Summer Abroad Programs and Scholarships

Language Learning Chinese
1

I’ve noticed there are quite a few threads regarding which school to study at etc., but nothing really answering my question exactly. I’m going to be graduating this coming May and I’m looking to do an intensive language program in China or Taiwan next summer. I’m also looking for all available scholarships that can be applied to these programs. I’m not looking for any type of undergrad or graduate credit so going through my current university is pointless. I’m considering which place would be the best to study/travel, but having trouble finding the right information.

In terms of schools, is it better to go through a university or a language school that focus solely on teaching the language if I am trying to get as much money as possible. It wouldn’t be possible for me at this time to go if I couldn’t get a significant amount of money. If scholarships aren’t available, how feasible is it to get a teaching job after graduation while seeing a tutor or something? Any information would be helpful. Sorry if this post belongs in another forum.

2

With you not being interested in college credits that cuts out most of the MOFA stuff (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), as well as the individual universitiy scholarship programs. These represent the majority of the scholarships out there, so that’s a little bit tough.

However, moving from a university to a dedicated language school does drop the cost per contact hour of your education, which helps if you want to go it alone. There is a general consensus that price differs between programs, with more bucks for more prestigious programs, but that teaching quality is really hit or miss, and you don’t have to go to NTU to find a great, or terrible teacher.

If you have your bachelors and a bit of adventure at heart it is dead easy to get a job teaching english out here, and after cost of living it should leave you enough time and enough money to pay for your own chinese lessons. You won’t be saving much when all is said and done, but if you look at your job as a way for you to be in asia, it’s not a bad deal.

One piece of advice if you come here to learn chinese, stay out of Taipei City proper and you will easily increase your chinese exposure. Even the satellite cities in taipei county will offer more chinese immersion, with the benefits of the big city just a hop on the MRT (subway) away.

Good luck on your legwork preparing for a trip out, and keep at it, I have found my time here to be an immeasurably rewarding experience.

Richard

3

[quote=“evasiege”]I’ve noticed there are quite a few threads regarding which school to study at etc., but nothing really answering my question exactly. I’m going to be graduating this coming May and I’m looking to do an intensive language program in China or Taiwan next summer. I’m also looking for all available scholarships that can be applied to these programs. I’m not looking for any type of undergrad or graduate credit so going through my current university is pointless. I’m considering which place would be the best to study/travel, but having trouble finding the right information.

In terms of schools, is it better to go through a university or a language school that focus solely on teaching the language if I am trying to get as much money as possible. It wouldn’t be possible for me at this time to go if I couldn’t get a significant amount of money. If scholarships aren’t available, how feasible is it to get a teaching job after graduation while seeing a tutor or something? Any information would be helpful. Sorry if this post belongs in another forum.[/quote]

Eva,

In Taiwan, all language schools, in order to legally give you a student visa, must be in partnership with a university. Hence, your scholarship money would also go through the normal university channels.

What I mean to say is that if the language school cannot give you a visa, it cannot be accepted as a place to use your scholarship money -which is more like paid tuition and maybe extra for room and board.

Therefore I would suggest a language program within a university -personally, I would not recommend Shida, but rather Taida, Chenta, Sun Yat-sen, Fujen, etc…, and if you are looking to stretch your money, then outside of Taipei is the best choice, like Tainan, Kaohsiung, or Hualien.

You can work and study, it depends on how accelerated you want yopur learning to be. Of course, this would allow you to have more means to travel around. It is also a good option, I think.

There are several scholarships, depending on your nationality. For more info, go here:
http://www.moetwdc.org/English/Taiwan%20Scholarship.htm

here:
http://www.sfmoe.org/asp_e/study_tw/scholar-1.htm

and:
http://english.moe.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=6798&CtNode=10632&mp=1

even here:
http://140.115.63.170/ncuec/english/IESD/Scholarship.htm

A MOE LEP scholarship , with a monthly allowance of 25 thousand, seems to be what you are looking for.

4

The mainland government offers scholarships to those who do well on the HSK. Your government is also likely to have an academic exchange program with them. I’d suggest calling the nearest embassy and asking in person.