About a year ago, I began seeing a tutor to learn a fair bit of Mandarin. The whole situation lasted about five months, before things were cut off and we both went separate ways. In that time, I made it through two and a half textbooks. So I like to tell people I learned what I like to call “survival Chinese”. I can order food, drinks, read numbers and basic signs, and ask for help for specific things. I recognize about 40% of what is said, and from what I do know how to say, I say it correctly. Only 50% of the time. Like I said, survival Chinese. I’m proud of it, even if I didn’t get as far as I originally intended to at the beginning of it all.
Often, a lot of friends and acquaintances tend to ask me how to go about learning languages here in Taiwan, specifically traditional Chinese. For those who don’t know, the only differences between traditional and simplified Chinese are some of the characters, the accents and simple speaking patterns/habits (China loves the 兒/儿 at the end of certain words), and just generally some slang you hear thrown around from time to time. But, let’s get back to the big question: how do you go about learning Mandarin in Taiwan? Lemme break it down for you, in three simple common routes:
Sign up for language classes. Arguably the easiest one, this is often what most people go for. In any big city, there are a number of programs and classes you can sign up for. Feng Chia University (FCU) has a large international program in Taichung that allows you to take electives on top of their basic courses. But these do come at a cost, and for someone like me, this was not a viable option a year ago. These courses run anywhere from $500 to $800 a term. Terms last two to three months, so that’s four terms a year. Not bad for language courses. But if you’re strapped for cash, option two might be for you…
Find a tutor. This is another one that makes you fork over some cash, but considerably less than the first option. My tutor charged about $18 for four hours a week, so it was $9 per hour. It was a good deal, but tutors do have the ability to charge whatever they please. So, breaking it down. Cons: rates are up to the tutors, so they can be higher than classes are. It’s one on one, so less peer talking time than you’d get in a classroom. And if you lack motivation, this might be a poor choice for you. Benefits: it’s on your own time, your own pace, and what you learn is up to you. You can learn from a textbook, two, three, or none at all. It’s up to you, but you have to have the motivation and the money to pass over to your tutor every class. But maybe you don’t want to pay any cash, which is where our last option comes in.
Language exchange. This is one that I can honestly say has proven to give me more friends and fun memories than I can count. And all it costed was a meal or a cup of coffee! There’s plenty of people who want to learn English as bad as you may want to improve your Chinese ability. You’ll be able to learn practical things and possibly make some new friends in the process. Benefits: no cost–aside from food, entertainment, or transportation costs–to you, new friends, and learning practical things. Cons: no textbook, no writing, and it’s mostly speaking and listening, which are necessary skills with a language like Mandarin, but not all encompassing to what you need to get around and understand what you say daily in Taiwan.
Honestly, it’s up to you what you prefer. Some people want the traditional classes and the feeling of being a student again, and someone to be on their butts about completing homework and learning the important details. Others want their own pace and their own schedule, and some just want a chill time and want to learn only what they need to know, like the fun little quirky parts of a language. So find your jam or your vibe with language learning, and don’t stress about it. No matter what you choose, I wish you the best of luck in your language learning. Or, as we say in Taiwan, 加油 (jia you)!
