Looking for a way to practice your Taiwanese Mandarin? You can check out "Grace Mandarin Chinese"! A really relaxing RUclips channel to learn from 🙃 ruclips.net/channel/UCC_fdR7zZ_5SU--xuOrEdKw
Wow this brought back memories!! I lived in Taiwan for four years in the 80’s and worked as a model and took Mandarin classes. First with a private tutor-I’d forgotten the name of the school I attended a year before we moved back to the states. You said it and it all came flooding back. Gwo yu er bau was where I was learning how to write Mandarin. Back then the books used were children’s level while we learned bo po mo fo. No computers back then for typing the language!! Your videos are wonderful and I’m glad I found you! Enjoy your time there, time flies and moving back to the states I found myself having no one to speak Mandarin with on a regular basis- and it’s a short time before the language skills start to decline. It sure has changed there since I lived there-in the 80’s there weren’t that many foreigners, and to see the buildings in Taipei now, what a difference!! I’ll always hold Taiwan and the lovely people there close to my heart. 💕☺️
Thank you for such a nice comment! I also enjoyed Guoyu ribao, it wasn't half bad! I know what you mean though about how quickly the language slips away. I notice all the time, even though I am still here! I have been going back and forth on learning bo po mo fo. I think it would be quite fun to know and everyone still uses it to type Chinese on their phones, one day i'll have to finally get around to it! It would be amazing to travel back and compare the Taiwan of the 80's and today, perhaps it would seem like two different worlds!
Great videos! Very informative :) As you suggested, I would definitely be interested in a video about how you work online while abroad/in Taiwan and especially what visa(s) you use/advice! 謝謝
Thank you so much! ! I have definitely been thinking about making this kind of video (I use itlaki now and wish I would have known about it sooner). I think I will have to do this one in the next week or two! (visas are so complicated this year sadly) 😅
cool video man, glad to see you're still here in Taiwan, I remember watching your videos on finding an apartment in Taiwan before I came almost 2 years ago haha
Thank you for the kind words! Hard to believe its been two years already! Those older videos really make me want to practice my editing 😆 I am checking out your channel now, looks like you are still here in Taichung, very cool!
@@thedanyopang I am actually back in Taipei now, trying to find time to edit the tons and tons of footage I have from my 環島. I actually remember passing 大甲 area near Taichung but never walked through the city itself. In the future I would like to use a motorbike to 環島 so I will certainly use that chance to explore 台中 more!
@@Travelingjoe Sounds like an epic adventure, I've only done a motorbike 環島 and that was awesome so I can just imagine how cool walking it would be, looking forward to see those videos! Yea man if you're in Taichung let me know!
Very helpful video, thanks! I'm in the process of trying to find the best program match that I would be able to get a visa through for a long term stay. I looked into that alternate program you mentioned at NTU and it looks to be about 140k TWD a semester, which is definitely expensive but the program seems beastly for taking your Chinese to the next level, super rigerous (I saw some people online saying they spent 6 hours a day outside of class doing homework) . My Chinese is at a weird place where I can't write any Chinese by hand but I can read books and hold conversations, so I'm thinking a customizable 1 on 1 program at somewhere like TLI might be a good fit, but I definitely want to be pushed to improve.
Thank you! I actually went through the same process looking through all the different school choices. I think ICLP even though its a bit expensive would be such a cool opportunity. I had a few classmates at NTU (CLD) who had been enrolled at ICLP and they had said it was pretty intense. However if you are looking to bring your Chinese level up as quick as possible its probably one of the best options (maybe even just 1 semester would help dramatically). I would love to try it myself one day. Sounds like you should look into universities if you want to improve your writing because they are actually super helpful when it comes to handwriting. They make you actually handwrite your homework out. I had always typed Chinese but when it came to actually paper.. I could only write a handful, after NTU I can comfortably write a decent amount (150 -200ish) without peeking at a dictionary haha I did what you are considering for a while.. I did NTU in the mornings and TLI in the afternoons (1v1). It was pretty good although got a bit expensive after a while. I think the most important thing as far as TLI is concerned is go in there with predetermined lessons material or a classroom textbook that they can help you with. Some of the tutors will go with the flow and you kind of need to direct the class to what you want to improve on. Hope you can find the right program for you! Let me know if you decided on ICLP i'm super interested in it as well
To be honest i'm not sure because I have never applied for a Japanese or Korean student visa. I think the virus might make things difficult to get visas no matter where you are
Yea! I still remember my favorite teacher there being a grammar wizard. I just started taking some Mandarin over at 文化大學 so I will have to see how it compares in the coming weeks~
Hi, this is really helpful as we are planning to move to Taiwan but we are having a hard time looking for an option on how to do it. Thank you so much!
Thank you for the kind words! I think right now studying a degree program within Taiwan is possibly the best way in the country. I am enrolled in a degree program now and have classmates that are expected to be allowed in Taiwan soon. However the rules are constantly changing so it really depends on how the situation develops. (Pandemic making everything difficult) 😥
@@Travelingjoe hi! thank you so much for interacting :D. Just a question, since you mention that possibly the best way to enter Taiwan is thru studying a degree program, do you think it's still possible if we only take short-course programs, like the one you mentioned on TMI or TLI?
