I’m planning to live in Taiwan for a year, and I’ve signed up to take Mandarin Chinese at my university, but I want to make sure this will be beneficial to me? How vast are the differences in speech and writing?
I’d like to add the the class I’d be taking is here in Ohio, USA, before mo departure. I might also take classes while I’m there, but I’ll mostly be working. Thanks.
One thing you may need to know firstly – Mandarin Chinese is a way people SPEAK Chinese, not writing it. It’s the official / standard language of Mainland China and Taiwan, somehow like ‘Queen’s English’ or ‘BBC English’ in UK.
There’re uncountable different dialects in Mainland China. People speak in their own way between family and friends. But Mandarin is used in public, on TV, at schools… In Taiwan, there’re local dialects too, such as Minnan, Hakka etc.. But don’t worry, standard Mandarin Chinese is exactly what you need to learn. (FYI, Mandarin Chinese is often known as ‘國語’ in Taiwan and ‘国语’ / ‘普通话’ in Mainland.)
As you know, there’re 2 ways of writing Chinese: Simplified Chinese in Mainland and Traditional Chinese in Taiwan. It doen’t affect the pronunciation. Simplified Chinese characters are simplifed from Traditional Chinese, so the latter is more difficult in form. However, since you’re going to live in Taiwan, you’d better learn recognising Traditional Chinese characters.
Plus, once you know Traditional Chinese, you can recognise its simplifed cousin very easily (but not vice versa)!
This is Taiwanese Aboriginal music the artist is Samingad.
Samingad’s chinese name is 紀曉君
Also check out Hoaenjiajia 浩恩家家
曉君and 家家are sisters. They are quite popular now
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I’m planning to live in Taiwan for a year, and I’ve signed up to take Mandarin Chinese at my university, but I want to make sure this will be beneficial to me? How vast are the differences in speech and writing?
Many people have already mentioned that Taiwanese pronunciation is different, but I think an even greater difference is word choice. Just like Americans and Brits might call the same thing by different names (like chips vs. french fries), it’s the same between Taiwan and China. There’s a possibility with certain things that people won’t understand you. For example, in China they say "didao" to mean "authentic" and in Taiwan they say "daodi" because they use "didao" to mean "underground walkway".
The Mandarin you learn at your university will definitely help you… you’ll just have to be open to learning new ways of talking when you get to Taiwan. 
Hi, thinking of going for a holiday to Taiwan and Korea in May or June 2008.Like to know what is the temperature like. . Thanks in advance.
I’m sorry but I think I can only predict the weather for Korea:
For March I think it’ll be about 5-10 degrees celsius.
In May probably 15-20 degrees celsius and in June probably 16-25 degrees celsius.
You can check at http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/KPXX0001
around the month of March, May and June.
Taiwanese Boy(Lin Yu Chun) Sings Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”
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Your advice on things that the Taiwan government or people should do right now so that more international traverlers will visit Taiwan.
Above all, you need to allow people here to start learning how to take pride in their countries natural resources by giving them a say on how to manage them. This means the LOCALS -not the tour bus operators and the hotel guys who profit by plundering the resource until its used up. let local people learn how to TAKE CARE of living, growing natural environments and then the pride of place that your country lacks will follow naturally. Start getting high schools and university students extra credit for taking care of natural areas/ tourist attraction areas in the evenings when its not insanely hot. This will also help a generation that has lost touch with its environment learn how to connect to the earth and nature.
1. Standardize english pinyin across the board. Immediately. have all signs and maps across the island have 1 form of pinyin that is standard. Most of the confusion arises from the 75 different methods of signage.
