Job Discussion Forums

[773]

[Taylor]

Sorry that this thread has gone astray from the original topic....but I just wanted to make one comment about 'college students' using Taiwanese.

In the Fall of 2006, the National Kaohsiung Hospitality College began a new major--a bachelor's degree in English. The teachers were all quite surprised to hear these students primarily using Taiwanese to communicate with each other during breaks, etc.

Another point to be made here is that Taiwanese is usually spoken more loudly than Mandarin. For example, you might have 20 people in a room. If three or four are speaking Taiwanese, that might be all that you (as a bystander) could even hear.

Best wishes!
Taylor

[BJ]

Most of the "old soldiers" settled in the north of Taiwan so further north "chinese" was common. Under Cheng kai Shek Mandarin was used as the primary language for education and government in an attempt to get rid of the "Taiwanese" and instill national unity under a CHinese identity. This had more to do with control of the population, and cultural/social imperialism and the destruction of Taiwanese nationalism, and independent Taiwan after 50 years of Japanese rule, many saw the "Mainland Chinese" as a new invader in the early 1950's. The south has always been a more "Taiwanese orientated community, especially in the countryside. Since CKS's death the fall of the KMT and the rise of the DPP, Taiwanese was back on the agenda. Governemnt officals had to speak Taiwanese", though this was I think later dropped, schools offer the language, development of a written Taiwanese" etc etc. For many youth "Taiwanese" was a part of their new upbringing and sense of identity.

I live now ouitside of Taichung and in the colleges here a lot of Taiwanese is spoken, in the shops, bars etc and listening to families talk it is mostly in Taiwanese.

All in all I would say that Taiwanese is spoken by the majority and that Chinese is used mainly to foregners or people who might be a stranger. Governemnt, School etc etc.

Just thoughts from experience, no academic research done on the matter.

[Garret]

I live in Fengyuan also. Chinese ability would be great.. and I am hoping on learning some. But it is not mandatory. You can get around with pointing and gestures etc.

[forest1979]

Ok, as much as pointing fingers, gesturing and waving hands provides a means of assistance in getting to certain nodal points in the city, what help is it when it comes to problems with bills and other more serious concerns? As hospitable and helpful as the Taiwanese are you can't expect them to do everything for you. I mean what independence do you have in that context? This is why Chinese speaking ability is so important, maybe necessary, once you're outside places like Taipei. What's more what a blinkered life you have being in a country where you can't communicate other than by gestures. Way to go!

[Garret]

While speaking the language would be a huge help for many situations, you are really underestimating the power of body language. Yes being able to say this or that is easier, but it can be done with expressions and body language. I have been here for just over a month, so have not experienced everything but I have managed to get around on trains, buses and taxis without speaking more than a few words of Chinese which havent been used in any of those situations.
Speaking the language is helpful and would be a bonus but you can get around not know any and still manage to get everything you need.
Having said this I am hoping to pick up a bit of the language during my stay here.

[forest1979]

I am not underestimating the power of body language. I just don't see how gesturing can help if you have a problem with the gas bill (i.e. in the situation where the bill is much more than it should be). I also think that body language has serious limitations when it comes to, for example, referring to numbers. Just notice how the Taiwanese use a different finger system to put forward a number.

[MomCat]

[forest1979]

Momcat, you're obviously very lucky to have many friends who can speak to you in English. What if you didn't have them though? How then could you make your life in Taiwan "richer and easier" and with "a better understanding of the culture"? What gesture could be used to overcome this barrier? But maybe it's the generic point that the Taiwanese go culturally further than Westerners at bridging language gaps and accommodating foreigners.

[MomCat]

forest1979, Honestly, I'd probably move as soon as I could. I don't see any point in living somewhere without friends.

[forest1979]

MomCat, I concur. Without friends, regardless of their race or culture, life is pretty tough. Having no friends when living in a foreign country is a rough deal.

[aussiejooles]

Thank you for your posts it really helped