Anytime! Replying to comments is one of the best parts of RUclips! Unfortunately however I think under the current conditions it's going to be really difficult to use language schools as an avenue towards a visa. Typically degree-seeking programs will get you a student visa, however the language schools will typically give you what is called a visitors visa. This visitors visa can be extended under certain conditions.. 1. You take at least 15 hours of language lessons per week. 2. You pay tuition (3 months if I remember correct) in advance. 3. I believe they make you attend the school for around 3 or 4 months prior to even attaining the visa. By the way I am always scared to give out faulty info so i'll find the link to the gov website and drop it below so you can fact check me. I remember thinking about going for this visa about a year or so ago and eventually I found it was easier to just get a part time job and go to language school on the side. I fear language schools wont be much help these days.. the government only seems to be giving leniency to student visas. I do know people who have gotten in with student visa (degree-seeking) and have then just dropped out once they were here.. not sure its worth the hassle though. I hope the Taiwanese bureaucracy wont get you down and hope you guys can find a way in country soon! 加油！ www.boca.gov.tw/cp-166-285-041cb-2.html
Hi ! It’s very informative and helpful. Thank you. May i ask one question about part time. I plan to take one or two years language program. I would like to know whether language students can apply ARC / work permit and work part time legally while studying chinese. And is it possible to work full time after I finish? I am in dilemma between taking language programs and pursuing master degree of Teaching Chinese as a second language. Based on my calculation, Master degree would be more expensive than language program. In order to save some expenses, language program suits my budget. If i could work part time while studying at mandarin, it would be better. Any ideas for me ? Thanks in advance 🤗
Hello! That is a good question... I would actually recommend doing the masters program if I were you. At least from when I was a language student.. they were not offering student visas to us only something called "visitor visas" which are not as beneficial as student visas. A student visa allows you to work part time up to a certain amount of hours and you are more likely to be able to find a job after graduating depending on the industry. Graduating from a Taiwanese university will give you some advantages as far as job hunting is concerned, it gets rid of some requirements that graduates from non Taiwanese universities have. As far as pricing I actually think some masters programs are not too bad price wise for example I am currently taking a masters program right now and it was cheaper than when I was a language student at NTU. There are a lot of scholarships to go around but my school is around 50,000 per semester however luckily I have half of it paid through scholarship.. as I remember my NTU classes were about 30,000 or so. Also your university would likely offer other language classes you could take just as if you were going to a language school. So I would go in this order.. 1. Work Permit from part time job (with school or language classes on the side) {This is currently what i'm doing} 2. Student visa (with work on the side) 3. Language school (language school offers less freedom and you are tied to the school, so that you are only given a visa so long as you attend those classes) {Also in virus times I think this isn't an option currently} Anyways let me know what you decide! Sorry for the long comment~
Your video was really helpful:) My main purpose is to learn mandarin. Do you think doing a proper 2 year diploma or degree in chinese language will help me to get a student visa?
Thank you! That would be cool if you could do like a Mandarin linguistics or literature class or something along those lines. It is for sure easier to get in country with a degree-seeking program these days so I think that would be the best route as of now. If you are looking for an ambitious alternative I would suggest a masters degree. The price of a masters degree in Taiwan is actually cheaper than many of the language schools here. Not to mention you typically have access to the Chinese language programs of the school you attend. So you can get more out of your time here and leave with a degree and language skills. This is what I have been working on for the past year or so.. not to mention if you can start taking university courses in Chinese then it will likely be better for your language immersion and help you progress more so than a language class.
hii this is very great and informative video, thank you so much. may i ask you questions about mandarin classes ? there are 2 type intensive class and regular class may i know the diff between those two ? i want to learn mandarin and still not sure which one to take. Thank you
Thanks! I have found that "intensive" typically means 15 hours a week (3 hours a day). While "regular" classes are less frequent, perhaps 10 hours a week.. (Every school might be a bit different regarding regular classes). Intensive courses are 15 hours a week because that was the minimum amount of study hours needed to attain a visitors visa... however in the days of the pandemic, visas aren't so easy to come by sadly..
Could you make that video about financing your travels? I understand that taiwan is a great place to sprinboard from to the rest of eastern and south eastern asia and oceania... i just graduated with an engineering degree and on planning to work in the states for a year or so before moving and want to understand what the money situation would be like. Great vid btw :) How old are you?
I will probably release a video on this in the next week or two! It is something a lot of people ask. I think engineering is a big sector for foreigners wanting to live in Taiwan although from what I hear the pay is.... not so great for engineers here sadly (at least compared to the states) 😓 This year i'll be 29 (time flies). Working remote for a company back home while living in Taiwan might be a good option as well.
As a Taiwanese my mother tongue is Taiwanese of course but during the elementary school days i read mandarin daily after school almost every day as a way of entertainment. I guess if a foreigner has learned how to use mandarin phonetic system correctly they should be able to learn Mandarin well by themselves and the way they speak mandarin is similar to that of a Taiwanese without a foreigner accent.
Hello! This is such a great video as I am preparing to study in Taiwan. Would you happen to know if language visa holders are allowed to work even for part time? Thank you!
