Choosing between programs, e.g. NTNU, NTU's CLD and NCCU

[quote]
To the OP: Are you the type who wants to hang out with other foreigners, with lots of bars and foreign food nearby? Or do you want to be surrounded primarily by locals and local food? The latter will be a more authentic Taiwan experience and will be better for your Mandarin (and a bit of Taiwanese, which you’ll probably pick up).[/quote]

If you want to learn Mandarin go to a smaller town in China. I am not sure that Taipei is the best place to learn Mandarin. Especially since you are coming with a boyfriend. You will have to work hard to actually find chances to speak Mandarin outside of class unless you are an overseas born Taiwanese with family in Taipei. Then you can just hang out with your family.

I really didn’t have any problem finding such chances. But I actively avoided contact with westerners, for the most part, for my first five years here, getting local roomies who didn’t speak English, getting language exchange partners, and so on. If you walk around trying to use Mandarin in Taibei, avoid the foreigner hangouts, and arrange for language exchanges at least three times a week, you will have TONS of chances to use it, in my experience.

I agree but that is not the reality for most. I also lived with a student and a lifeguard for my first six months in Taiwan. Also, due to having a bad agent, I had to take a job during the semester in Jongli. I learned a lof of Mandarin on the train every day between Taipei and Jongli.

I guess what I am trying to say is that if you are studying in Shida or Taiwan National University it is difficult to meet friends that are Taiwanese.

Dragonbones, no, I’m not the bar type.

Thanks steelersman. I’ll definitely try what you did! I’ll surely arrange for language exchange where ever I decide to go.

Thanks for all replies.

:slight_smile: :whistle:

[quote]

Thanks steelersman. I’ll definitely try what you did! I’ll surely arrange for language exchange where ever I decide to go.[/quote]

Make sure you find a good language exchange. Some people try to take advantage and just speak English to you. Remember input is just as important as output when learning a foreign language.

I will add that I am currently exchanging one day of English teaching a week for Mandarin practice with my private students mother. I would say that this is better than a language exchange because it gives me three straight hours every Tuesday of Mandarin practice. Not to mention I go to Shida every morning from 8 to 10PM and then practice with my students mother from 12:30PM to 3:30PM. On Tuesdays I only work from 5:30PM to 7PM.

Read this:

Hi,
I am just curious, which school would be better for a yearlong advanced course (full time)? I checked Taida CLD, they say that beginner + intermediate is one year and advanced is one year long. Other schools have less info on their websites… I am actually more interested in learning reading/writing/literature since I am pretty outgoing, so listening/speaking is usually less of a problem… I intend to do MA in Taiwan after.
Thanks!

hey, i’ve decided to go to NCCU! :smiley:

I got my acceptance letter. I also got accepted to the dormitory in NCCU.
Will be joining the spring term. I’m pretty nervous… about staying in the dormitory, learning mandarin. etc. wah. :s

any tips for me? hehehe.

thanks everyone for all your replies and comments.

Keryl, we were all nervous about stepping across the ocean and landing on this island. Most people in your class will be on the same boat -situation- and that helps a lot.

No tips, other than study hard and enjoy your stay.

ps.
First of all, get the schedule for the shuttle bus to go from the dorms to the language center.

[quote=“Icon”]Keryl, we were all nervous about stepping across the ocean and landing on this island. Most people in your class will be on the same boat -situation- and that helps a lot.

No tips, other than study hard and enjoy your stay.

ps.
First of all, get the schedule for the shuttle bus to go from the dorms to the language center.[/quote]

Thaaaaaaaaaaanks! :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Hi Keryl

I’m also considering about studying mandarin in taiwan, but after i get my master degree (i hope next year). NCCU is also one of my choices, next to NTU and NTNU. Please keep updating about your experiences in at NCCU after you go to taiwan!

Hi everyone. I’m new in forumosa :slight_smile:

NCCU’s international admission results were released yesterday and with God’s grace, I was accepted in the International MA Program. However, I have yet to know the next steps through the acceptance letter that they will be sending and if ever I get the taiwan scholarship offered by TECO here in the Philippines, I would probably be there in Taiwan by September as the fall term starts.