I personally have had to explain to Korean and Japanese businessmen on 2 occasions, who were trying to navigate a major road in Taichung the 4 or 5 different ways of spelling Wenshin Road. (Wen-Chin, Uenchin, Wen-Sin, WenXin, etc…) this is costing your government MONEY, CREDIBILITY, and is UN-PROFESSIONAL. Its not about cultural dominance or any china linguistic issue. Its about CLARITY OF COMMUNICATION. If you are a politician, please GROW UP and stop screwing your own country over and SOLVE an EASY problem. All it takes is one person to sit down and state that Tongyong is official and all signs must be changed to match it by xxx time or federal enforcement officers will forcibly remove the signs until they match. Start using the power over the country that being federal a**h*les gives you over lazy county officials. really the lack of consistency does make things here un-necessarily difficult to navigate.
2. Better linkage and communication between the bi-lingual government websites. This is easy to implement. Just put links to the other sites in an organized manner near the edge of each of the sites. Some already do, but not all. Get better placement for official sites on Google and Yahoo search engines by inquiring with those corporations as to what a government tourist facility needs to do to get near the top ahead of private operators.
3. Architectural and planning controls near tourist destinations. Enforcement of rules that probably already exist. The worst thing that happens when a new site becomes popular is the crop of new uncontrolled development that blasts up immediatly next to sites, thus destroying the natural feeling and reducing visitor numbers- a false advertisment that leaves visitors feeling cheated.
An example of this is near Gao-Mei wetlands. The wind turbines and hideous overcrowding destroy any credibility this area holds as a natural reserve. Dont allow tour buses to dump truckloads of goofs all at once and the cheesy night market next to it that has developed. This can be relocated. The only thing that makes this place nice is when you get a clear day with an amazing sunset over the ocean. The wetlands itself, seems overcrowded and mucky and its hard to recommend anyone to go to see grassy hummocks that birds have all abandoned due to people and dogs tromping through without limits. For some reason locals still go, most likely due to the lack of real beach development near taichung. consider removing some of the dragon teeth (concrete barriers) on the west coast of Taiwan (the populated bit) and plant more mangroves. This will allow for better flood protection, more nesting area for birds and fish, and attract more tourists as well as providing your locals with a legitimate place to take pride in.
4. Control the numbers of people arriving at an area, so everyone can have a good experience, as has been done with orchid island and at turtle island.
But they should be able to ticket and seize tour operator licences and be allowed to seize and destroy buses if need be to prevent the abuse of natural resource areas by overly greedy (unlicenced) operators.
5. Voluntary limitations on development by the people living near a tourist site. The people by an area will need to be consulted and educated and allowed to benefit as well as the operator. In other words jobs and ideally the creation of some kind of ability for the individuals to control the operator if the development exceeds the areas capacity to handle the numbers of visitors.
5. More protected park areas with development farther outside. Play up the natural wonders, and DELIVER on the marketing. Edited advertisments that have photoshopped out the towering hotels next to a development are misleading advertising. Advise best times to visit an area. Some areas are only able to be appreciated at certain times of day, such as at sunset or sunrise. They can remain open throughout but bi-lingual signage recommending times of day should be available. Pamplets and easy to read bilingual maps are great! Consider more maps in Korean and Japanese as well as english to be available at 7-11.
6. Road work. the central mountain goat paths are not safe enough to classify as highways. Or re-classify them as safe ONLY for small cars and motorcycles but disallow buses that can carry more than 10 people on them. The roads are unsafe and crumbling from over-use. The buses often are bigger than the roads. Certain roads can also be closed or turned into extended walking trails with reduced maintenence costs to your government and increased possible profit for local populations nearby. Prime areas for this include the heavily damaged highway 8 between Taichung and Nantou, highway 20 between Taidong and Kaosiung. Populations of small towns within these areas can be encouraged to relocate or be allowed access with special passes or licence plates on their (no more than 10 p within) cars. (after passing a tourist operation licencing course if they want to drive a car that takes more than 6 passengers.) The blue trucks can continue to be used on these roads for purposes of food/logistical delivery and trail maintence services. This could allow locals to start developing their own tour operations in co-operation with your government agencies.