Thanks so much! Where are you going to study? If you have a student visa then you are okay to work part time (some hour limitations apply however). If you have a visitors visa however then I’m not exactly sure~ 🤔
NTU is a nice school I’m sure you will learn a lot! From what I know language students actually use what’s called a “visitors visa” and instead “student visas” are reserved for degree seeking students. The visitors visas are a tad bit more complicated to work with, they are kind of a “pay as you study” system. Like you pay your tuition, your visa gets extended. You keep getting it extended depending on how many semesters you study. I’ll throw a link for NTU mandarin schools site regarding visas I hope it helps! What I did to get around this situation was to go for a work visa by teaching English. This way you have much better benefits (healthcare, work benefits, unlimited entry and exits in and out of country). The requirement to attain this work visa is working 15 hours a week so it’s not too much time. I went to NTU for three hours in the morning and worked for 3 or 4 hours at night. I think it was a pretty good trade off ! mtc.ntnu.edu.tw/eng/visa-faq.html
What direction of study would you recommend someone trying to increase the Tocfl score from B1 and up? Language schools/univiersities/ group classes/1-1 tutoring etc.
If it were me I would do about 30% dedicated study towards the specific test and 70% speaking practice (either 1v1 or small group lessons). I think the most important thing is getting tons of speaking practice in~!
Hi Joe, thanks you for this valuable video. However I would like to double check with you, I want to go to NTU, this is where I will do a semester under visitor visa right? And your experience in NTU was not really good? Too much classroom vibe? Knowing that I am 48 yold...
I think NTU is still a good choice, especially if you are just starting out in Mandarin. The location is good and it is a good entry into Taipei and opportunity to meet people. As far as the age, it is a bit of a younger crowd (oldest I noticed was mid-thirties). The quality really depends a lot on the teacher/classmates. The classroom next to me seemed to be having a great time and was more interactive (I think I was just in a shy class). The visitor visa will get you there (basically you can keep extending the visitors visa depending on if you continue studying or not). You could try it out for one semester and then change it up if you didn’t feel it was a good fit~
hey I am thinking fo studying Chinese at mtc in the next term. But I am not sure if the three hours a day course are full-time. How much time did you spend on learning Chinese a day and was it enough? I hope you still answer here :)
Hey thanks for the comment! I think three hours would be great, plus you could always do language exchanges after the lessons are over. I always tend to think the more lessons the better but sometimes the classroom environment can get boring.. really depends on your teacher I suppose! Right now I am only doing self study so I am not at three hours a day any longer haha probably 30 min to an hour of passive study per day... not enough! 😆 Are you starting from a beginner level? I have not tried MTC but I have tried the school across the street at NTU~
Hi I’m planning on traveling to Taiwan this summer to study at Live the Language school. What have you heard about the quality of that program? Thank you
Very informative. Thank you. What university is "Tai Da" or similar sounding. N.T.U. fees I think are USD$5,000 per semester. Hopefully the other university is more reasonable!
台大 “Taida” is also known as NTU “National Taiwan University” and I think that fee your thinking of is for their more premier program known as ICLP which is kind of a crazy price if you ask me…. Although I hope to try one day 🤣 they have a cheaper program albeit less intensive that is more common, it’s called CLD~ In general three month group courses tend to hover around 30,000 in my experience. You can also consider other cities, I am enrolling in a course down in Tainan this week at 成功大學 it looks quite promising!
@@Travelingjoe Thank you. Very helpful, especially as the Taiwanese universities' websites seem to not work. What course would you recommend for a beginner coming to Taipei specifically to learn Chinese? Something with the Practical Audio-Visual Chinese books you prefer perhaps? The textbooks are near impossible to find in England. I am hoping three months intensive study should get me started with basic language enough to continue learning.
@QuoVadistis I think there are two many textbooks that I have seen used, most recently I have used the series “A Course in Contemporary Chinese” which I think is pretty good. I am actually about to start a comprehensive program down at NCKU (Tainan) this Monday, it looks even more promising than the schools in Taipei. In fact I would probably suggest if language learning is the priority to maybe consider studying outside of Taipei. Your cost of living will be lower and you would have more opportunities to speak the language as there are less English speakers~ Maybe after a few weeks I can update how the program down at NCKU is~
Not sure about simplified courses here, however it shouldn’t be hard to find teachers willing to accommodate you if you really wanted to learn using simplified. I started with simplified but switched since being in Taiwan, I think they are easier, more logical, and more interesting! You should give them a try~
I found Taiwan Mandarin Institute -TMI in Taipei near NTU. All simplified. This is great for me as my previous study in the USA was HSK. So I love Taiwan, but I needed to continue in HSK3. So far TMI is great. My teacher is from Taiwan but knows the Simplified and Pinyin for me.
Hi! can you give advice to the beginners? Because we are going to study at Chinese Cultural University, and some of us has doubts cause we don't have background in mandarin but we have known some basics . What would recommend to us? We're from the Philippines and still undecided if we will go push through on this opportunity.
Hey there! Will you be doing a bachelors program at CCU or joining the language program? I actually attend CCU right now and the worst part is honestly how far it is away from the city! However I have met some undergraduates who attend classes and it seems like you should be okay and can improve your mandarin once you arrive!~
@@Travelingjoe Hi Joe, thanks for the videos, but regarding CCU if i am not mistaken, the language program are located in City Center near Daan Park not far from NTNU and NTU. please correct me i am wrong.
