Review of Studying Chinese in Taipei for a Month
I spent four weeks in Taipei in March to brush up on my Chinese. I had been studying it for about four years before my visit, and had been taking weekly free-talk lessons with online tutors for at least two years. However, the issues I hoped to address with this trip were my habit of reverting to English when I couldn’t find a way to express myself in Chinese, and my desire to become more comfortable speaking Mandarin, thus improving my fluency.
School and Teachers
The school was situated near the Taipei 101 building, practically at the heart of the city. Conveniently, there were a variety of stores and restaurants nearby, including a small local shop, a Hakka restaurant, a Japanese conveyor belt sushi restaurant, among others. The school itself was compact but contained several classrooms, accommodating between 2 to 10 students. It also had a common area where students could make coffee, use the fridge, and engage in activities like dumpling-making or playing mahjong.
There appeared to be two types of staff at the school: administrative and teaching. The administrative team comprised local individuals who maintained day-to-day operations. The top management and marketing staff were more transient, visiting different LTL schools periodically. The teachers, both part-time and full-time, were all approachable and always ready to assist with any issues. Taiwan reopened for foreign travelers in late 2022, leading to a surge in enrollment. Consequently, the school quickly expanded its staff and even rented additional space nearby to accommodate the growing student body. There were some initial issues with the teaching arrangements due to this rapid growth, but by the time I arrived in March 2023, these had been largely resolved. Despite being busy, the staff always made time to address my needs.
I didn’t explore the school’s curriculum extensively. Given my advanced Chinese proficiency, they recommended one-on-one classes for me. Prior to my arrival in Taipei, I had a meeting with the school to discuss my goals and preferences. They had chosen a business Chinese textbook for me, but we ultimately decided not to use it. Instead, my classes consisted of 6-hour daily discussions in Chinese with my two teachers, where we conversed on various topics. They were very attuned to my primary goal: to practice communication in Chinese as much as possible. I informed them that I didn’t wish to spend my valuable time there doing textbook exercises or homework assignments.
My two teachers had quite different personalities, but both were excellent and went above and beyond to provide interesting study materials. One was keen on history and literature; she enlightened me on Chinese and Taiwanese history, Japanese occupation, the subsequent aftermath, current political views of Taiwanese people, the evolution of freedom of speech, and more. The second teacher guided me around the city, even helping me buy a translator pen and initiating conversations with locals for me to participate in.
Other Students and Activities
Most of the other students were younger than me, with some taking a gap year. However, there were also mature students, including a recently graduated American doctor reconnecting with his Taiwanese roots, a traveling couple spending two weeks at a time in different Asian locations, and a retired grandfather studying Chinese. I didn’t interact much with the other students, but I did participate in a dumpling-making session at the school and visited Jiufen with a group. Other than these instances, I had minimal contact with the other students as my lunch break was scheduled at a different time, which I believe was the school’s intentional attempt to maintain my immersion in the Chinese language environment.
The Host Family
There were some initial issues finding a host family for me, presumably due to the school’s rapid growth and high demand. I had anticipated staying with a conventional family of two adults and a couple of children, but I ended up living with an older single gentleman who was a former LTL teacher. However, I thoroughly enjoyed our insightful chats about work and life. Moreover, he was an excellent cook and insisted on providing me breakfast and dinner daily, requiring me to be home by 7:30 pm. This routine helped provide structure to my day.
The City
I spent a considerable amount of time exploring Taipei, either alone, with my teacher, or my host. I found Taipei to be very accessible and easy to navigate. The metro system is efficient, clean, safe, and affordable, although crowded during rush hours. There were also U-Bikes available at all metro stations and various spots around the city. While the weather was pleasant in March, locals constantly warned about the impending summer heat.
Reflection
After two weeks in Taipei, spending six hours daily in discussions with my teachers and interacting with locals around the city, I noticed considerable improvement in my language skills. The only drawback was resorting to English with my host due to my own complacency, but he was the only person I communicated with in English during my stay. I managed all interactions and school-related matters with local staff in Chinese. I even received compliments from shop owners who assumed I had lived in Taipei for years.
After returning from Taipei, my long-time online teachers noticed a marked improvement in my language proficiency. They highlighted my increased fluency, natural expression, and reduced reliance on English.
Overall, the experience was precisely what I had hoped for. In addition to meeting my goals, it was a fantastic experience! I even appeared on their YouTube channel, discussing my experiences. 😄