I’ve attended Shi-da, Wen Hua (on Heping) and TLI.
TLI is much lower class and quality. Their book is not good. The admin staff is not so friendly. The school atmosphere is hardly even suitable for learning. It will depress you more than impress and encourage to learn. This school seems to be for those that really don’t do their research and perhaps just see some advertisement and say ok.
Shi-da and Wen Hua are about equal. Shi-da offers advantages of more Supplementary Classes. Wen Hua has a younger teacher population who is more connecting to the latest in culture which helps in their teaching.
So the real discriminator depends on the individual.
It’s funny you should mention supplementary classes because Wen-Hua have just opened a heap of them. Besides the regular 2 hours group class, now there’s an extra hour supplemnentary class each day, I can’t remember all the classes available but they included: mandarin computer class, Chinese caligraphy class, grammar class, pronunciation, conversation, Chinese movie class, Chinese singing class and a good few more. I feel a bit annoyed because I’ve pretty much finished their whole course sylabus and now they offer these extra classes.
They’ve also started an HSK course which is apparently the only official one in Taiwan, but… you can’t even take the HSK in Taiwan so it seems a little pointless to me.
[quote]I’ll be finishing my first class at Shi-Da at the end of Feb. Five days a week while working is a bit much. I am looking for evening classes (630pm) with schools that use PAVC (Practical Audio Visual Chinese) book as I’m very comfortable with the rhythm. TLI has their own book but I’m wondering if they have classes using PAVC?
Are there any other schools that have evening group class and use PAVC?[/quote]
You can try taking one on one classes at Chinese Cultural University 4 to 6 hours a week. Then you can continue using Practical Audio Visual Chinese. I will take Mandarin classes at Shida everyday until May but I think that will be the end of every day classes for me. I will take the summer off because I will be in China but after that I plan to take one on one classes at Shida or Chinese Cultural University.
I think you should look into 4 to 6 hours of one on one classes at Wen-hua or Shida. I have spent six months a Shida five days a week and will spend 3 more months. After that I think I will attend one on one classes for another year. I will probably take the summer off since I will be in China.
Anyone know of any good schools starting in August? I will be there in early August for a couple months, hopefully more. Any program would be good, small or big around Taipei. I would like to meet more people.
I am looking for a good mandarin program that allows for night classes, two days per week. I previously attended ShiDa but found the five nights per week too much to juggle with full-time work. I am not really interested in a private tutor (one-to-one).
I would describe my level as lower intermediate (I know pin-yin, can listen pretty well, have weak reading, and very weak writing). I’d be happy with a four-skills integrated course.
Does anyone know of any programs (ideally Tuesday and Thursday nights) in any universities or language centers in Taipei area?
So far, I’ve found that Wen Hua offers a Chinese conversation class on Tuesday and Thursday nights, 7-9pm (4-week programs beginning 9/29 and 10/27). I am not sure what materials they use. From their advert, they appear to offer basic, beginner, and intermediate classes. Their website (mlc.sce.pccu.edu.tw/) doesn’t seem to advertise this option clearly, but I found it through a TEALIT advert.
Apart from this one (which I am going to try next week), are there any other part-time, night-time classes in Taipei?
Hi all,
I am very new in Taipei and i would like to start evening class of chinese as soon as possible (but not 5 days a week!). Is that Wen Hua place providing such classes? And could anyone give me a idea of the price?
And of course, if anyone has any other better address…let us know! Thanks
[quote=“tango42”]I’ve attended Shi-da, Wen Hua (on Heping) and TLI.
TLI is much lower class and quality. Their book is not good. The admin staff is not so friendly. The school atmosphere is hardly even suitable for learning. It will depress you more than impress and encourage to learn. This school seems to be for those that really don’t do their research and perhaps just see some advertisement and say ok.
[/quote]
I had the same experience with TLI and havent been back to any cram schools. However, now I need to find classes again, I emailed the cultural center, but they never replied
TLI isn’t so bad, it just depends on what you want. If you just want to have a few hours a week of exposure to Mandarin, a teacher who is able to answer your questions, and a group of people surrounding you who are relatively at the same level as you.
Regarding the teachers who basically teach Chinese to practice their English, yeah. Most of the evening class teacher’s I’ve had in the past two months have spoken way too much English in class, and even respond in English after you ask a question in Chinese. When a day-class teacher comes in to sub, they will teach in 95% Chinese and teach effectively.
They have some classes starting up March 1 (ending on 5/30). According to the paper they gave me, 3 mo of my MWF 2 hr classes (with one holiday) is $11,ooo.
[quote=“ichbinjenny”]
I won’t be continuing my studies at TLI.[/quote]
came close to looking up the TLI info again, but then this seems pretty important
Guess will have to see how convenient it is for me to get from my office to TLI - their tienmu branch is a no go - and see, maybe will go back since you first paragraph sum up what i need right now
[quote=“ichbinjenny”]TLI isn’t so bad, it just depends on what you want. If you just want to have a few hours a week of exposure to Mandarin, a teacher who is able to answer your questions, and a group of people surrounding you who are relatively at the same level as you.
They have some classes starting up March 1 (ending on 5/30). According to the paper they gave me, 3 mo of my MWF 2 hr classes (with one holiday) is $11,ooo.
Your night is my morning – I teach via Skype or online conferencing (video and audio with whiteboard). Payment in NT dollars into a post office account is okay. The only thing I can’t do is give you a visa.
Well, my thing isn’t so much face-to-face or not – it’s more for people who are not succeeding in progressing doing traditional classes in Taiwan, because my methods are much different from what’s offered on the island.
Certainly understand the all-day-in-front-of-the-computer thing though.
After my 3 month intensive courses in NKNU in Kaohsiung and having moved to Taipei where i work now, i want to continue my Chinese courses (hmmm… sooo easy to forget everything if you do not really practice… ). Anyway, due to the fact that i work i wish to find a school close to my work (AnHe rd. DaAn) or close to my house XinYi area. I read the posts here and i found that ShiDa although somehow far away from here there are 3 buses that i can take, which is great so the distance is no problem (sorry… no scooter and i do not intend to ride one… :neutral: ).
I also found “China Language Institute” ( china-language.org/ ) which is closer but i did not see anyone here commenting on this school. I was wondering if you have any experience.
As for the kind of course to attend i was thinking something like 1-1 once or twice a week for 2 hours… or in a small group maybe 2 times per week…
I’m officially on staff there, from years ago. You know, “You are so qualified, we’ll put you on our staff, but well we probably won’t give you any classes ever because students want a Taiwanese teacher.” Nothing like actually asking, or trying, is there?
Their normal offerings are (were) much like anyone else’s. There truly is no one doing anything different within the buxiban industry in Taiwan. It’s too risky in their opinion. They know what “everyone wants” and are not inclined to go outside that box, which is mostly dictated by what Shita is teaching at the moment. You’re just as well off to choose by price and/or location, sorry to say.
). Anyway, due to the fact that i work i wish to find a school close to my work (AnHe rd. DaAn) or close to my house XinYi area. I read the posts here and i found that ShiDa although somehow far away from here there are 3 buses that i can take, which is great so the distance is no problem (sorry… no scooter and i do not intend to ride one… :neutral: ).