@@michaelnathan1675 You are right, although i'm not familiar with their Chinese language programs I have heard they are next to Daan Park. Much easier than the main campus up on the mountain~
@@Travelingjoe hi Joe, thank you for replying me, may i ask do you still learning mandarin now, if yes, may i know where do you study mandarin now ? I want to take basic mandarin aswel on this semester. Cheers
@@michaelnathan1675 Well not right now just because its summer vacation. Recently I have been self-studying more and more and although I would like to find a good interactive Chinese class I have not found anything yet. I might continue studying at CCU however I think any of the big university mandarin programs would be good! It really just depends on if you have a good teacher or not... If I find a good program I will let you know I really hope to find something more interactive in the future~
They both have advantages, it really all depends on the teacher and classmates. Hopefully you can get a good group of talkative people and an outgoing teacher. I went with the group lessons because they are cheaper though. If I were you I would probably do intensive group lessons and then find a private tutor or language exchange partner to practice more with I think. (unless you can afford the ICLP program then do that) haha
Thank you! The Huayu Scholarship is great! I have met many students on this scholarship. You mean what books would I recommend? Or schools? Not sure what you mean~
From what I know you can apply for any number of universities but I am scared to say more because I have never received it so I don't want to tell you any wrong information, I can only provide links~ 加油！ www.tw.org/scholarships/hes_main.html
i take it you didn't get the visa from studying? I want to get the visa by studying the minimal amount as i have other things to do, is 3 hours the minimum? thats doable. , but its pretty confusing with all the visitor visa, study visa, ARC differences.
I have my current visa from working at a part-time job. I could switch to a student visa now if I really wanted.. but its just not worth it seeing as though i'm hoping to reach five year permanent residency~ I did the visitors visa thing before (three hours per day) but in all honesty I would recommend just finding a part-time job and studying on the side. At least you can make some extra money and study remain more in control of your own schedule. I also feel its more stable being as though your visitors visa isn't tied to you paying or not paying your tuition ahead of time. Not to mention COVID has complicated things even more (I am assuming its not even currently possible to get a visitors visa).
@@Travelingjoe Hi mate, thanks for the reply. They started accepting students for mandarin schools last month. Because of covid they have changed the limit from 3 months to 6. so thats why im seriously looking into the ins and outs of it now. Although its a bit confusing. For example i couldn't actually find any info about whether the ARC was tied to the school, as it says you have to pay at least 3 months in advance, but it does not say more than that. I read somewhere else than the ARC lasted a year, so i take it from what you are saying the ARC only lasts the amount of time you are booked into class and not for a year? do you have to renew every 3 months (because that's the term length)? What is your part time job and how many hours do you do? I've never taught any english but i'm becoming open minded to it, the 2 yrs i've just had being locked out of taiwan will do that to ya.
From what I can remember (if it hasn't changed by now) the visitors visa will go three months at a time and is tied to you paying tuition ahead of time like you mentioned... the ARC is only possible after you have been in country for 6 months and continue paying for tuition. This is basically why I decided against going that route because although its doable its somewhat tedious and who knows if you will still be attending the school after 6 months haha. Right now i'm teaching (mostly online) for a company in Taipei and going to school. My ARC however is tied to my work, i'm doing 30 hours a week now but the official requirement for an ARC is only 15 hours last time I checked~
From what I can remember (if it hasn't changed by now) the visitors visa will go three months at a time and is tied to you paying tuition ahead of time like you mentioned... the ARC is only possible after you have been in country for 6 months and continue paying for tuition. This is basically why I decided against going that route because although its doable its somewhat tedious and who knows if you will still be attending the school after 6 months haha. Right now i'm teaching (mostly online) for a company in Taipei and going to school. My ARC however is tied to my work, i'm doing 30 hours a week now but the official requirement for an ARC is only 15 hours last time I checked~
@@Travelingjoe Cheers! is it hard to find those online jobs? seems convenient if its all online. i mean its either 15 hours teaching, 15 hours studying or visa runs, which ain't gonna be happening for a little whole longer. Most important for me is to get the scooter license. So i'll have to be doing something for the time that takes to get the ARC, which from what i've worked out would be 9 months studying (4 months to get the ARC but you need 3 months more booked, after 4 months i'll only have 2 months of the minimum required 6 left so i'll have to book on another 3).. not the best but scooter is a must for me. and who knows if things will have normalised or not in 9 months time with how scared taiwan is of the virus.
Looking for a way to practice your Taiwanese Mandarin? You can check out "Grace Mandarin Chinese"! A really relaxing RUclips channel to learn from 🙃
ruclips.net/channel/UCC_fdR7zZ_5SU--xuOrEdKw
Wow this brought back memories!! I lived in Taiwan for four years in the 80’s and worked as a model and took Mandarin classes. First with a private tutor-I’d forgotten the name of the school I attended a year before we moved back to the states. You said it and it all came flooding back. Gwo yu er bau was where I was learning how to write Mandarin. Back then the books used were children’s level while we learned bo po mo fo. No computers back then for typing the language!!
Your videos are wonderful and I’m glad I found you! Enjoy your time there, time flies and moving back to the states I found myself having no one to speak Mandarin with on a regular basis- and it’s a short time before the language skills start to decline.
It sure has changed there since I lived there-in the 80’s there weren’t that many foreigners, and to see the buildings in Taipei now, what a difference!! I’ll always hold Taiwan and the lovely people there close to my heart. 💕☺️
Thank you for such a nice comment! I also enjoyed Guoyu ribao, it wasn't half bad! I know what you mean though about how quickly the language slips away. I notice all the time, even though I am still here!
I have been going back and forth on learning bo po mo fo. I think it would be quite fun to know and everyone still uses it to type Chinese on their phones, one day i'll have to finally get around to it!
