British Chef Amy Rattinger details why she came to Taiwan and the process she used to self teach herself Mandarin Chinese on the way to starting two restaurants in Taipei. Listen to find out: What brought her to Taiwan Why she began learning Mandarin Chinese Her initial approach to learning Chinese How she self taught herself Chinese characters Her process for learning new vocabulary Her approach to Chinese tones The benefits to speaking Chinese in Taiwan How she transitioned from teaching English to opening a restaurant Cultural differences between Taiwanese employees and British ones How to ..read more

Watch on youtube American Jenna Cody details how she learned Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese, while living in Taiwan and why she feels many teachers and language schools fail at teaching Mandarin Chinese. Listen to find out: What brought her to Asia How she initially learned Chinese in China How she resumed learning Chinese in Taiwan Why she didn’t like her first language schools Her self study process to learn Chinese The problem with most language teaching systems How her Chinese benefits her in daily life in Taiwan Her current jobs in Taiwan What career advice she has for expats in Taiwan W ..read more

Watch on YouTube In this interview, Ron Hanson from New Zealand details the steps he took to learn Mandarin Chinese to allow him to research topics to write on for his magazine: www.whitefungus.com Listen to find out: What brought him to Taiwan How he first started learning Chinese Why he decided to learn Chinese characters Why he feels learning Chinese characters are important His character learning process at school His process for researching in Chinese His process for learning new vocabulary Why learning Chinese is like learning Shakespeare How he uses the Pleco Chinese dictionary app How ..read more

Watch on Youtube In this podcast episode, Canadian Anthony Van Dyck details the steps he took to self teach himself Mandarin Chinese, which enabled him to branch out from teaching English and climb the corporate ladder all the way to COO of an energy company in Taiwan. Listen to find out: What brought him to Taiwan What it was like living in Chiayi in the 80s His first words in Mandarin How he learned Bopomofo (zhuyin fuhao) What business culture was like in rural Taiwan Distinguishing between Taiwanese Mandarin and standard Chinese Learning to count in Chinese Learning Chinese from movies Le ..read more

In this episode, I interview Karen Chung, an American who has lived in Taiwan for 40 years. Watch on YouTube Listen to find out: What brought her to Taiwan What Taiwan was like in the 70s Why studying in university is not enough to learn Chinese What mistakes she made in Chinese early on Why she began to worry about her English level, more than her Chinese Her experience teaching Chinese at the University of Hawaii The number one mistake foreigners make when learning Chinese The proper way to learn Chinese tones The importance of using proper tones beyond just being understood Her experience ..read more

The Impact of Chinese Language Skills on Career Trajectory   This interview was with Jamie Rufe, an American who has resided in Taiwan for 11 years. Jamie’s journey to Taiwan, albeit somewhat accidental, was influenced by his prior experience of living in China. His interest in Chinese language and culture was deeply rooted in his upbringing, inspired by his father’s business interactions with Chinese-speaking clients. Reflecting on his language learning venture, Jamie shared his progression from high school and university studies to eventually relocating to China and Taiwan for work. He ..read more

Watch on youtube Interview with Adam Bell, an American, on his journey to Mandarin Chinese fluency in Taiwan. Listen to hear: What brought him to Taiwan His experiences studying Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan How he created an immersion culture for himself in Taiwan How he transitioned from studying Chinese to working full-time in a Taiwanese company His approach to learning technical vocabulary for his job The benefits of immersion and using Mandarin in daily life What he would do differently if he had to learn Chinese from scratch Adam’s involvement in stand-up comedy in Mandarin Raising a bili ..read more

Lamin’s Chinese Learning Journey in Taiwan 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 ..read more

 Background and Initial Approach 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 ..read more

Watch on youtube 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 le ..read more