7. Give all visitors to an area a bilingual survey regarding the quality of their experience and any suggestions they may have for improvement. Take the advice seriously. They probably have more ideas than I can give you or more specific ideas tailored to an area. The people who care enough to complete the survey can help contribute to a better experience for future visitors.
8. Hire foreigners with university degrees (in the related language) to check the wording and spelling of official documents. I still see a lot of mistakes on many sites. Its not just lawyer-ese but ensuring clear communication again.
9. Ask yourself if MORE visitors is what Taiwan’s environment really needs. Isn’t it already stretched beyond its limit already?
What you really should be thinking is of ways to make Taiwan an attractive place to the people ALREADY here- the Taiwanese and getting valuable people to want to stay here. If you can do this, foreigners will follow. If people HERE don’t want to stay or see their own country, why should people from other countries want to visit?
10. Convert unused industrial areas that are abundant into parkland. If someone isn’t using an area or using it in an inappropriate (polluting way), be able to seize it and convert it into park/ natural reserve/ tourist resource area. This will help housing prices and get more industrial waste areas cleaned up and profitable again.
11. Clean bathrooms with more western style toilets and toilet paper PROVIDED at tourist rest stops inside each stall. regular cleaning and maintenence of these areas. Gas stations as well. Squatters are tolerable to many people, but many foreign visitors have no idea how to use these. Stickmen pictoral signs may be good for the assistence of foreign travellers. It also can make an amusing t-shirt.
Taiwan Talent: The Original Video of Lin Yu Chun from Taiwan sing “I Will Always Love You”. http://masarider.blogspot.com/
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I am studying abroad in Taiwan in a few days and I have 200 bucks in traveler’s checks. My bank says I can use my card there and it gives me a good rate, but my taiwanese friends think that traveler checks are a better deal. Any info on this?
many bank machines don’t accept bank cards from other countries. You will have to search around to find the machines that do, which tends to be an annoying procedure. But once you know where one is that issue is solved. This is probably why your Taiwanese friends recommended more travellers checks. These also are a bit annoying to use as you must cash them at banks. But all banks would accept them if they are in US$.
Probably about 30% of bank machines here will accept international bank cards. (this is my own estimate from my experiences- it is entirely possible I am wrong.) –If by ‘card’ you mean your bank account debit card. The rate is the standard rate of market exchange average over the past year in most cases, but I could be wrong on that.
Using a credit card in most places is acceptable for purchasing. You can pay online as needed.
Most people open an account here if they are working or studying here. ICBC is an easy to use bank with good service for foreigners, usually. Chinatrust is another (relatively) easy to use bank which has the advantage of service until 7 at night. Of course if you are sending money to USA, you should do so before 2 or 3 PM. Chinatrust also has the advantage of ATM’s at most 7-11 stores. there are other banks to try of course.
I bought a new flat in Jhong-Li city, and wanna rent it to foreigner English teachers. But I don’t know what are those teacher expectations for a flat.
If you are a English teacher in Taiwan, what would you consider ?
Junk-wei~ if you are wanting to rent the apartment to English teacher (which I think is your question), the most important thing that "I" have looked for in a new apartment is that it is clean and is not too small. Usually these are the first things that I look for the second would be price and location. If the apartment is too far from the city or it is in an older building then the price should be lower than if it is in a new 電梯大樓 (high rise apartment) or if it is a 別墅 or a 普通住宅. The last thing that I look at is if it is a 公寓家具 (furnished apartment), if it is furnished then I am willing to pay little more for the apt. than if I have to bring everything myself. I guess most things that we look for in an apartment are the same things that Taiwanese people look for in their apartments.
The guy in this video is Lin Yu Chun — a reality show contestant who covered Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” for a show in Taiwan called “Super Star Avenue” … and dude CRUSHED IT!!!!!!!
Chun is a favorite to win the million dollar grand prize on the show — and people are already calling him the next Susan Boyle.
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