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COMPASS MAGAZINE, November 1999. VOL. 6 ISSUE 11

Taking the Mandarin Plunge By Aaron Bleasdale

For decades, Taichung has been a center Chinese-language training in Taiwan. With a variety of excellent programs, each with unique characteristics, students have plenty of options. In this month's About Town, Aaron Bleasdale examines the latest addition to the city's offerings.

Between the rigors of hectic teaching schedules, road warrior traffic and the occasional "earthquake of the century," many foreigners living in Taiwan miss the chance to get into one of the more engrossing elements of Chinese culture, the language.

All those messy-looking characters and seemingly-incomprehensible ramblings seem impenetrable; but Providence University has opened a new off-campus study program in Taichung specifically designed to help foreigners tackle the ancient, often-confusing but beautiful language that is Mandarin Chinese.

A few years ago, a fellow by the name of Matt Leve came to Taiwan and decided to try studying Chinese. He attended TLI (Taipei Language Institute) but found it was not quite compatible to what he was personally seeking in language training programs. So, he moved on to study at Feng Chia University's Mandarin Program, but found that their heavy emphasis on characters, though suitable for students who already had some background in Chinese, was not ideal for the foreigner starting from scratch. So, he then moved on to the prestigious, and expensive, Tung Hai University, but found that it, like TLI, did not feel quite right for him.

Finally, he took the long drive down Taichung Kang Road and knocked on Providence University's door. At long last, his travels had come to an end. He found exactly what he was looking for and decided to stay.

It was a pity though, he thought, that Providence was so far out of the way that most foreigners living in Taichung did not have the chance to attend such a good program. As a result, he and co-coordinator Jennifer Wu approached the university about opening up an off-campus Mandarin program. Providence approved the idea and, on June 1 in an office building near the intersection of Chung Ming South and Fu Hsing roads, the new branch got its start. Since then, the program has moved to 171, Tatun 18th Street and its second semester boasts over 30 students.

The program is designed for both serious students and for those just wishing to get a little basic understanding of the language. Classes range from those for the raw beginner to advanced-intermediate (two years of study or more) and include students from over 15 different countries.

The curriculum was designed by Department Director Theresa Hsia and is identical to that followed by students at Providence University. Mrs. Hsia is the author of the widely-used textbook, "Practical Chinese", and has over 15 years of experience teaching Chinese as a second language, including many years as a lecturer at the University of Indiana. She developed the program to better handle the specific needs and difficulties experienced by foreigners learning Chinese. Teachers are all certified to teach Chinese as a foreign language, and have healthy backgrounds in literature, history and philosophy.

Beginners start by learning how to use the pinyin romanization system and by getting the hang of Chinese pronunciation and tones. The primary focus in class-time is on conversation, with an early emphasis put on survival basics like getting around, ordering food, going to the post office and so on. Later, as the student progresses, more attention is given to characters, but the lion's share still goes to conversation as characters can easily be studied at home.

Full-time classes run four days a week, from approximately 12 noon to 2:15 p.m., to allow students to study during their lunch breaks. A part-time evening class is also running two nights a week, from 7 to 9 p.m., for those students who wish to study but perhaps don't have the time to do so four days a week.

Tuition is payable on a monthly basis and is NT$5,000 per month for a four-day-per-week class and NT$3,000 per month for the evening class.

As an official government-recognized institution, Providence also provides visa extensions, plus resident visas for students studying full-time. There are two ways to obtain a resident visa: 1) pay one year's tuition (NT$55,000) and receive it immediately; 2) study for three months, then receive a three-month in-country extendible resident visa.

At the end of every semester, there is a certification test to provide some proof of one'e level of Chinese competency. In addition, there are scholarships available for those students who display exceptional dedication and ability in their studies.

Response is increasing as more people become aware of the program. The next semester begins December 1. If you have any inquiries, call 0939-753-811 for English language assistance, or 0939-450-315 for Chinese.