Getting Ready to Learn Mandarin | Eps. Best Timing to Learn & Get Ready to Study Abroad

This is the disclaimer for people that asking about where to learn Mandarin and when is the best timing to learn. Well, it's according to my experience during my study and analysis.

Where to learn Mandarin?
This is the disclaimer clarification due there are too much statement about having course in local and study abroad is a guarantee to have a good Mandarin skill.

I have mention in Eps. Know Mandarin Well about in what stage that you say you can speak Mandarin, I say when you can communicate fluently with Mandarin and understand in whatever accent they said. That is my opinion.

I don't say that having Mandarin course twice a week is nothing, but I need to say that what you learn is too basic and too small for your skill. This is only suitable for kids to learn some basic things, but if you want to have a great Mandarin skill, twice a week isn't enough. So, I suggest you to study abroad directly to the country that use Mandarin as their mother language. Why ?

You are force to speak Mandarin there every time you open your mouth. Buy food, ask for a way, say hello, and everything you do everyday.

I suggest you to learn directly to the country that use Mandarin as their mother language, depends on your choice for Traditional or Simplified one. But if I may suggest you, learn traditional one. You'll love it once you understand every meaning on its character.

For Traditional one there is only 1 choice, Taiwan. And for Simplified one there are China & Singapore.

When is the best timing to learn?
As young as you can, me study abroad at the age of 15. Why? Cause you'll practice more about vocabulary and how to write character and also how to spell it. So the more earlier you go the more you can practice. I don't suggest you to only study abroad for language school or university. That's not a good way to have a fluent mandarin. Why? Cause in high school you learn many course, you learn physics, science, maths, everything in mandarin, how can you don't know. But in university you only learn what your course and language school only general things to learn.

How long I need to stay to have fluent Mandarin?
Depends. I know lot of people that stay for 4 years to study there and still can't speak a good mandarin. It depends on how you learn & practice it.

I suggest you to have local social circle, you can learn a lot from them, from sentence till slogan they usually use.

How to getting start to prepare for study aboard?
I can share about my experience to study in Taiwan, how I prepare and what is the first impression.

Ready?

Get prepared before you go. You need to have intensive Mandarin course, I have it around 2 months before my due date, every day in the morning and afternoon. The teacher is a Taiwanese that live in Indonesia so she fully speak Mandarin during my course. Don't be to rush, learn from the basic one, from ㄅㄆㄇㄈ, remember the basic you need to know before everything start.

I apply through an agent, so they arrange for my visa, permit, and any document needed. Very recommend you to apply through agent but be careful to choose the agent that responsible enough.

Bad & not responsible agent is everywhere, so make sure you ask more people before decide to get it.

Things you need to know before heading there :

• Submit guardian 監護人 information, it's a local that have responsible to guarantee you during your stay in Taiwan. Basically you can fill your relatives name that stay in Taiwan, or if no agent will help you to find a guardian. It's called 監護人, during your stay every formal document you fill request to fill this information, so make sure you save his name, address, phone number, and also ID number. It's nothing with the guardian but something if you do some criminal in Taiwan, be nice ya. 
• Choose your identity. There is 2 option : overseas & foreign. You only have 1 chance to choose and can't be change in your lifetime. Yes, thats true. What is the different?
• Overseas 僑生 : Your ancients are Chinese and move to other country during war and now you coming back to study, they usually says 回國唸書, so they treat you as their family cause you are. As an overseas you are able to join Overseas Club, have some favorable treat in many program, and some scholarship also.  
• Foreign 外籍生 : You are foreigner that your ancients don't have any connection with Chinese. Usually this identity for western people that come to study. 

If you are an overseas, you need to fulfill your ancestral home 祖籍 information during application process. Go, ask your parents. I'm an Chaozhou 潮州人 from Guangzhou 廣州, how is yours? :) 

Well, get to know more about Taiwan.

Taiwan currency is New Taiwan Dollar (NTD) 新台幣, prepare some money for the first time when you go there. Then you can use VISA card to get money from ATM in 7-11 that have VISA logo.

Electricity plug in Taiwan is flat type with 110 volts.

Make sure you bring the adaptor for your local socket

Poor English communication in Taiwan, and also b p m f, Taiwanese known only ㄅㄆㄇㄈ. So you can found in their english spelling not match with b p m f, for example 高雄 Gao Xiong, in Taiwan spelling is Kaoshiung. Their english skill also not good, so 99% local you found in the road will not answer to you if you ask them by english. And its a good chance to you, to learn Mandarin.

Taiwan dialect is Taiwan language 台語, similar to Hokkian 福建話, so you can found elder people in Taiwan talk with Taiwan language.

There are 2 international airport in Taiwan, Taoyuan Int'l Airport & Kaoshiung Int'l Airport. Basically many international flight is goes to Taoyuan Int'l Airport.

Taiwan capital city is Taipei, in the northern of Taouyuan.

And the important things is about your passport-photo. Passport-photo in Taiwan is always with white background and size by inch. So when you submit your application photo make sure you know the rule.

This girl is so famous :) Always being the sample photo anytime anywhere

So, be prepared and see you on next post about what you need to do right after arrived in Taiwan. About food, transport, accommodation, and daily life.