It would be amazing to travel back and compare the Taiwan of the 80's and today, perhaps it would seem like two different worlds!
Great videos! Very informative :)
As you suggested, I would definitely be interested in a video about how you work online while abroad/in Taiwan and especially what visa(s) you use/advice! 謝謝
Thank you so much! ! I have definitely been thinking about making this kind of video (I use itlaki now and wish I would have known about it sooner). I think I will have to do this one in the next week or two! (visas are so complicated this year sadly) 😅
@@Travelingjoe Great!
Yeah I'm considering apply for YMS (youth mobility visa) which allows a stay of 12 months I think :)
@@sakuravoyage I haven't heard of that visa before! Sounds great 12 months would be enough time to explore so many awesome places
cool video man, glad to see you're still here in Taiwan, I remember watching your videos on finding an apartment in Taiwan before I came almost 2 years ago haha
Thank you for the kind words! Hard to believe its been two years already! Those older videos really make me want to practice my editing 😆 I am checking out your channel now, looks like you are still here in Taichung, very cool!
@@Travelingjoe haha they were great videos man! Are you still in Taipei or are you doing your 徒步環島？ If you come by Taichung we should hang out!
@@thedanyopang I am actually back in Taipei now, trying to find time to edit the tons and tons of footage I have from my 環島. I actually remember passing 大甲 area near Taichung but never walked through the city itself. In the future I would like to use a motorbike to 環島 so I will certainly use that chance to explore 台中 more!
@@Travelingjoe Sounds like an epic adventure, I've only done a motorbike 環島 and that was awesome so I can just imagine how cool walking it would be, looking forward to see those videos!
Yea man if you're in Taichung let me know!
Click CC for English Subtitles!
love the video, very informed
Thanks so much, hope it can help a little bit!
Very helpful video, thanks! I'm in the process of trying to find the best program match that I would be able to get a visa through for a long term stay. I looked into that alternate program you mentioned at NTU and it looks to be about 140k TWD a semester, which is definitely expensive but the program seems beastly for taking your Chinese to the next level, super rigerous (I saw some people online saying they spent 6 hours a day outside of class doing homework) . My Chinese is at a weird place where I can't write any Chinese by hand but I can read books and hold conversations, so I'm thinking a customizable 1 on 1 program at somewhere like TLI might be a good fit, but I definitely want to be pushed to improve.
Thank you! I actually went through the same process looking through all the different school choices. I think ICLP even though its a bit expensive would be such a cool opportunity. I had a few classmates at NTU (CLD) who had been enrolled at ICLP and they had said it was pretty intense. However if you are looking to bring your Chinese level up as quick as possible its probably one of the best options (maybe even just 1 semester would help dramatically). I would love to try it myself one day.
Sounds like you should look into universities if you want to improve your writing because they are actually super helpful when it comes to handwriting. They make you actually handwrite your homework out. I had always typed Chinese but when it came to actually paper.. I could only write a handful, after NTU I can comfortably write a decent amount (150 -200ish) without peeking at a dictionary haha
I did what you are considering for a while.. I did NTU in the mornings and TLI in the afternoons (1v1). It was pretty good although got a bit expensive after a while. I think the most important thing as far as TLI is concerned is go in there with predetermined lessons material or a classroom textbook that they can help you with. Some of the tutors will go with the flow and you kind of need to direct the class to what you want to improve on.
Hope you can find the right program for you! Let me know if you decided on ICLP i'm super interested in it as well
@@Travelingjoe bro after 3 months language course i can apply for Japan and korea student visa from there
To be honest i'm not sure because I have never applied for a Japanese or Korean student visa. I think the virus might make things difficult to get visas no matter where you are
超級清楚，很好的資訊，如果我有朋友要學中文的話，請他先看你這集，會省很多時間跟金錢👍
謝謝妳！😁
I also love TLI, great experience with them.
Yea! I still remember my favorite teacher there being a grammar wizard. I just started taking some Mandarin over at 文化大學 so I will have to see how it compares in the coming weeks~
Hi, this is really helpful as we are planning to move to Taiwan but we are having a hard time looking for an option on how to do it. Thank you so much!
Thank you for the kind words! I think right now studying a degree program within Taiwan is possibly the best way in the country. I am enrolled in a degree program now and have classmates that are expected to be allowed in Taiwan soon. However the rules are constantly changing so it really depends on how the situation develops. (Pandemic making everything difficult) 😥
@@Travelingjoe hi! thank you so much for interacting :D. Just a question, since you mention that possibly the best way to enter Taiwan is thru studying a degree program, do you think it's still possible if we only take short-course programs, like the one you mentioned on TMI or TLI?
Anytime! Replying to comments is one of the best parts of RUclips! Unfortunately however I think under the current conditions it's going to be really difficult to use language schools as an avenue towards a visa.
Typically degree-seeking programs will get you a student visa, however the language schools will typically give you what is called a visitors visa. This visitors visa can be extended under certain conditions..
1. You take at least 15 hours of language lessons per week.
2. You pay tuition (3 months if I remember correct) in advance.
3. I believe they make you attend the school for around 3 or 4 months prior to even attaining the visa.
By the way I am always scared to give out faulty info so i'll find the link to the gov website and drop it below so you can fact check me.
