Lamin, an expat from Gambia, shares his experience of learning Chinese in Taiwan.
Background
Lamin, an expat from Gambia, ventured to Taiwan 11 years ago with the intention of pursuing higher education. Originally, his plan revolved around completing his studies and then returning to his homeland. However, destiny had a different course charted for him. The enchanting blend of Taiwan’s weather and lifestyle captivated Lamin, ultimately influencing his decision to make this vibrant island his new home.
Upon his arrival in Taiwan, Lamin embarked on his academic journey, aiming to broaden his knowledge and skills. Little did he know that the scenic beauty and cultural richness of Taiwan would leave an indelible mark on his heart, altering his future plans significantly.
11 years back, Lamin crossed borders to Taiwan, driven by academic ambitions.
Initially, his roadmap included completing his education and heading back to Gambia.
However, the allure of Taiwan’s climate and lifestyle prompted a change of heart.
The decision to stay in Taiwan was not an easy one for him, as it meant embracing a new way of life far from his familiar roots. Nevertheless, the warmth of Taiwanese hospitality and the endless possibilities that Taiwan offered fueled his resolve to build a life there.
With each passing day, Taiwan became more than just a temporary stop in Lamin’s life; it transformed into a place he proudly called home. The blend of traditional values and modern conveniences in Taiwan provided him with a unique sense of belonging and contentment.
As he settled into his new chapter in Taiwan, he not only found academic success but also discovered a deeper connection with the local culture and communities. The decision to extend his stay in Taiwan beyond academics was a testament to the lasting impression the island had made on him.
Learning Chinese
Lamin’s journey in learning Chinese began with mandatory classes during his English program.
Like many language learners, he faced challenges, particularly in reading and writing, largely due to time constraints. Juggling academic commitments and adapting to a new environment made it difficult for him to dedicate sufficient time to mastering these aspects of the language.
However, his determination to improve his Chinese skills led him to seek different avenues for practice. One significant factor that facilitated his linguistic development was the frequent interactions he had with Taiwanese friends and his girlfriend. Through daily conversations and socializing, hi proficiency in listening and speaking Chinese steadily increased.
Recently, he decided to take his language learning a step further by delving into bopomofo, a phonetic script used in Taiwan. By incorporating bopomofo into his studies, he aims to enhance his writing abilities and further expand his language proficiency.
One of his primary objectives in learning Chinese is to gain the ability to read official documents, menus, and communicate independently in various real-life situations. He envisions a future where he can navigate through everyday tasks with ease and effectively engage in both formal and informal discussions in Mandarin.
As a content creator on YouTube, Lamin’s language skills play a crucial role in his work. His channels focus on nature and interviews, requiring him to speak Chinese fluently in his nature videos and accurately translate and respond to viewer comments. This interaction with his audience not only hones his language abilities but also deepens his connection with viewers.
Reflecting on his language learning journey, Lamin acknowledges that he could have benefitted from giving more attention to his Chinese studies earlier on. He emphasizes the value of patience and dedication in the process of mastering a new language. Lamin’s experience serves as a testament to the transformative power of consistent practice and a positive attitude towards language learning.
Fraser Stewart, a former patent examiner from Scotland, embarked on a new journey when he moved to Taiwan to pursue a career in teaching English. In 2008, during a visit to China with his ex-wife, Fraser delved into the realm of learning Chinese. His methodical approach centered around immersing himself in reading and writing the most common characters of the Chinese language.
Started learning Chinese in 2008 during a visit to China
Focused on reading and writing common characters
Did not use flashcards or spaced repetition techniques
Fraser discovered that the ability to recognize and write characters significantly enhanced his communication skills and allowed him to differentiate between words that might appear similar. Opting out of conventional methods like flashcards or spaced repetition, he dedicated his efforts to continuous reading, writing, and practical application of the language.
Transition to Traditional Characters
Transitioning to life in Taiwan, Fraser made a shift from simplified to traditional characters by immersing himself in a Chinese version of “Wind in the Willows” and diligently referencing a dictionary for unfamiliar characters. Despite facing challenges in writing compared to reading, he persisted in honing both aspects of the language. In his learning journey, Fraser received invaluable support from his ex-wife, who engaged him in rigorous pronunciation exercises focusing on tones, an area that he initially struggled with but acknowledged as crucial for mastering accurate pronunciation.
Having achieved proficiency in Chinese, Fraser now navigates his daily life in Taiwan with ease, seamlessly communicating with locals, landlords, bank representatives, and colleagues in Mandarin. His language proficiency not only facilitates his personal interactions but also enhances his professional endeavors as an English teacher, where effective communication with non-English-speaking peers is fundamental.
