Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

A press conference marking the release of Doris Brougham’s autobiography A Friend for Life took place at the Eslite Bookstore on January 25. Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin attended the event to show his support for the respected educator and English teacher.
Brougham is the founder of Studio Classroom, a publisher of English-learning materials. Many local students learning English have relied on the company’s vast repertoire of magazines, radio broadcasts, and television programs.
Speaking at the event, Hau shared his own English-learning experience with the audience. He recalled that in high school, the first thing he would do after waking up in the morning was to tune in to Studio Classroom broadcasts. Back in those days, resources for learning English was very limited, and Studio Classroom became a very important vehicle for people who wish to learn the language on their own.
Hau mentioned that his father, former Executive Yuan Premier Hau Pei-tsun, has been a loyal fan of Brougham’s English lessons since the program’s founding. He recalled his father, who has never received formal training in English, was able to deliver speeches in English during one of the visits to the United States. How much his father learned from Studio Classroom really impressed him.
According to Hau, Brougham is the English teacher of 23 million Taiwanese. On behalf of the city’s residents, he expressed his gratitude to the educator for her contribution to Taiwan’s ESL education for the past 60 years.