I remember thinking about going for this visa about a year or so ago and eventually I found it was easier to just get a part time job and go to language school on the side. I fear language schools wont be much help these days.. the government only seems to be giving leniency to student visas. I do know people who have gotten in with student visa (degree-seeking) and have then just dropped out once they were here.. not sure its worth the hassle though. I hope the Taiwanese bureaucracy wont get you down and hope you guys can find a way in country soon! 加油！
www.boca.gov.tw/cp-166-285-041cb-2.html
Sad to hear that NTU (臺大) has recently raised tuition prices for their Chinese language courses (CLD) 😓
Hi ! It’s very informative and helpful. Thank you. May i ask one question about part time.
I plan to take one or two years language program. I would like to know whether language students can apply ARC / work permit and work part time legally while studying chinese. And is it possible to work full time after I finish?
I am in dilemma between taking language programs and pursuing master degree of Teaching Chinese as a second language. Based on my calculation, Master degree would be more expensive than language program. In order to save some expenses, language program suits my budget. If i could work part time while studying at mandarin, it would be better.
Any ideas for me ? Thanks in advance 🤗
Hello! That is a good question... I would actually recommend doing the masters program if I were you. At least from when I was a language student.. they were not offering student visas to us only something called "visitor visas" which are not as beneficial as student visas. A student visa allows you to work part time up to a certain amount of hours and you are more likely to be able to find a job after graduating depending on the industry. Graduating from a Taiwanese university will give you some advantages as far as job hunting is concerned, it gets rid of some requirements that graduates from non Taiwanese universities have.
As far as pricing I actually think some masters programs are not too bad price wise for example I am currently taking a masters program right now and it was cheaper than when I was a language student at NTU. There are a lot of scholarships to go around but my school is around 50,000 per semester however luckily I have half of it paid through scholarship.. as I remember my NTU classes were about 30,000 or so. Also your university would likely offer other language classes you could take just as if you were going to a language school.
So I would go in this order..
1. Work Permit from part time job (with school or language classes on the side) {This is currently what i'm doing}
2. Student visa (with work on the side)
3. Language school (language school offers less freedom and you are tied to the school, so that you are only given a visa so long as you attend those classes) {Also in virus times I think this isn't an option currently}
Anyways let me know what you decide! Sorry for the long comment~
Your video was really helpful:)
My main purpose is to learn mandarin. Do you think doing a proper 2 year diploma or degree in chinese language will help me to get a student visa?
Thank you! That would be cool if you could do like a Mandarin linguistics or literature class or something along those lines. It is for sure easier to get in country with a degree-seeking program these days so I think that would be the best route as of now.
If you are looking for an ambitious alternative I would suggest a masters degree. The price of a masters degree in Taiwan is actually cheaper than many of the language schools here. Not to mention you typically have access to the Chinese language programs of the school you attend. So you can get more out of your time here and leave with a degree and language skills. This is what I have been working on for the past year or so.. not to mention if you can start taking university courses in Chinese then it will likely be better for your language immersion and help you progress more so than a language class.
hii this is very great and informative video, thank you so much. may i ask you questions about mandarin classes ? there are 2 type intensive class and regular class may i know the diff between those two ? i want to learn mandarin and still not sure which one to take. Thank you
Thanks! I have found that "intensive" typically means 15 hours a week (3 hours a day). While "regular" classes are less frequent, perhaps 10 hours a week.. (Every school might be a bit different regarding regular classes).
Intensive courses are 15 hours a week because that was the minimum amount of study hours needed to attain a visitors visa... however in the days of the pandemic, visas aren't so easy to come by sadly..
Could you make that video about financing your travels? I understand that taiwan is a great place to sprinboard from to the rest of eastern and south eastern asia and oceania... i just graduated with an engineering degree and on planning to work in the states for a year or so before moving and want to understand what the money situation would be like. Great vid btw :) How old are you?
I will probably release a video on this in the next week or two! It is something a lot of people ask. I think engineering is a big sector for foreigners wanting to live in Taiwan although from what I hear the pay is.... not so great for engineers here sadly (at least compared to the states) 😓 This year i'll be 29 (time flies). Working remote for a company back home while living in Taiwan might be a good option as well.
@@Travelingjoe Sir im graduate but I have apply for language course after finish I can apply again diploma and degree there
As a Taiwanese my mother tongue is Taiwanese of course but during the elementary school days i read mandarin daily after school almost every day as a way of entertainment. I guess if a foreigner has learned how to use mandarin phonetic system correctly they should be able to learn Mandarin well by themselves and the way they speak mandarin is similar to that of a Taiwanese without a foreigner accent.
Can you write your recommendations because what?
Hello! This is such a great video as I am preparing to study in Taiwan. Would you happen to know if language visa holders are allowed to work even for part time? Thank you!
Thanks so much! Where are you going to study? If you have a student visa then you are okay to work part time (some hour limitations apply however). If you have a visitors visa however then I’m not exactly sure~ 🤔
@@Travelingjoe Ntu to study Mandarin. Is there a diff between a student visa and language student visa?
NTU is a nice school I’m sure you will learn a lot! From what I know language students actually use what’s called a “visitors visa” and instead “student visas” are reserved for degree seeking students.
The visitors visas are a tad bit more complicated to work with, they are kind of a “pay as you study” system. Like you pay your tuition, your visa gets extended. You keep getting it extended depending on how many semesters you study. I’ll throw a link for NTU mandarin schools site regarding visas I hope it helps!
