All posts filed under: Chinese

You can speak Chinese?

If you already don’t know by now, I have learned Chinese back when I studied in China. But let’s get real here; At that time, my main goal wasn’t really to learn Chinese. I went there to get an experience and that’s exactly what I got. Yeah of course “I learned Chinese”, but it wasn’t till I got to Taiwan where I would say my Chinese has massively improved. I can speak sentences fluidly without stopping, give directions-ish, have conversations (to some extent), order food, open a bank account, communicate to delivery guys on the phone (while my mind goes blank), listen to stories-ish, all in Chinese. But how? From Roommates to Close Friends The first apartment I lived in was a sharehouse, with a mix of both foreigners and Taiwanese people. But let me just say, most of the people that lived there were weird and unsocial, which made no sense or purpose of living in a shared house but… There were these two people I befriended that helped me improve and learn many everyday words and …

9 Months Of Studying Chinese in Review

Studying at one of the most prestigious universities in Taiwan, NTNU aka National Taiwan Normal University helped me level my Chinese up to a higher degree. I had the opportunity to learn Chinese from well-taught and talented Chinese teachers from September 2018 till May 2019 and in turn, truly improved and understood the true meaning of struggle as an adult living abroad in a foreign country where English isn’t commonly spoken. I have shared my first impressions of the school itself here, but now that I have fully finished and exhausted what the program has to offer, I share with you today more details. Let’s just get right into it.  First Semester This semester was a great starting point in getting back into learning Chinese. Because I have studied it before, getting back into it was a bit of a hurdle. For one, I have never learned traditional characters, so I had to pretty much retrain my brain to read and WRITE (omg WRITE) traditional characters. Compared to simplified characters, traditional characters have many more strokes. …

Language learning takes time

When I first started learning in China 3 years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. At first, I honestly was against learning a new language, for I just was never good at it. I took Spanish for 3 years in high school and that was a bust. Love the language, hated my teachers. And unfortunately, I didn’t grow up learning my parents’ native tongue, Igbo so the interest to learn any language was never there. While learning Spanish, the process of learning the language was not fun. All of my Spanish teachers were crazy. My first teacher spent more time dancing bachata music with us and flirting with one of my classmates than teaching the language. The second one was a complete psycho. Definitely, if not one of the worst teachers I have ever had in my entire life. Too many days I went home crying. She would say one thing, do another and always found a way to ridicule people in class which I hugely disliked. My last teacher knew …

Let’s talk about Money

So where does it all come from? How were you able to go abroad right after I graduated from college? Is that even possible? Yes, yes it is. As soon as I stepped off that United Airlines flight in Newark from China back in 2016, I knew for sure that I was going back abroad in 2018. But how exactly? It’s the topic that NO ONE likes to discuss. It is as if it’s something secret, something private, something that’s none of your god damn business. I was listening to a podcast on how a lot of people don’t like to talk to each other about how much money they make or spend. But I personally think if we were more transparent in the amount of money we make or even just sharing our personal experiences on our expenses, then a lot of things would be easier to understanding behind the scenes of how others do it. And it will definitely encourage others to follow suit and possibly pursue new ways to be better about …

How to Apply for the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship

What is this scholarship? The Ministry of Education (MOE) established the MOE Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (MOE HES) to enhance exchanges between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and countries designated by the MOE by encouraging foreign students to study Mandarin in Taiwan and to deepen their understanding of Taiwan’s cultural and social developments. Students can pick up a new language and learn more about the culture and history associated with Taiwan. Funding A monthly stipend of NT$25,000. (this money must be used to pay for tuition, rent, and living expenses combined) Duration: two months (summer courses), three months, six months, nine months, or 12 months. Travel to Taiwan and moving into an apartment are expenses not included in the scholarship amount. Please prepare for these expenses before you arrive to Taiwan. Date of the application period The application period is from Feb 1st till March 31st of every year (end date may vary) Required documents Completed PDF Application form Photocopy of your passport Photocopy of the certificate of the highest degree and transcript Photocopy of the …

Studying Chinese in China vs. Taiwan

I have studied in two major cities in China and Taiwan (Shanghai and Taipei) and there is not a ton of information online about these programs or yet someone who has done both and can openly share their experiences about it. I’ve been asked from different social outlets about mine and I want to express the major differences between the two and possibly help those decide which one may be a better fit for them. Disclaimer: My experience may be different compared to others. At the end of the day, this is my opinion on what I feel about the programs and maybe something you should consider before in deciding on which program may be better for you. Keep the facts I mention here in mind, but also take into account that maybe what I experience is different from others. Scholarship Details China Chinese Government Scholarship Bilateral Program pays for the tuition up front. Students can stay in the campus international student dormitory for free. If a student decides to change the housing type at …

Studying Chinese at NTNU’s Mandarin Training Center

National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) was the first school in Taiwan to open up a language program for foreign students starting in 1956 called the Mandarin Training Center (MTC). And to this day, its considered as the most popular school to attend and study Mandarin due to their high standards in teaching techniques, along with the books they’ve published used in class for foreign students. The building is located on: 129 Heping East Road, Sec. 1, Taipei City, Taiwan You can take the Green Line to Guting and take exit 5 walking down Heping East Road or you can also take the blue line to Taipower Building Station Exit 3 and walk straight down Shida Road where all the shops are down to the university. At the university, there will be a library in front and right behind it is the Bo Ai Building where students attend the Chinese Language Courses. Take the elevator up the 7th floor to access the classroom area, but if you need to talk to the staff, visit the 6th …