Learning Taiwanese Mandarin online

Language Learning Chinese
1

Hi,

I am American born Taiwanese. I some day might want to move to Taiwan to live. My grasp of Mandarin Chinese is minimal, limited to household conversations with my parents. I do not know how to read or write in Chinese.

I have started using random free resources online but have issues:

  1. Apps like DuoLingo, according to my dad after checking with him/showing him the app–the words are actually wrong at times.
  2. When I look at Chinese courses on Coursera for example, I believe I am learning the Shanghai version of Mandarin for example? Because there is a big emphasis on “nar,” and my parents never say “nar,” so I know this is not very Taiwanese sounding.

I’d like to learn Taiwanese dialect of Mandarin online, first using free resources first, then I’m willing to pay.

Thanks for any help!

2

Taiwan National University have some course on Coursera.

3

Why not just take classes in person here like at Chinese Cultural University?

4

Thank you for these links! I will start here!

5

I don’t currently live in Taiwan, but I might some day. Thanks for the suggestion though!

6

HelloChinese is better than DuoLingo. I used both for 2 months. However, all the phone apps suck for Taiwanese Mandarin. Minimal support for traditional characters and they don’t use Taiwanese phrases or vocabulary.

Then I switched to an online private tutor. My tutor lives in Taiwan and we do zoom/skype calls. After just 2-3 months, my Chinese friends say I already have a fairly noticeable Taiwanese/Southern accent.

Accent here refers to mandarin tone modifications, syllable speed, and vocabulary differences.

Examples include:

  • Wǒ shìr měiguórén (Beijing) vs Wǒ sì měiguórén (Taiwan)
  • Responding to thank you with 不客氣 Búkèqì (China) vs 不會 Búhuì (Taiwan)
  • Saying trash/garbage as Lājī (China) vs Lèsè (Taiwan)

If you are a guy, make sure to use a male teacher, otherwise it is difficult to un-learn the extra-cute female Taiwanese accent.

7

You may consider using the app Glossika. Has Taiwan specific Chinese option.

1 Like
8

Yes! I have heard all those differences you mentioned between what I have found for free online and how my parents speak.

It sounds like I’ll have to get a tutor if I’m serious! I don’t want to sound like I’m from Beijing or Shanghai if I’m really from Taiwan…

And I’ll have to hire a female tutor too since I’m female; I didn’t even know about that difference you spoke of.

Thanks for the insight!

9

And I’ll have to hire a female tutor too since I’m female; I didn’t even know about that difference you spoke of.

Listen when your mom asks a stranger for a favor/request in Chinese :wink:

10

Once you’ve got the basics down, if you’re listening to enough of the language spoken by native speakers, it doesn’t matter. If you sound like your tutor and only your tutor, it’s because the only input you’re getting is from your tutor. You should be listening to dialogues from different textbooks from below your level and following along with those in order to get lots of listening in. Otherwise you won’t be used to hearing other types of speakers, let along sounding “wrong for your gender”