Taiwan College students’ use of personal and family mother tongue is prominently regional. The most commonlyused languages over there include standard Chinese, Fukienese, Hakkanese, aboriginal languages and English. The average frequency of using these languages is: standard Chinese 76.52%, Fukienese 15.39%, Hakkanese 1.03%, aboriginal languages 0.29% and English 1.08%. College students in Taiwan are prominently distinctive in ability of using varieties of languages: no matter what is their mother tongue, they are most capable in using standard Chinese. Those whose mother tongue is Fukienese are more capable in using Fukienese than Hakkanese while those whose mother tongue is Hakkanese are more capable in using Hakkanese than Fukienese. Furthermore, those whose mother tongue is standard Chinese are more capable in using Fukienese than Hakkanese, which indicates that Fukianese is better than Hakkanese in competitiveness. In terms of language attitude, Taiwan college students like standard Chinese better than English. In terms of language expectation, however, no matter which is their mother tongue, they pin their greatest expectation at English, less at standard Chinese, and still less at Fukienese. The Hakkanese pin greater expectation at Hakkaniese that Fukienese, which shows only the Hakkanese greater loyalty to their language than the Fukienese.

college students in Taiwan; standard Chinese; Fukienese; Hakkanese; language attitude; language competence