Reflecting on his learning experience, Fraser recognizes the significance of early tonal emphasis for pronunciation refinement. He acknowledges that a greater emphasis on this aspect in the initial stages could have expedited his language learning process. Fraser’s journey underscores the importance of language immersion and the continual pursuit of improvement through diverse language exposure, interactive conversations, and ongoing study.
In summary: Fraser Stewart’s dedication to mastering Chinese through a character-focused approach, language practice, and eventual immersion in Taiwanese daily life underscores the enduring commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
In this episode, I interview Jamie Rufe, an American now living in Taiwan.
Jamie tells us:
– What brought him to Taiwan
– Why he started learning Mandarin Chinese
– What career opportunities being able to speak Chinese got him
– The one habit that was instrumental to his Chinese progress
– The approach he recommends new Chinese learners take
– His experience working in a Chinese factory
– His recommendations for foreigners looking for a career path in Taiwan or China
– What he recommends over Stephen Krashen’s comprehensible input approach
– How AI can dramatically speed up learning Chinese
– Why he recommends that new students forego learning Chinese characters in the beginning
– How even English teachers can improve their prospects by improving their Chinese
– How to find jobs in Taiwanese and Chinese companies
In this episode, we interview Lamin, who moved from Gambia to Taiwan. Listen to find out:
– What brought him to Taiwan?
– What prompted him to stay in Taiwan?
– How he began learning Chinese
– When his Chinese really started to improve
– How he learned Chinese from friends
– How he made lots of local friends
– How he started learning characters
– How he started practicing writing characters
– Why he doesn’t like to be pressured
– The benefits of being able to speak Chinese
– The benefits of bopomofo (zhuyin)
– How his youtube channel helps him learn Chinese
– What he would do differently if he was to start learning Chinese again
Interview with Fraser Stewart on how he developed his Chinese to near native level over his past 11 years in Taiwan.
Listen to find out:
– What made Fraser choose Taiwan?
– When he first learned Chinese
– His approach learning Chinese
– How learning to read and write helps with speaking
– Was there any difficulty moving from simplified to traditional characters
– His approach to learn to write Chinese characters
– How he learned tones in Chinese
– How Chinese helps him in day to day life
– What he would do differently regarding learning Chinese
– His contact with the most famous foreigner in China
In this episode, I interview Michael Gordon, a Canadian living in Taiwan.
Listen to find out:
– What made Michael choose Taiwan?
– When he first learned Chinese
– How he used Chinese in Canada
– How he adapted to Chinese in Taiwan
– How his Chinese level has changed over the years
– How technology has helped with using Chinese
– How being able to speak Chinese has helped in daily life
– How his kids deal with local school
– What he would do differently regarding learning Chinese
– What he could do to improve his Chinese further
In this episode, I interview Ed Gonzalez, a Mexican-Canadian restaurant owner in Taipei, Taiwan.
Listen to this episode to find out:
– What brought Eddy to Taiwan?
– About his initial journey learning Chinese
– His experience after briefly goes to Chinese school
– How he has benefitted from learning zhuyin / bo-po-mo-fo
– The benefit of being able to speak Chinese in Taiwan
– About Eddy’s podcast and how that helps him learn Chinese
– How he learned slang Chinese that isn’t taught in textbooks
– How he has fun with Chinese and how he uses it in public settings
– The technology he finds helpful for translating Chinese
– How he learns Chinese from reading subtitles
– What he would have done differently if he could go back and learn Chinese again
In this episode, I interview Caleb Shetland, an American now working in Taipei as a firmware engineer.
Listen to find out:
– His experience learning Chinese at a US college
– What approach he wishes he had used instead, to learn characters
– When he realized that learning Mandarin would be useful for his engineering career
– How he thinks Mandarin compares in difficulty versus other languages
– His experience traveling overseas for the first time to Beijing
– His experience as a foreign student at a Chinese campus
– His struggle trying to find a job as an expat engineer in Taiwan
– His initial experience working in an office environment in Taiwan
– What it was like being the only foreigner in a large multi-national company
– The benefit of being a foreign engineer in Taiwan
– The demand for expats in the local tech industry
– The importance of co-ops and internships
In this episode I interview Alex Trup, a Brit now working in Digital Marketing in Taipei, Taiwan.
