Chinese class recommendations

Hi,

Other than NTNU, does anyone have any recommendations for taking Chinese classes here in Taipei? I’ve been looking into NTNU, I would just like to know of any other good options.
Something not too intensive, as I have a full time job.

Thanks!

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Check TMI, TCA, TMC, TLI all located generally in the same area near Roosevelt Road, generally all within the same rates, and only as intensive as you want them to be.

Never go to NTNU for chinese. They are only happy when taking your money. Complaining about anything only brings exasperation and dismissal. Older teachers still regard themselves as gods. It’s not 1973 anymore

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Chinese Culture University is way cheaper and flexible, but I did’nt try. I only tried NTNU but only bad experience there. If you have a full time job maybe take class one on one, group class is a bit scam.

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I took evening classes at Shih Chien University’s Chinese Language Center. It’s a smaller program with less students and great teachers, yet same price or less than the cost of a lot of other places. I had a great experience there. Let me know if you want any more information.

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I just started at Taipei Mandarin CEnter and I like it. I have nothing to compare it to however.
I’m doing 3 hours per week but they do have longer / more frequent classes as well but I couldn’t commit to more time at this point.

How about TV programs?

Pioneer and TLI for 1:1 tutoring. And #1 is get a significant other who tutors you as well. If the s.o. Isn’t helpful then find 1 that is; plenty of fish in the sea. Get to the point that you can largely teach yourself as soon as possible so your $ investment is small because the ROI is iffy :

I found NTNU more instructive for the rude authority figures as an example of Chinese culture than for learning Chinese. At NTNU, you pay for a whole quarter and they could care less whether you are a satisfied customer.

ICLP is a scam in my opinion but if $ is no problem then getting scammed won’t hurt much.

Your own drive and determination are more important than any program. Today on Coursera there are free Chinese courses. If you have an ARC without attending school, I would not pay 1 NT to learn Chinese.

Where is this located? Can you please share their website?

coursera.org.

that piece was in 2012.
would not be surprised if he was “kicked” out of commieland for it soon after

Taipei Mandarin Center/台北語学センター/타이페이 언어중심

TMC— Taipei Mandarin Center/台北語学センター/타이페이 언어중심 - TMC
69863982_396710657712781_513328903465467904_n
53934125_314486622601852_3373099269387976704_n
0916

Sorry for the late reply. Here is the website https://chineseusc.com/

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Why?

How bad is NTNU? I’ve been looking at all these threads and you seem to have a crusade against NTNU.
Here’s my situation:

  1. 0 Chinese knowledge. Thank you, hi, excuse me. That’s it.
  2. I live near NTNU, 5 minute bike ride.
  3. I have flexible work hours, so I can take either early morning/late night classes.
  4. I have a limited budget, NTNU’s regular group class at around 25000 NTD is my cap.
  5. No real drive to learn. Girlfriend and friends all speak English. Office uses English when it comes to work related stuff.

My girlfriend (local) was quick in suggesting NTNU when I told her I wanted to take Chinese classes.
The only reason why I want to take classes is because I feel like a douchebag running around Taiwan expecting people to be able to understand me.

They don’t have good customer service.
Older teachers and administrative staff don’t handle complaints well and will attempt to kick you out for even thinking of questioning their omnipotent wisdom.
Chinese often taught is the Beijing variety cause some students want to learn Chinese here to ‘do business’ in China. Political leanings are very blue holding onto the outdated notion and education that the ROC is the one true china while completely ignoring the Taiwanese variety of Mandarin spoken by the people here.

You will be forced learn utterly useless niche traditional cultural concepts and other cultural things like the Olympics(that one stood out to me) before you are even remotely sustainable, competent and independent in the language. Basic things are not taught. You will know at most a few colours and almost no shapes and when confronted, they suggested I learn basic concepts on the street while they teach me niche cultural concepts.

Exams are one hour and barely cover the work. If you happen to not know those exact characters or concepts or grammar pieces on the exam, you will fail. The learning methods are to be able to regurgitate everything 100% and the system does not account for slower learners or 70% learners. Your test of grammar concepts will be limited to a single sentence, which means that if you so happen to forget any of the characters on that sentence, despite able to demonstrate use of the grammar concepts, you will fail.

Shihda has a problem with its students. Teachers expect you to give them 100% of your time and treat learning like a full time job. I downgraded to regular classes from intensive when I took a job because you know I need to EAT and LIVE. Often, extremely enthusiastic students with money will push teachers in regular classes to go faster or teach at intensive levels without regard for people like me that can’t go faster and need a slower pace. This was also during a particularly bad case of gastroenteritis that lasted about four weeks so… yeah. One of my teachers indulged them and made tonnes of extra reading materials that weren’t part of the curriculum but were tested anyways, increasing the work, school and commuting burdens on top of my, at-the-time health burdens. Complaints fell on deaf ears and students complained I was holding them back, despite them being in the regular classes. Administration attempted to move me out of the class instead of putting the students who want faster learning into intensive.

Harassment claims I made about another student who, in another class constantly berated me publicly for failing to understand a concept fell on deaf ears. Their solution was to move me every time something happened, but I had a job too… If a student complained about me? They tried to move me. If i complained about another student, they STILL tried to move me. When writing reviews about teachers I didn’t like at the end of the semester, I was pulled over and given talkings to.

My last teacher always liked to use literal triangles in learning for words he already repeated. It was awful.

Regular classes force you to spend 1/3 of your time learning useless side things like music or art. One is a Taiwanese class but

A) They’re repeated the SAME WAY every semester and start at 0.

B) The only useful thing, the Taiwanese class, is taught the wrong way using the wrong characters and barely go into detail. @Greves would lose his mind.

You are not gonna like Shihda. They’re only happy if they’re taking your money.

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How’s NTU’s CLD? Any feedback?

Me? I stopped learning Chinese when Shihda decided that they would rather kick me out instead of improving their service.

They just care about getting sponges as students. It’s easy and means they do little work.

One day I will start learning again. I’m fairly competent on my own volition and know the characters I need for daily life, but… I don’t care to learn about the olympics, a once-in-four-year event.

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That’s some heavy shit.
Thanks, I think you’ve managed to convince me in skipping NTNU.
I’ll start by self studying first.

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The only reason why the locals say NTNU is because a lot of the foreigners go there cause it’s cheap and the area is full of foreigners. Locals have no clue the experience as an adult and can’t relate. The learning style is very asian so the Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese will enjoy the rigourous rote memorisation without being able to practise with their classmates in upper levels.

Western foreigners often drop off by the fourth book when their visa and money run out. In upper levels, you’re often the only westerner in a class with people who have some native intuition in Asian culture and learning styles. You probably won’t be practising with the shy Japanese guy beside you and any attempt to try to understand this particular feature of a language is like pulling teeth. They are not set up for western learners.

A western teacher could teach you Chinese better cause then they can explain why you put this particle here etc…

Right here. Same thing. They actively try TEACHING US this accent at the school. Good thing I paid attention to my friends to pick up a Taiwanese accent.

Now every clerk asks me why I sound like I am from Taiwan when I go to China.

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