What I did to get around this situation was to go for a work visa by teaching English. This way you have much better benefits (healthcare, work benefits, unlimited entry and exits in and out of country). The requirement to attain this work visa is working 15 hours a week so it’s not too much time. I went to NTU for three hours in the morning and worked for 3 or 4 hours at night. I think it was a pretty good trade off !
mtc.ntnu.edu.tw/eng/visa-faq.html
What direction of study would you recommend someone trying to increase the Tocfl score from B1 and up? Language schools/univiersities/ group classes/1-1 tutoring etc.
If it were me I would do about 30% dedicated study towards the specific test and 70% speaking practice (either 1v1 or small group lessons). I think the most important thing is getting tons of speaking practice in~!
Bro thank you so much for the informations. But does it ask any requirements to study chinese language programs at NTU? Can you answer me brother?
There are requirements but they depend on the school, you should check out their website for more precise info!
cld.liberal.ntu.edu.tw/en/index.html
Hi Joe, thanks you for this valuable video. However I would like to double check with you, I want to go to NTU, this is where I will do a semester under visitor visa right? And your experience in NTU was not really good? Too much classroom vibe? Knowing that I am 48 yold...
I think NTU is still a good choice, especially if you are just starting out in Mandarin. The location is good and it is a good entry into Taipei and opportunity to meet people. As far as the age, it is a bit of a younger crowd (oldest I noticed was mid-thirties). The quality really depends a lot on the teacher/classmates. The classroom next to me seemed to be having a great time and was more interactive (I think I was just in a shy class). The visitor visa will get you there (basically you can keep extending the visitors visa depending on if you continue studying or not). You could try it out for one semester and then change it up if you didn’t feel it was a good fit~
@@Travelingjoe Thanks for the infos man
hey I am thinking fo studying Chinese at mtc in the next term. But I am not sure if the three hours a day course are full-time. How much time did you spend on learning Chinese a day and was it enough? I hope you still answer here :)
Hey thanks for the comment! I think three hours would be great, plus you could always do language exchanges after the lessons are over. I always tend to think the more lessons the better but sometimes the classroom environment can get boring.. really depends on your teacher I suppose!
Right now I am only doing self study so I am not at three hours a day any longer haha probably 30 min to an hour of passive study per day... not enough! 😆 Are you starting from a beginner level? I have not tried MTC but I have tried the school across the street at NTU~
@@Travelingjoeyeah thanks :) Im a beginner and wasn't just sure how much time the intensive Cours takes
@@jac_wie1132 If you are starting then the program will be perfect for you I think！ 加油～
Hi I’m planning on traveling to Taiwan this summer to study at Live the Language school. What have you heard about the quality of that program? Thank you
That’s great! Taiwan is a great place to study~ You say the schools name is Live language school? I haven’t heard of this school before
They have multiple locations throughout China and one in Taipei. It is a cram school and seems like a more relaxed environment
Good luck at the school! Let us know if you enjoyed it after a few weeks of going, so we can get your review haha
You are also welcome to taste our online class on our channel.
Cool! I will check it out~
Very informative. Thank you. What university is "Tai Da" or similar sounding. N.T.U. fees I think are USD$5,000 per semester. Hopefully the other university is more reasonable!
台大 “Taida” is also known as NTU “National Taiwan University” and I think that fee your thinking of is for their more premier program known as ICLP which is kind of a crazy price if you ask me…. Although I hope to try one day 🤣 they have a cheaper program albeit less intensive that is more common, it’s called CLD~
In general three month group courses tend to hover around 30,000 in my experience. You can also consider other cities, I am enrolling in a course down in Tainan this week at 成功大學 it looks quite promising!
@@Travelingjoe Thank you. Very helpful, especially as the Taiwanese universities' websites seem to not work. What course would you recommend for a beginner coming to Taipei specifically to learn Chinese? Something with the Practical Audio-Visual Chinese books you prefer perhaps? The textbooks are near impossible to find in England. I am hoping three months intensive study should get me started with basic language enough to continue learning.
@QuoVadistis I think there are two many textbooks that I have seen used, most recently I have used the series “A Course in Contemporary Chinese” which I think is pretty good. I am actually about to start a comprehensive program down at NCKU (Tainan) this Monday, it looks even more promising than the schools in Taipei. In fact I would probably suggest if language learning is the priority to maybe consider studying outside of Taipei. Your cost of living will be lower and you would have more opportunities to speak the language as there are less English speakers~ Maybe after a few weeks I can update how the program down at NCKU is~
Hi, do you know some course for study simplified Chinese in Taiwan?
Not sure about simplified courses here, however it shouldn’t be hard to find teachers willing to accommodate you if you really wanted to learn using simplified.
I started with simplified but switched since being in Taiwan, I think they are easier, more logical, and more interesting! You should give them a try~
I found Taiwan Mandarin Institute -TMI in Taipei near NTU. All simplified. This is great for me as my previous study in the USA was HSK. So I love Taiwan, but I needed to continue in HSK3. So far TMI is great. My teacher is from Taiwan but knows the Simplified and Pinyin for me.
Hi! can you give advice to the beginners? Because we are going to study at Chinese Cultural University, and some of us has doubts cause we don't have background in mandarin but we have known some basics . What would recommend to us? We're from the Philippines and still undecided if we will go push through on this opportunity.
