What it’s like to study Mandarin in Taiwan

When I was at university, I decided to take up Mandarin classes in my third and fourth year. By the time I graduated, I had three semesters under my belt and wanted to continue. At first, I tried to practice Mandarin where I could — at Chinese restaurants, by seeking Chinese speakers in my city, by finding language partners online — but I soon discovered that this was easier said than done. I found myself progressing more slowly than I wished. I found that I truly knew almost nothing about the Chinese language or culture, and that acquiring a foreign language, especially one which is radically different from English would require, shall we say, stronger measures. For me, this meant seeking out an immersion environment in one of the Chinese-speaking countries (Taiwan or China), and taking rigorous coursework. <a href="https://medium.com/@laura8mc/what-its-like-to-study-mandarin-in-taiwan-c98e9731a027">Learn More</a>