tenderness beneath bus drivers’ tough appearances.
Li, 55, says he and Chiang originally did not know each other, but they had a shared enthusiasm for learning English. They drove on different routes, only practiced with each other in person twice and used instant messaging software to discuss the script. Through their chats, they discovered that they had similar experiences of driving foreign tourists. The more they chatted, the more they connected with each other, which enabled them to develop a good rapport.
Photo: Kuo I, Taipei Times
照片： 自由時報記者郭逸
Chiang, 50, says that when he graduated from junior high school he could not even recite the 26 letters of the English alphabet. It was not until he joined the Air Force Institute of Communication that he started to cram English and get interested in the language. In addition, he had played in dramas in the past, so when Li fluffed his lines in the contest, he still found a way to make the dialogue work, thus earning thunderous applause and winning the contest.
(Liberty Times, translated by Ethan Zhan)
台北市公共運輸處發現外國觀光客與日俱增，常以英文交談，許多大眾運輸工具的司機卻鴨子聽雷，決定開設英、日語會話班，日前更首度舉辦「聯營公車從業人員及計程車駕駛員英語演講比賽」，盼增加司機們的學習動力。
大南客運司機李明謙、江國欽透過英文話劇，模擬司機引導外國乘客至台北一○一的公車站牌，告知搭車投幣數量，並貼心叮嚀下雨需準備雨傘，展現司機「鐵漢柔情」的一面。
Photo: Lai Hsiao-tung, Taipei Times
照片： 自由時報賴筱桐攝
五十五歲的李明謙說，他與江國欽原本素不相識，卻都對英文有學習熱忱，兩人平日駕駛的公車路線不同，僅見面練習兩次，透過通訊軟體討論腳本。一聊之後，發現對方的外國觀光客搭載經歷與自己相似，越聊越投機，因而培養出良好默契。
五十歲的江國欽說，他國中畢業時，連廿六個英文字母都無法背誦，進入空軍通訊學校才開始惡補，逐漸學出興趣；此外，他先前參與戲劇演出，即便李明謙比賽當天念錯台詞「凸槌」，他憑著經驗「圓」回來，博得滿堂彩並奪得冠軍。
（自由時報郭逸報導）
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