TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — First Bank is continuing to push through its policy of promoting English-Mandarin bilingual services by planning to hire 115 language talents to staff the 37 bilingual branches it had planned to set up by the end of the year, offering a monthly salary of NT$45,000 (US$1,552).

In order to respond to the nation’s bilingual policy, First Bank has been dedicating itself to enhancing the English ability of all staff and providing bilingual services, CNA reported.

As of the end of July, nearly 3,000 bank workers, or 38% of the entire staff, had taken the General English Proficiency Test, which is an increase of 16% from last year’s 22%.

More than 2,000 participants, or over 70%, scored an equivalent of 500 points on the TOEIC test, and 240 participants, or 8%, scored an equivalent of 900 points, the bank said.

First Bank has been actively setting up bilingual branches, announcing on Wednesday (Aug. 18) that it will set up 37 bilingual branches by the end of this year, of which nearly 10 will offer Mandarin, English, and Japanese services, the report said.

The bank already offers Japanese services at its Dadaocheng branch in Taipei, where there is a convergence of Japanese travelers. There are also trilingual services at the bank’s Zhongshan, Tianmu, and Dunhua branches in Taipei as well as the Taichung and Tainan branches.

The bank will also hire a total of 115 language talents this year, who must have scored over 800 points on the TOIEC test or equivalent levels on other tests. There will be a bonus for any applicants who pass speaking tests, the bank added.

The bank also plans to set up 25 bilingual branches every year, beginning from 2022, per CNA.