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The best place for learning Chinese in Taiwan is the Taipei Language Institute (TLI) in Taichung City!
I have studied Mandarin Chinese at many language centers in Taiwan during the past 10 years, and my favorite one is without question the Taipei Language Institute in Taichung. Learning Chinese in Taiwan can either be an awful experience or an exciting adventure. I believe the environment you live in is more important than the Chinese school you choose, and that’s why I highly recommend Taichung as a base camp to study Chinese in Taiwan.
Why is Taichung the best city to learn Chinese in Taiwan?
The 3 main reasons why you’ll love to live in Taichung City for studying Chinese in Taiwan are:
- Taichung has the best weather in Taiwan. It doesn’t get as much rain as Taipei or the east coast and it’s not as hot as Kaohsiung.
- The cost of living is way cheaper than in Taipei.
- It’s right in the center of the island, so it’s convenient to travel to all parts of the island.
Having said that, you should know that Taichung is still a huge city with a population of over a million and a half people, crazy traffic and some air pollution problems. It’s still Taiwan after all!
Why do I think TLI is a perfect choice for learning Chinese in Taiwan?
Anybody who has studied Chinese in Taiwan knows that TLI has the best mandarin language programs in the country and that TLI students really sound natural when they speak Mandarin.
Here are some reasons why you’ll enjoy TLI’s Chinese classes:
Group Classes
TLI’s group classes are small. My classes never had more than 5 students. This is a very important factor to consider when learning Chinese in Taiwan. The more students in a class, the less time you have to practice speaking Chinese with your teacher.
It will cost you about NT$5000/month (10 hours a week) to study Chinese in a group class at TLI in Taichung.
Individual Classes
Individual classes are more expensive, but you really learn much, much faster. You can also decide which Chinese material to study. You can tell your Chinese teacher what you want to improve (reading, listening, or speaking). At one point, I was reading Tintin comic books ten hours a week! Other people read the bible, magazines, newspapers… You can really design your own Chinese course! That’s what I liked the most about TLI.
Two other things I liked about individual classes:
I could choose the teachers I wanted. For example, I would take teacher Wang for reading class, teacher Wu for Chinese conversation practice, and teacher Yang for picture story class.
I could build my own schedule. When you are studying Chinese at TLI in a group class, you’re not in control of the schedule. Studying one on one is different: you can organize your classes the way you want. You can study Chinese in the morning, at noon, or in the evening. It’s up to you.
Expect to pay around NT$450/hour for individual Chinese classes at TLI.
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Teaching Method / TLI’s Books
TLI’s Mandarin Chinese books are all excellent! At the most basic level, the focus is on pronunciation and sentence patterns. Be ready for some serious Chinese drilling! At TLI you repeat, repeat, and repeat! The teachers don’t waste your time explaining grammar too much. You spend most of your time speaking Chinese. You really use it! The teachers know how to brainwash you with Mandarin Chinese! Their teaching method is second to none in Taiwan. I’ve studied all their intermediate and advanced books and I really enjoyed them!
Perfect location
Learning Chinese in Taiwan isn’t just about studying a language: the whole experience is also about getting into the culture as much as possible. The Taipei Language Institute of Taichung is located in one of the most vibrant parts of the city, on Yizhong Street, where one of the coolest night markets comes to life every night. The school is also surrounded by some of the best attractions in Taichung.
Staff / Teachers
The people who work at TLI in Taichung are all very friendly and professional. For me, learning Chinese in Taiwan would never have been such an enjoyable experience if I hadn’t met them. They really understand what it feels like to be studying a language in a foreign country, and they are willing to take their own time to help you. Not just to learn Chinese! They take the time to help you immerse yourself into Chinese culture and to adapt to Taiwan’s lifestyle.
Other things to know about TLI in Taichung:
- TLI doesn’t only offer Mandarin language classes. They also have Taiwanese language courses available.
- The school offers Mandarin language programs for specific topics such as: business, tourism, culture, improvised speech, reading, and writing.
- Chinese summer courses and Mandarin immersionprograms are also available.
- This Chinese language school isn’t government approved, so they can’t help you to get an ARC (Alien Resident Certificate).
Where is TLI in Taichung?
TLI Taichung Center
9F-14, #50, Yizhong St., Taichung, Taiwan
Tel: (04) 2225-4681
Other TLI Centers Around Taiwan
TLI Language Institute Roosevelt Center, Taipei
3F-4F, #50, Roosevelt Rd., Sec.3, Taipei Taiwan
Guting MRT Station (exit 2)
Tel: (02) 2367-8228
TLI Shilin Language Center, Taipei
1F, #30, Sec. 2, Zhongcheng Rd., Taipei, Taiwan
Zhishan MRT Station
Tel: (02) 2832-7330
TLI Kaohsiung Center
2F, #507 Chung Shan 2nd Rd., Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Central Park MRT Station (exit 2)
Tel: (07) 215-2965
Get more information about learning Chinese in Taiwan and check out the different Mandarin language programs available at TLI. Visit Taipei Language Institute’s official Website.
If you are thinking about learning Chinese in Taiwan, you should really consider the Taipei Language Institute in Taichung! I guarantee you won’t regret it!
I hope you’ll enjoy studying Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan!
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