Job Discussion Forums

[SEndrigo]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning on attending Taipei Language Institute in December, for a 3-month Chinese language study course.

Has anyone here attended that school, and if so, what did you think of it?

Thanks so much!

[markholmes]

It's good. I studied with them one to one in Taipei (Tienmu) and Beijing. I also taught for them briefly in Beijing and was asked to do it in Taipei as well, but didn't have the time / inclination.

I recommend one to one. I think you progress much faster and there is no possibility of slacking off!!

Make sure you learn the characters as you go along. This will save you a lot of hassle in the long run (assuming you want to be able to read).

[strangelove]

I have done 1-on-1 at TLI in Taipei. It is a reputable outfit, and the last teacher I had was very good. I have known many people that have done 1-on-1 and/or the classes... can't say I have heard anything bad about the place. I haven't tried a group class, but would kind of like to do that maybe.

Although one issue I have is with the current textbooks... New Practical Chinese (beginner and intermediate class). My teacher - and others - hated the books as well. The older version is much better from what I have heard (and seen on Amazon). I would recommend trying to pickup the previous version or a different book altogether and getting the teacher to use that if you can... won't happen in a group class obviously.

[clark.w.griswald]

I also studied at the one in Taipei (Tienmu) and can say that they are reputable.

I would recommend an alternative though. Sign up for a program in one of the lesser known Chinese universities as you will likely find that there is less English used there. This does not suit everyone but for me being thrown in the deep end worked well.

My problem with TLI was that the instructors all spoke English so we tended to use English. At the other place the instructors and my fellow classmates (Koreans, Japanese etc) couldn't speak English so Chinese was the medium of teaching and communication. Worked for me!

[SEndrigo]

[SEndrigo]

[markholmes]

If you can already read kanji then you are way ahead of the pack. I was actually learning Chinese characters (and studying Chinese) when I lived in Japan, but also found them enormously useful in Japan too. I didn't necessarily know how to pronounce them, but I knew what they meant. Once I learnt hirigana and katakana I was able to understand most everyday signs, menus, bus timetables, etc.

Perhaps it was Shilin (isn't that the same area as Tienmu or is it a little further south?). I think it was on Shidong Rd (I could be wrong), just east of the baseball stadium.

If you are planning on doing one to one I would start from book 1. If you know the first few chapters, you'll just whip through them in a day or two.

Clark's point about the English ability of the teachers is valid, but at the same time I sometimes find it better just to say the word in English so we can move on. Really this is about your own personal self discipline and letting the instructor know your boundaries.

Another thing I would say about one to one is that it allows to to talk about topics other than those in the book. A lot of my BA was a study of Chinese politics and history with reference to minoriity groups (particularly Uighurs from Xinjiang). I never would have been able to have those discussions in a group class, I would have bored everybody to death!!!

[SEndrigo]

[strangelove]

Tianmu and Shilin are pretty close, so it is probably the location in Shilin you both are referring to. The one I attended was in Gongguan.

I had 2 teachers at TLI (1-on-1), and neither spoke much English with me. It is nice to have some English to explain some grammar points and nuances that are difficult to explain at times. If it is a 1-on-1 then you can ask the teacher to speak as little English as possible... in my experience they will do that anyways. Don't know much about how they operate in class settings.

Kanjii and trad. characters are the same I believe. Obviously there are differences in pronunciation and maybe in some meaning at times (don't know much about Japanese). Most of my Japanese colleagues get along pretty well reading trad. characters, so I suspect it is a matter of pronunciation in most instances.

[JZer]

I am interested in one of the less known universities as well. I would like to meet some Koreans to continue practicing my Korean.

[clark.w.griswald]

The university that I studied at was Tamkang University which is actually located in Tamshui (Danshui) outside Taipei city. The language classes are however held in their language department which is located in the center of Taipei downtown behind CKS Memorial Hall.

This is a well known university, it is just that the language program was not as well known as Shida and Taida to most westeners.

It is true that different learners do well in different programs, but for me a class proved better than 1-on-1 and having no English really made me learn and learn quickly. I did both and for me the classes worked well.

[SEndrigo]

[Miyazaki]

Sendrigo,

Frankly it won't matter where you study - it's all the same.

Go for whatever school is cheaper and most conveneintly located for you.

Having said that, NTU and NTNU both have good CALL labs that TLI, and other schools, doesn't have.

I've studied both 1 to 1 and in group classes at TLI, YMCA, CLI and 1 to 1 in a coffee shop with a private teacher.

I think you might want to consider the benefits of taking group lessons with the possibility of having some 1 to 1 tutoring at the same time.

You can learn a lot of new language from your peers who are slightly more avdanced than you in the group classes. Plus there were always a lot of cute girls to meet in the group classes Seriously, though, you can meet some nice people from different countries - Russia, Korea, Japan, Germany, Italy, France, etc. who are also pursuing Chinese language studies.

In sum, TLI doesn't do anything outstanding that would justify charging more money for their classes (If they are more expensive - I don't know what their rates are now). Therefore, I suggest that you base your decision on criteria that involve cost and convenience to you.

[clark.w.griswald]

Given the choice between TLI and Tamkang I would definetly go for Tamkang as the program suited me.

The Tamkang program requires a placement test to get you into the right class, there are tests each week, and semester tests, and that sort of structure was good for me. The classes were relatively free of English as was the school on the whole and the students recreation area was pretty comfortable too. There is a swimming pool on site and it is conveniently located. Books are the NTU texts but are pretty good.

[SanChong]

I think the biggest difference between a language school and a University is the difference in progress with reading/writing. I've studied in both language schools and Universities and there is a big difference in focus.

In a language school, such as TLI, they will focus a lot more on spoken Chinese. You will learn to speak Chinese more quickly, with more of a focus on everyday, colloquial Chinese.
However, TLI will NOT focus on reading and writing.
If you want to learn to read and write, you will have to focus on this during your own time. They will not test you on you reading/writing skills.

At a University, they will focus very much on reading and writing. You will be tested on your reading/writing skills and will have to learn to read and write in order to pass the class and move onto the next level.

In sum: If you just want to learn to speak Chinese, then going to TLI is a good choice. If you want to read/write, definitely attend a University.