United States

I recently finished a three month course of study in Mandarin Chinese at the Feng Chia University Language Center, and I'd like to say that my experience here was from start to finish never less than a pleasure and often times truly extraordinary. Here I was, an American (a species distinguished by our incapacity to learn any languages beyond our own), not only communicating with classmates from all over the world in a language second to all of us, but by way of that language developing and forging friendships as meaningful as those I share with my English-speaking friends. This I can attribute to a staff dedicated to creating a warm, encouraging learning environment for every student, no matter their background or Chinese level. It was this high level of interaction between staff and students that distinguished the Feng Chia Language Center for me. In fact, I almost feel as though \"interaction' is too simple a word to use in this instance, as what I saw more amounted to a large group of friends sharing a common passion and working towards a common goal, namely, achieving fluency in Mandarin Chinese. It was that personal touch, along with the high quality of the instruction, that allowed my Chinese to develop well beyond what I could've done on my own, and for that I will always be grateful that I had the opportunity to study at Feng Chia.

I came to Taiwan three years ago with three main objectives: to gain experience teaching English, to learn about Taiwanese culture and to study Chinese. After teaching for two years at a private high school in Taichung, I decided it was time to shift my focus from teaching to learning and to make the transition from full-time teacher to full-time student.

People can really make the difference. The first time I came to Feng Chia I was immediately impressed by the friendly and helpful staff in the language center as well as with the number of elective courses and extra-curricular activities for students. While talking with the director of the language center, Kris Vicca, I felt that he really understood the needs and concerns of international students and sensed his enthusiasm for the program. I definitely recommend this program to anyone who is serious about learning Chinese. Faced with students at varying levels and from varying educational systems, the teachers here are experienced at anticipating where students with different \"mother tongues' may have difficulties with the language. They are also wonderfully supportive and are always more than willing to give extra help after class. I've felt that this helpful and friendly attitude among teachers, staff and students has helped to create a really positive learning environment.

I think anyone who enters the program or even comes for a visit will take notice of a sense of community at the Chinese language center. One of the most enjoyable aspects of studying here has been the shared experience of learning Chinese with a truly multi-cultural group of people. I will really miss the daily interactions with other students and the teachers. Getting to know people from countries all over the world and learning about their cultures and their experiences in Taiwan has been highly rewarding and great fun.

Advice to future students: Have fun and Jia Yo!

Email : bethaniemills@yahoo.com