Taiwan's Language City

Filed in archive Learning Experiences on August 6, 2007

Learning a Foreign language is one of the hardest things I've ever attempted in my life. That is not to say that it was impossible. Even the most extensive and intensive computer-based course falls short of the actual experience of face-to-face study and total immersion in a country where the language is spoken.

Kaohsiung, Taiwan is one of the best places to study and practice Mandarin Chinese. It is a University town one-and-a-half hours from Taipei via bus or train. Taipei Language Institute (which is actually in Kaohsiung, not Taipei, as the name suggests) is known throughout Taiwan as the best place to study foreign languages. The college also offers courses geared towards foreigners who want to learn Mandarin. Fluency can be achieved in as little as six months with daily classes and practice on the streets around town. However, unless you are a hard-core student or already know another related language, it will probably take longer.

Being a center for language learning, Kaohsiung has many schools that teach English to the local population. It is quite possible for a foreigner, even one with little or no teaching experience, to obtain a job as an English teacher. Foreigners studying Chinese at TLI or one of the other schools around town often fund their study by doing this kind of work.

Some of the courses for learning a foreign language are quite good, but there is no substitute for actually being there.