Listen to find out:
– About his experience learning Chinese in the UK
– How he went from China to Taiwan
– His experience as a foreigner in a Taiwanese working environment
– Why he likes Taipei compared to other cities he’s lived in
– His experience as a new father in a mixed cultural relationship
– His approach to raising his child in a bilingual environment
– What he would have done differently if he was to learn Chinese from the start
– His advice for a westerner looking for a job in Taiwan or China
– How he got the job at his current company as one of its first expat hires
In this episode I interview Xiao Fei, an American blogger now living in Taiwan.
Listen to find out:
– His experience trying to get a degree at a local Taiwanese university
– Why he switched out of the Chinese program to an English one
– His experience living in China
– Why he finds his current university program more manageable
– How and why he started a blog about waterfalls in Taiwan (Facebook)
– His long term plans in Taiwan
– What he would do differently if he was to learn Chinese again
– Why he thinks writing is a valuable skill to learn
– Why he’s proud of his sloppy writing
– His opinion on telling jokes in Chinese
In this episode I interview Keoni Everington, an American now working in the media business in Taiwan.
Listen to find out:
– What got him interested in learning Chinese 20 years ago
– What it was like learning Chinese in Ohio
– How he benefited from guanxi early on
– What it was like moving from Ohio to Beijing in 1994
– How he overcame the difficult living conditions back then
– All the different jobs he had along the way, and how he progressed through them
– His secret to getting jobs that he may not be directly qualified for
– The advantages and disadvantages between working for Chinese companies versus western ones
– What he wishes he had done differently career wise
– What he recommends more foreigners do to expand their career paths
– An alternate approach you could use to work at a specific company
In this episode I interview Scott Faul, an American now living in Taiwan.
Listen to find out:
– What got him interested in learning Chinese, while in the US
– His experience studying Chinese in Taiwan, while working on the side
– How he used the Chinese he had learned, while working in the US
– The benefits he found for being able to speak Chinese, while looking for work
– His experience living in Beijing for 10 years
– The difference he found in culture between China and Taiwan
– The difference in accents and slang he experienced between Taipei and Beijing
– What he would have done differently regarding learning Chinese
– Why he switched from business to doing a masters in translation
– What his career plans in translation are currently
– The difference in business culture in China / Taiwan versus in America
– How negotiations are handled differently in China / Taiwan versus out west
– What got him interested in Chinese culture and language in the first place, while studying in the US
– Why he chose a more challenging route to learning Chinese
– What his experience was living in China while in an intensive program learning Chinese
– Why he moved from China to Taiwan
– How he got his first job managing a school
– What he found unique about managing local Taiwanese employees
– How he had to change his management style to adapt to local culture
– How he adapted to becoming a consultant
– How he improved his Chinese skills as a result
– Why he decided to start his own consulting company
– How he found new clients
– How he adapted from simplified Chinese characters to traditional ones
– What the biggest challenge he had adapting to Chinese in Taiwan was
In this episode, I interview Alex Barker, an American consultant about his experience learning Chinese
Listen to this episode to find out:
– How Alex got interested in learning Chinese in America
– His experience in an American college class learning Chinese
– Why he didn’t make as much progress in Chinese as he wanted to
– His experience taking a university class in Chinese in Taiwan
– His experience working as an intern at the American Chamber of Commerce
– Why he found it useful to have Mandarin ability on his resume
– Why he feels there are multiple levels of Mandarin ability
– His experience with personal relationships that only use Chinese
– What he would do differently if he had to study Chinese again
– Why he would encourage students in school to choose Chinese as a second language
– What advice he would give to students learning Chinese in a non Chinese speaking area
– How he recommends people learn colloquial Chinese
– What threw him off about speaking Chinese in Taiwan versus in Beijing
– His experience being on Taiwanese game shows
In this episode I interview Adriana Estrada from Guatemala, who has lived in Taiwan for the past 7 years, completing her undergraduate and master’s degree during that time.
Listen to find out:
– What brought Adriana to Taiwan in the first place
– What advantages she brings to the work place over local Taiwanese
– What types of companies she’s looking to work at
– Her experience completing an engineering degree in Chinese
– Why she chose Taiwan to do her degree in
– Why she’s glad she did her degree in Chinese and the approach she took
– Why other students come to Taiwan, but don’t learn as much Chinese as they should
– Why she feels most learning of Chinese is done outside of the classroom
– Why she feels getting a degree in Taiwan isn’t for everyone
– What aspects of culture shock she’s experienced in Taiwan versus Guatemala
– Her experience dating Taiwanese men
– Whether she’s affected by the amount of Taiwanese used by locals
– Her opinion on the different food options available
In this episode, I interview Nick Howard, an American who has been living in Taiwan for the past 9 years.