Hey there! Will you be doing a bachelors program at CCU or joining the language program? I actually attend CCU right now and the worst part is honestly how far it is away from the city! However I have met some undergraduates who attend classes and it seems like you should be okay and can improve your mandarin once you arrive!~
@@Travelingjoe Hi Joe, thanks for the videos, but regarding CCU if i am not mistaken, the language program are located in City Center near Daan Park not far from NTNU and NTU. please correct me i am wrong.
@@michaelnathan1675 You are right, although i'm not familiar with their Chinese language programs I have heard they are next to Daan Park. Much easier than the main campus up on the mountain~
@@Travelingjoe hi Joe, thank you for replying me, may i ask do you still learning mandarin now, if yes, may i know where do you study mandarin now ? I want to take basic mandarin aswel on this semester. Cheers
@@michaelnathan1675 Well not right now just because its summer vacation. Recently I have been self-studying more and more and although I would like to find a good interactive Chinese class I have not found anything yet. I might continue studying at CCU however I think any of the big university mandarin programs would be good! It really just depends on if you have a good teacher or not... If I find a good program I will let you know I really hope to find something more interactive in the future~
I went Guoyu ribao, MTC and NTNU!
I am attending one now named "ShuoHao" and it's not bad!
which is better 1on 1 tutorial or a group program?
They both have advantages, it really all depends on the teacher and classmates. Hopefully you can get a good group of talkative people and an outgoing teacher. I went with the group lessons because they are cheaper though.
If I were you I would probably do intensive group lessons and then find a private tutor or language exchange partner to practice more with I think. (unless you can afford the ICLP program then do that) haha
Hey bubdy a really great video.Im planning to apply for Huayu Scholarship program, what Taiwanese Mandarin, do you suggesst me as a beginner ?
Thank you! The Huayu Scholarship is great! I have met many students on this scholarship. You mean what books would I recommend? Or schools? Not sure what you mean~
@@Travelingjoe yeah what schools I can apply for the Huayu scholarship buddy !)
From what I know you can apply for any number of universities but I am scared to say more because I have never received it so I don't want to tell you any wrong information, I can only provide links~ 加油！
www.tw.org/scholarships/hes_main.html
i take it you didn't get the visa from studying?
I want to get the visa by studying the minimal amount as i have other things to do, is 3 hours the minimum? thats doable. , but its pretty confusing with all the visitor visa, study visa, ARC differences.
I have my current visa from working at a part-time job. I could switch to a student visa now if I really wanted.. but its just not worth it seeing as though i'm hoping to reach five year permanent residency~
I did the visitors visa thing before (three hours per day) but in all honesty I would recommend just finding a part-time job and studying on the side. At least you can make some extra money and study remain more in control of your own schedule. I also feel its more stable being as though your visitors visa isn't tied to you paying or not paying your tuition ahead of time. Not to mention COVID has complicated things even more (I am assuming its not even currently possible to get a visitors visa).
@@Travelingjoe Hi mate, thanks for the reply. They started accepting students for mandarin schools last month. Because of covid they have changed the limit from 3 months to 6. so thats why im seriously looking into the ins and outs of it now. Although its a bit confusing.
For example i couldn't actually find any info about whether the ARC was tied to the school, as it says you have to pay at least 3 months in advance, but it does not say more than that. I read somewhere else than the ARC lasted a year, so i take it from what you are saying the ARC only lasts the amount of time you are booked into class and not for a year? do you have to renew every 3 months (because that's the term length)?
What is your part time job and how many hours do you do? I've never taught any english but i'm becoming open minded to it, the 2 yrs i've just had being locked out of taiwan will do that to ya.
From what I can remember (if it hasn't changed by now) the visitors visa will go three months at a time and is tied to you paying tuition ahead of time like you mentioned... the ARC is only possible after you have been in country for 6 months and continue paying for tuition. This is basically why I decided against going that route because although its doable its somewhat tedious and who knows if you will still be attending the school after 6 months haha.
Right now i'm teaching (mostly online) for a company in Taipei and going to school. My ARC however is tied to my work, i'm doing 30 hours a week now but the official requirement for an ARC is only 15 hours last time I checked~
From what I can remember (if it hasn't changed by now) the visitors visa will go three months at a time and is tied to you paying tuition ahead of time like you mentioned... the ARC is only possible after you have been in country for 6 months and continue paying for tuition. This is basically why I decided against going that route because although its doable its somewhat tedious and who knows if you will still be attending the school after 6 months haha.
Right now i'm teaching (mostly online) for a company in Taipei and going to school. My ARC however is tied to my work, i'm doing 30 hours a week now but the official requirement for an ARC is only 15 hours last time I checked~
@@Travelingjoe Cheers! is it hard to find those online jobs? seems convenient if its all online. i mean its either 15 hours teaching, 15 hours studying or visa runs, which ain't gonna be happening for a little whole longer.
Most important for me is to get the scooter license. So i'll have to be doing something for the time that takes to get the ARC, which from what i've worked out would be 9 months studying (4 months to get the ARC but you need 3 months more booked, after 4 months i'll only have 2 months of the minimum required 6 left so i'll have to book on another 3).. not the best but scooter is a must for me. and who knows if things will have normalised or not in 9 months time with how scared taiwan is of the virus.
very helpful than you. could please tell us accommodations and living cost
Thanks! I have a bunch of room tour videos on the channel that might be useful~
中文字幕沒 至少附上正在講的文字 English都沒 是全部給學中文人看的!?
要學中文的外國人不需要中文字幕哈哈, 但你可以按CC看英文字幕 🙃