As many as 20,000 taxi drivers in Shanghai have so far received English training and this means that one out of every four taxi drivers can speak English, according to the local taxi administrative department.
This year, all the taxi companies in Shanghai have taken a series of measures to improve their drivers' English.
Most of the companies have installed blackboards on the walls of driver's offices, on which English words and sentences are written so they can be more easily memorized.
Some of the companies have also invited English teachers and organized special examinations for the drivers.
The Shanghai Pudong Qiangsheng Taxi Co. Ltd, the main service provider for the coming APEC conference, has provided special courses to improve its dispatchers' oral English, and all of them have passed the city-level English examination.
The second round of English training highlighting conversation and listening comprehension ability will be launched this month, sources said.
(People’s Daily 06/10/2001)