Listen to find out:
– What brought him to Taiwan in the first place
– How he moved up from teaching at a cram school to teach at a university
– The process he went through learning Chinese
– Why learning Chinese was a priority for him
– Why he switched from learning in class to learning on his own
– How he transitioned from teaching to consulting
– Why he started a co-working space (Facebook)
– What he would recommend for expats wanting to switch from teaching to a different career path
– Why he recommends living in a smaller town, for those wanting to improve their Chinese and understanding of local culture
– How Taiwanese is used locally versus Mandarin
– How he’s been able to get along with his wife’s Taiwanese family
In this episode I interview Derek McCracken, an American who has been living in Taiwan for 7 years.
Listen to find out:
– What brought Derek to Asia and specifically Taiwan
– How he started teaching English, while looking for other opportunities
– How he started his first business in Taiwan
– How he compares starting a business in Taiwan compared to Thailand
– How he began learning Chinese on the side
– What benefits he found from being able to speak Chinese at a functional level
– What skill he thinks is necessary for expats to learn Chinese
– What things he did in his learning to get to the next level
– How he transitioned into his current job at an international fitness company.
– What cultural differences he’s noticed comparing Taiwanese clients with American and Thai ones
– Why he chooses to live in Taiwan than America
– What advice he’d give to an expat wanting to change their career path
In this episode, I actually interview… myself! Well not, really. I invited CLO user Joe Cooperman to interview me on my motivation for coming to Taiwan and starting this course teaching fellow expats how to speak Mandarin.
Listen to find out:
– Why Joe uses CLO
– What brought me to Taiwan
– What problem I found with many methods teaching Chinese
– How I transitioned from teaching English to teaching Chinese
– What other Chinese resources I liked and was influenced by
– Why the lesson material is limited to 7 levels
– How the usage of the site has changed over the years
– On the future of the site
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In Part 2 of this episode, we continue our interview with American businessman Steve Iglehart.
Listen to find out:
– How he moved on to the skin care market
– What his biggest challenge was in this market
– The intense process of training salespeople to use his product
– How he learned to read people’s reactions over the years
– What the advantage of being an expat was, when it came to sales
– What businesses he has since transitioned to
– Why he thinks it’s easier for an expat to do business in Taiwan today
– Why he feels a local university degree is the best way to reach fluency in Chinese
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Steve Iglehart is an American businessman from San Francisco who has been living in Taiwan for almost 30 years.
Listen to this episode to find out:
– What made Steve want to learn Chinese
– Why he chose to come to Taiwan
– His first moments in Taiwan, looking for a Chinese school
– Why he decided to stay on in Taiwan and do a university degree locally
– Why he found the degree to be one of his most challenging life experiences
– His experience job hunting after graduating
– How he learned how business was conducted locally
– What his first business was
– What reaction locals had to doing business with him
Keiran is a Canadian living in Taiwan, now working in the bicycle industry.
Listen to this episode to find out:
– What brought Keiran to Taiwan in the first place
– How he began learning Chinese initially
– What he didn’t like about his first school
– How he found people to practice his Chinese with
– Where the most effective part of his learning came from
– What he did to make himself more approachable for casual conversation with strangers
– Why he ended up getting a university degree in Taiwan
– What challenges he had getting the degree
– Why he feels learning more than one language at the same time is an effective way to learn
– Why getting a university degree locally in Taiwan is a great opportunity
– How he started in the bicycle industry
– His advice for expats wanting to do something different career wise
– Why being able to speak Chinese was helpful to him
– His advice for expats wanting to take their Chinese to the next level
– How he recommends you make the most of your experience abroad
In this episode, I interview Ross Darrell Feingold, an American now working as a senior advisor at the DC International Advisory, a law firm in Taipei, Taiwan.
Listen to this episode to find out:
– What made Ross focus on learning Mandarin Chinese 20 years ago
– What a one year intensive Mandarin learning program in Singapore was like
– Why he felt this program was still not enough for him
– What it was like to take a Mandarin studies course in a small American university
– What made him choose Taiwan over Singapore and China to further his Chinese learning
– What his plan was, after learning Chinese
– The most important thing to consider when applying for a job in Asia
– How he compares Asia with the west
– The differences in company culture
– A misconception he’s noticed in company hours
– Why he chooses to live in Asia
– How he uses Chinese in his daily work
In this interview, I interview Jon Renzella, an American artist now living in Taichung, Taiwan.
