As part of the Taiwan Talks CEO interview series, Doris Brougham, Founder of Overseas Radio and Television, Inc. shares with us her fascinating story in laying the ground for English teaching in Taiwan and how the country is on track on becoming a bilingual nation by 2030. Brougham is a common household name in Taiwan, as students in elementary and middle school learn their English from her ‘Studio Classroom’ magazine series. At 96 years of age, Brougham still works from her office everyday to edit scripts, arrange recordings, while also meeting students all around Taiwan on a regular basis. Originally from the United States, she came to Taiwan seven decades ago right after World War II. On a mission to improve Taiwan’s international status and communication abilities, she has made English teaching her lifelong goal. In this episode, we sit down with Brougham to learn about her touching story in her seventy years, in witnessing a war-torn country transform into a global economic powerhouse. Much of that development was also in the making of Brougham herself, training ministers to prominent business leaders the ability to converse with the world. We also hear from Ralph Rogers, British Council Taiwan Director, on how his organization is working with various levels of the Taiwan government in making bilingualism a reality. Topics discussed: - What about Taiwan has kept Brougham here for so long in making it her home and pursing her lifelong goals of making the island nation bilingual - Brougham’s seven decades in Taiwan, from being a missionary in the remote mountains of Hualien, to becoming the nation’s English language teaching pioneer - The ‘Journey of Love,’ a touching musical on Brougham’s life story and how she has transformed Taiwan, and vice versa - Challenges Brougham has experienced in building Taiwan’s English teaching machine and why persistence and optimism is vital in overcoming them - How music has enhanced English teaching and how Brougham’s unconventional methods of teaching conversational English has boosted Taiwan’s English proficiency - What it takes for Taiwan to become a bilingual nation by 2030 and the obstacles that lie ahead - The importance of effectively training local English teaching talent - Why English proficiency is imperative to Taiwan’s competitiveness and integration with the international community

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