As in high school foreign exchange student, in which case any city will do, even Taidong, or as in college foreign exchange student, in which case you might remotely be interested in a given uni’s academic strengths and courses taught in English? I know, a far fetched idea.
How’s your Mandarin?
[quote]As in high school foreign exchange student, in which case any city will do, even Taidong, or as in college foreign exchange student, in which case you might remotely be interested in a given uni’s academic strengths and courses taught in English? I know, a far fetched idea.
How’s your Mandarin?[/quote]
Hmm yeah I am in High School, my Mandarin is okay… Nothing amazing just enough to get by, I can’t carry in-depth conversations on politics or anything impressive.
Thanks for the information everyone, I think I’m going to study in Taichung, the more “laid-back” environment would probably fair better with me.
I don’t think many of my highschool students could either. 
Have a great time!
There’s salt on your tongue.
Something that no one has mentioned yet, is the importance of learning ‘proper’ Mandarin. I’m not trying to insult the Mandarin capabilities of those outside of Taipei, but my girlfriend is from Tainan, and when I have visited her, there is an immediate difference in the language surroundings. If you live in Taichung, the only thing you’ll be hearing on the streets is Taiwanese (generally speaking). On top of this, many people you meet will have thicker Taiwanese accents. It may be more difficult to understand at first, but the bigger issue is that you’ll end up pronouncing things in a very “unstandard” way. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just something that should be kept in mind.
Hey,
Some of them has a point, but not practical.
I live in Taichung, not the city area but a suburn away from the city. Foods are much nicer and cheaper than Taipei, and you are going to find that Taichung is much quieter than Taipei, less crowded and better weather. Taipei is very modernised by the americans, so if you are an American exchange student, why would you bother?
The buildings around Taichung are getting better but the culture is still the same and I wouldn’t get hung up on the crime rate issues. It’s bit like me going to NY and asking about the crime rate, just because there is more population, so there is more likely to have higher crime rate, it’s all relative.
The stuffs that i want to do (apart from ice hockey) that I can get it done in Taichung, so I don’t see myself stuck in the crowd just to do the same task. My uncle works in Taipei and for him to go home takes over 2 hours to get out of the traffic, so sometimes he just drive down to Taichung visiting us and stayed over night at his friend’s house.
There is a place in taichung called “formosa town” or something like that, it’s consist of 9 tribal community in one huge amusement park. It gives you a good idea about the islanders’ life style and bit of culture, history experience. I recommend you to go there.
Give me a buzz if you need anything, can try to help you out.
Taichung, Taichung, Taichung, Taichung, Taichung !!!
Just going back to Edaren’s comment about the “unstandard” way in Madarine. I think he’s trying ot compore the mandarine spoken by the Taiwanese and the mainland chinese. Don’t get too mixed up with Taiwanese and the chinese mate!!! I am not a happy camper when people treating the Taiwanese like the Chinese or setting the mainland chinese as the “standard”. Hey mate, Taiwanese is nothing like the mainland chinese.
I think he means that the further south you are, the more your acquired Chinese will sound like “Taiwan Guoyu”, without all the pretty rolled tongue stuff that you originally learned in school.
[quote=“Namahottie”]
Taichung–Get laid, often I hear.
[/quote]
What? Dang… I must have been in the wrong part of the town last summer or something
Well, if he is going to be studying at a University then he won’t have any problem speaking Mandarin Chinese all the time.
[quote=“section61”]
There is a place in Taichung called “formosa town” or something like that, it’s consist of 9 tribal community in one huge amusement park. It gives you a good idea about the islanders’ life style and bit of culture, history experience. I recommend you to go there.
Give me a buzz if you need anything, can try to help you out.
Taichung, Taichung, Taichung, Taichung, Taichung !!![/quote]
Okay I’ll do some research on “foromosa town”
Thanks for the information!
I will be in a “controlled environment” so to speak. Well at least I’m guessing the school systems teach the “standard” way
[quote=“Mephitic”]
I will be in a “controlled environment” so to speak. Well at least I’m guessing the school systems teach the “standard” way[/quote]
Are you doing this through Rotary? I was a Rotary exchange student to Taipei about 4-5 years ago. The school systems/language centers do teach and speak Mandarin in a ‘standard’ way, but from my own experiences, not all of the Chinese you learn in Taiwan will be in classes. Nearly everyone can understand and speak Mandarin, but you’ll be surrounded by the Taiwanese dialect when they aren’t directly talking to you. Add in the fact that many older Southern Taiwanese have a thick, ‘incorrect’ Mandarin accent, and you’ll be at several disadvantages if you are in Taichung. Also, although Taichung is a great city, the language centers there (are you taking Chinese classes or exchanging to a high school?) can’t compete with the great options in Taipei.
However, if you’re going there primarily for the experience, with language learning not being the deciding factor, then I say go for it!
One turd has corn in it. The other doesn’t. Either way, both are turds. Enjoy your choice.
Taipei, for sure.
There’s no good public transport in Taichung, it’s dirty and the infrastructure is outdated, and although it is cheaper, Taipei is still quite cheap.
If you’re worried about visiting other cities, there’s the High Speed Rail which can take you from Taipei to Kaohsiung in less than 1.5 hours for about 1000 NTD (less than 30 USD these days).
[quote=“Mephitic”][quote=“section61”]
There is a place in Taichung called “formosa town” or something like that, it’s consist of 9 tribal community in one huge amusement park. It gives you a good idea about the islanders’ life style and bit of culture, history experience. I recommend you to go there.
Give me a buzz if you need anything, can try to help you out.
Taichung, Taichung, Taichung, Taichung, Taichung !!![/quote]
Okay I’ll do some research on “foromosa town”
Thanks for the information!
I will be in a “controlled environment” so to speak. Well at least I’m guessing the school systems teach the “standard” way[/quote]
I think he’s referring to Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
http://www.nine.com.tw/english/e-welcome.htm
http://www.taiwan.com.au/Envtra/WestCentral/Nantou/report05.html
Is this the one with the miniatures or famous buildings in Taiwan and abroad?
There are regional accents in Taiwan as there are regional accents in the US (Mid-western, East coast, West coast, etc). China is not all textbook Beijing accent, either. Politics aside, it is just like a Chinese student learning English in Austin, and coming home with a Texas brawl. Sincerely, I’d be a bit more worried if you’d learned simplified characters and came here to deal with the “complex” ones.
Do you have a choice of schools? I hope this controlled environment is more than school -dorm-school…
[quote]
I think he’s referring to Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
http://www.nine.com.tw/english/e-welcome.htm
http://www.taiwan.com.au/Envtra/WestCentral/Nantou/report05.html
Is this the one with the miniatures or famous buildings in Taiwan and abroad?
There are regional accents in Taiwan as there are regional accents in the US (Mid-western, East coast, West coast, etc). China is not all textbook Beijing accent, either. Politics aside, it is just like a Chinese student learning English in Austin, and coming home with a Texas brawl. Sincerely, I’d be a bit more worried if you’d learned simplified characters and came here to deal with the “complex” ones.
Do you have a choice of schools? I hope this controlled environment is more than school -dorm-school…[/quote]
Umm I am still a High School student, so I’d presumably be staying with a host family.