Any opinions on NCCU and taiwan scholarship would be highly appreciated. Thank you so much! :slight_smile:

[quote=“choco_loka”]Hi everyone. I’m new in forumosa :slight_smile:

NCCU’s international admission results were released yesterday and with God’s grace, I was accepted in the International MA Program. However, I have yet to know the next steps through the acceptance letter that they will be sending and if ever I get the taiwan scholarship offered by TECO here in the Philippines, I would probably be there in Taiwan by September as the fall term starts.

Any opinions on NCCU and taiwan scholarship would be highly appreciated. Thank you so much! :slight_smile:[/quote]

Congratulations on your acceptance. That is the first big step.

Ask the people of the OIP (Office of International Programs) the procedures for requesting a dorm. The ones for MAs are a lot nicer and comfortable.

It is better to be here at the end of August to get adjusted. Anyway, they will assign a more advanced student to help you out when you get here.

Thank you, Icon for the response. I am waiting for the acceptance letter and check if the university was also able to supply me with a dorm, because in the application form I checked the dorm application option, hoping it’ll get approved too.

I will update you on what happens next and ask again for your help. Thanks a lot!

Hi :slight_smile:

I just moved here to TW as my hubby (a local boy who I met in NZ where we both lived) is working here for the foreseeable future. I had applied to MTC but my application form mysteriously disappeared and now I’m not sure whether I’m going to be able to get into their Fall quarter or not. Mind you, having read this forum, I might just apply to NCCU for their Winter quarter as I’m more keen on getting proficient in speaking - way more useful to me than reading or writing (although I do want to learn that too).

Has anyone else had their application go missing like this? Any advice? I posted it from within TW…

Ah well I guess life throws us these sorts of things from time to time eh?

[quote=“KathInTW”]Hi :slight_smile:

I just moved here to TW as my hubby (a local boy who I met in NZ where we both lived) is working here for the foreseeable future. I had applied to MTC but my application form mysteriously disappeared and now I’m not sure whether I’m going to be able to get into their Fall quarter or not. Mind you, having read this forum, I might just apply to NCCU for their Winter quarter as I’m more keen on getting proficient in speaking - way more useful to me than reading or writing (although I do want to learn that too).

Has anyone else had their application go missing like this? Any advice? I posted it from within TW…

Ah well I guess life throws us these sorts of things from time to time eh?[/quote]

Life in Taiwan will throw them at you with alarming frequency, when you first get here. :laughing: ShiDa lost my ‘financial’ docs once. Good to know my bank account number and name and balance was left lying around… Had to go and get another one, which I was pissed off about. Just glad it wasn’t my health cert.

Try the other place; maybe it’s a lucky sign. Shida isn’t bad, per se, it’s just that the focus on reading and writing for absolute beginners (if you are?) is not really a good method, for most.

Good luck, anyway.

[quote=“Buttercup”][quote=“KathInTW”]Hi :slight_smile:

I just moved here to TW as my hubby (a local boy who I met in NZ where we both lived) is working here for the foreseeable future. I had applied to MTC but my application form mysteriously disappeared and now I’m not sure whether I’m going to be able to get into their Fall quarter or not. Mind you, having read this forum, I might just apply to NCCU for their Winter quarter as I’m more keen on getting proficient in speaking - way more useful to me than reading or writing (although I do want to learn that too).

Has anyone else had their application go missing like this? Any advice? I posted it from within TW…

Ah well I guess life throws us these sorts of things from time to time eh?[/quote]

Life in Taiwan will throw them at you with alarming frequency, when you first get here. :laughing: Shi-Da lost my ‘financial’ docs once. Good to know my bank account number and name and balance was left lying around… Had to go and get another one, which I was pissed off about. Just glad it wasn’t my health cert.

Try the other place; maybe it’s a lucky sign. Shi-Da isn’t bad, per se, it’s just that the focus on reading and writing for absolute beginners (if you are?) is not really a good method, for most.

Good luck, anyway.[/quote]

I’m not really sure what I’d be classified as - I’ve managed to pick up a fair amount of mandarin informally through being around hubby’s family in NZ but like I said it’s all informal so… Maybe the first rung up from absolute beginners?

I did wonder if it was a sign :thumbsup: Thanks for the encouragement :slight_smile:

[quote=“KathInTW”][quote=“Buttercup”][quote=“KathInTW”]Hi :slight_smile:

I just moved here to TW as my hubby (a local boy who I met in NZ where we both lived) is working here for the foreseeable future. I had applied to MTC but my application form mysteriously disappeared and now I’m not sure whether I’m going to be able to get into their Fall quarter or not. Mind you, having read this forum, I might just apply to NCCU for their Winter quarter as I’m more keen on getting proficient in speaking - way more useful to me than reading or writing (although I do want to learn that too).

