ABSTRACT
This paper reflects on communication problems due to language barriers, which have become an issue due to the impact of globalization. The researchers discovered a problem in conveying public visual information for non-Chinese speaking users in Taiwan. Foreign people often find difficulty in understanding the purposes of public places and commercial services. The use of English text in advertising has not always been the best solution. Generally speaking, people in Taiwan have low English proficiency because English is not their mother tongue (despite high scores in TOFEL [Test of English as a Foreign Language] and IELTS [International English Language Testing System exams]). Furthermore, some foreigners, whose first language is not English, live in Taiwan. Based on a survey, the researchers offer an alternative solution of creating a pictogram system for foreigners who live in Taiwan to adapt to local Taiwanese culture. The advantages and disadvantages of using pictograms in this study and globalization versus localization are discussed. The researchers recommend further exploration of methods for evaluating pictograms in order to achieve more efficient visual communication.