Listen to this episode to find out:
– What brought Jon to Taiwan in the first place
– Why he wanted to live in a place that didn’t speak English
– How he began learning Chinese without any formal classes
– His current approach to learning how to read Chinese
– How he uses technology to help with learning how to read
– How he transitioned into being a full time artist in Taiwan
– His experience joining the local art community
– His advice for fellow expats looking to follow their interests and passions
– How he overcame the language barrier to joining the local community
– How he started a gallery for foreign artists to showcase their work with the local community
– Some of the differences in local art culture from what he’s experienced in the west
In this episode I interview Alex Wagner, who now runs a pizza shop at a local Taiwanese night market.
Listen to find out:
– What brought Alex to Taiwan in the first place
– How he transitioned from teaching to selling pizza
– His process starting the business
– How the night market business works
– How he markets himself as the foreign face of the business
– Where he finds employees to work there
– How his Chinese has improved as a result of interacting with customers
– His plans for his business going forward
– How he got over the uncertainty of starting a business
– The crucial factor required to stand out at a night market
– His advice for those wanting to transition away teaching English
We have added a couple of new options to the pricing page.
New users now have the option of choosing between the existing Premium Online plan, or the new Guided Plan.
In addition to all the features from the regular online plan, the guided plan also provides an assignment for each lesson. This usually requires you to record yourself answering a question related to the lesson. If you require additional or customized vocabulary not taught in the lesson, you can ask the teacher who will provide an answer within 1 business day.
The guided plan also includes a level certification test for levels 1, 2 and 3. This consists of two parts. Part 1 is a timed online vocabulary test to see if you can identify vocabulary taught from lessons in your selected level. If you pass this test (80% or higher score), you then qualify for an online Skype test with one of our teachers.
We have prepared a set of questions for each of levels 1, 2 and 3. If the teacher is satisfied with your answers (passing score of 80% or higher) then you receive your certificate, which can be printed out.
Existing users can only purchase level certification tests for levels 1, 2 and 3. In the coming days, we will also add level certification options to the redeem credits program.
In this episode, I interview “Bear” – originally from Scandinavia, now working in China.
Listen to find out:
– What brought him to China in the first place
– His initial hardships in China
– Why he felt he wasn’t capable of learning Chinese in the beginning
– Why he didn’t make progress learning initially, and what changed that
– What motivated him to start learning characters
– The drastic improvement being able to speak Chinese had on his daily life
– How he’s able to make friends with local Chinese
– What aspect made a great improvement in his qualify of life in China
– Some of the big differences in company culture he found in China versus Europe
– The big difference in job interviews between China and Europe
– His experience with “face” and trust in Chinese companies
– His recommendations for foreigners living in Chinese communities and in local relationships
– How he learned to communicate using a Chinese version of English
– How learning Chinese compares to learning other languages
– His advice to foreigners who haven’t tried to learn Chinese yet, because they believe they aren’t capable
– Why it’s ok to make mistakes while speaking
In this episode, I continue the interview I did with Shaun Bettinson, where he discusses his “I love Taiwan” project.
Listen to find out:
– How this project got started.
– How he launched his initial promotional video
– The Project Website
– How he was able to promote it
– How he won a Guinness World Record
– Why he thinks the project was so popular
– What he gained from this experience
– How he benefited from the friendships made
– How his outlook on the future has changed
In this episode, I interview Shaun Bettinson, a Brit who now lives in Taichung, Taiwan.
Listen to find out:
– What brought Shaun to Taiwan initially
– Where he learned his initial Chinese
– What he didn’t like about his first group class
– What he liked about his next teacher
– What he recommends you look for in a private teacher
– What kind of effort he put in to learn Chinese outside of class
– What benefits he found from being able to speak Chinese
– How he transitioned from teaching into an alternate career path
– How his Chinese helped him in his new position
– What advice he’d give to someone wanting to switch from teaching to a different career path
In this episode, I interview Davide Saccon, an Italian now living in Qingdong, China.
Listen to find out:
– How he learned “street” Chinese in Italy
– What brought him to China after that
– Why the Chinese he had learned before wasn’t as useful in smaller Chinese villages
– How he used the Chinese he had learned to land his first job in China
– Why it was much harder to learn Chinese outside of China than in China
– What cultural differences he noticed between working in China versus Europe
– How compensation affects motivation with Chinese workers
– How he manages language and communication with his Chinese wife
– Why he had to change the language approach he used with his kids
– The language approach he finds works best with kids from mixed language couples
– The problem he found with the local education system for kids, and what solution they found for it