Has anyone else had their application go missing like this? Any advice? I posted it from within TW…

Ah well I guess life throws us these sorts of things from time to time eh?[/quote]

Life in Taiwan will throw them at you with alarming frequency, when you first get here. :laughing: Shi-Da lost my ‘financial’ docs once. Good to know my bank account number and name and balance was left lying around… Had to go and get another one, which I was pissed off about. Just glad it wasn’t my health cert.

Try the other place; maybe it’s a lucky sign. Shi-Da isn’t bad, per se, it’s just that the focus on reading and writing for absolute beginners (if you are?) is not really a good method, for most.

Good luck, anyway.[/quote]

I’m not really sure what I’d be classified as - I’ve managed to pick up a fair amount of Mandarin informally through being around hubby’s family in NZ but like I said it’s all informal so… Maybe the first rung up from absolute beginners?

I did wonder if it was a sign :thumbsup: Thanks for the encouragement :slight_smile:[/quote]

I told you guy the story of getting a certification in English and Chinese from Shida’s MTC about my studie sthere and getting different data -plus an unexplained 3 month gap, on different dates- for each. Save you the grief, and if you still plan to attend Shida, don’t question their all mighty sapience…

That said, NCCU will give you a more practical approach, and a less stressful environment. Personally, from a teacher’s point of view, I’d say it is better prepared to handle absolute beginners, so go for it.

I ended up going to NTU CLD. The class size is 4-6 people (sometimes 3, never more than 6). It costs more then Shida, but the classes are smaller, so the price is pretty much proportional (or maybe the ratio at CLD is even better.) People in the office are really nice, relaxed and helpful. I have tried 4 classes before making a decision which one to actually take.
It feels like ~50% of the students are Japanese, ~30% are from the Commonwealth and US.

Looking forward to a great year :slight_smile:

I have been living in Taiwan and teaching English for over ten years and am embarrassed by the fact that my Chinese is absolutely horrible. My wife tried to teach me but that didn’t go well and I think it might be fun to go to University for a while. Also, I’m getting disgusted with work, so I have decided to quit my job and study Chinese for a year or two (hopefully two if my wife agrees and we have the money). I’m not planning to go until the spring session so I still have a number of months before I have to make any decisions.

I’m trying to decide between Tai Da and Shi Da. Are these the best ones or are there other schools that I should be looking at? These two seem the most popular so I figured they would be pretty good.

From looking at the websites, I see that Tai Da is three hours a day while Shi Da is only two yet they seem to cover the same material on the same time schedule (i.e. one lesson a week). Does Tai Da teach extra material or do they just spend an extra hour teaching the same stuff? Do people feel really tired and bored after three hours? Do they find the extra hour really helpful or could they do without it?

I’m worried about the three hours because I live in Yilan and plan on coming into Taipei everyday to go to class. I thought about going to Fo Guang because it is in Yilan but they are at least twice as expensive as Tai Da. Even with taking into account transportation costs, going to Taipei still works out a lot cheaper. I hope to use the travel time for some studying but wonder if studying three hours will be too much. It will be around two hours a day to travel to and from Taipei.

I don’t need a visa so if I choose Shi Da, I am wondering if I can opt out of the 5 hours of culture classes. Has anyone here been able to do that and did it decrease the tuition by a significant amount? This will help free up some more time for studying, spending time with the family and working part time. What time do these cultural classes run? It may have been on the website but I couldn’t find it.

In regards to admission, do they basically take anyone who shows up with money in hand? I would hate to quit my job and then discover that for some reason I am not accepted into the program. Are you also able to pick the times that you want to study? I’m hoping to get up really early, catch the bus to Taipei and make if for the 8:00 classes. This will let me get home in time to play with the kids, study and do a part time job.

One more question. If I understand the websites correctly, you need two quarters to complete Book 1. Is it possible to skip the first quarter (and the first twelve lessons) and start at the second half of the book? My Chinese is terrible but it’s beyond the basic “Ni hao” stage. I have studied this book for a bit on my own and am confident that I can write and read most of the characters in the first twelve lessons and I really don’t want to go through the beginning lessons again.

Anyway, thanks for any help and encouragement that people can give me in my quest to speak, read and write Chinese.