Studying Mandarin Chinese in Taipei: NTU, NTNU, or NCCU?

When I learned that I had gotten the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship, I had to decide which university-affiliated language center I wanted to study at. For those looking to study Chinese in Taipei, most choose one out of three: Taida 台大 (NTU), Shida 師大 (NTNU), or Zheng Da 政大 (NCCU). I picked the last one.

Since I've only studied at one language center in Taiwan and don't know much about the others, aside from what little I've read on internet forums, I can't really speak to which one's best. But I can speak for NCCU, where I studied for a full year. In terms of assessment I will look at four areas: Quality, Cost, Location, and other Bonus Areas.

Quality

Pros: NCCU is the smallest of the three, so class sizes are usually pretty small, ranging from 6 to 10 students a class. The least I ever had in a class was 6, the most 9, this being the norm. Needless to say, in a small class, you can get a lot of individual attention from the teacher and it's possible to ask as many questions as you want.

In addition, I hear that the office tries not to assign too many of the same nationality to one class, so unlike at Taida, where the majority of your classmates might be Japanese or Korean (these being the most common types of people to study Chinese in Taiwan, Taida being the biggest language center in Taipei), at NCCU your class will most likely have a good mix of both Easterners and Westerners. I think this is a good system because as weird as this might sound, different nationalities have different ways of learning.

Not to get all stereotypical, but in my experience, the more Westerners a class had, the louder and more rambunctious it was, which can be better for people who want to focus more on speaking (and, well, socializing). Also, Japanese students' native knowledge of Kanji, which is derived from Chinese characters, means that they usually do better on tests, especially on dictation tests, so in terms of trying for a scholarship awarded by the school (which mostly hinges on one's grades), this makes an Eastern-dominated class more competitive.

NCCU, from what I hear, focuses more on practical conversation as opposed to book learning. For those looking to improve speaking and listening - or just looking to get by in Taiwan in general - this is a definite plus. I don't know how true this is, considering that all the language centers used the exact same textbooks when I was there (this changed starting this year), but in my case, how much 'practical learning' I had varied teacher by teacher. The majority of my teachers were very good about telling us what words and phrases were used only in the textbook and what phrases were actually used in real life (sometimes there were big differences). Having native Taiwanese as language partners helped me more though.

There are also free courses offered every term at NCCU that cater to different student interests/needs, for example, TOCFL training, Business Chinese, Newspaper Chinese, or learning about different holidays in Taiwan. Every term also has some kind of field trip, planned and paid for by the language center, which is great for meeting new people and exploring Taiwan. Warning: They tend to fill up quickly.

Cons: Small class size can also can be a deterrent, as discussed by Malcolm Gladwell in his new book David and Goliath (which pales in comparison to his other books, IMHO). Too few students who all think the same way together in one class means less opportunity for disagreement and discussion, which is crucial to language learning (or life in general, really). If no one really speaks up in class, it becomes much more lecture-style, which sucks for output. Plus, it's boring; would you really want to listen to a teacher talk for 3 hours straight?

In a language center of this size, everyone seems to know everyone else. In theory this sounds great, but in practice it made for a lot of drama. Many students were in their early 20s or younger, so sometimes it felt like being back in high school, where gossip about who's dating who and who dislikes who takes precedence over stuff like learning. This made for some close-knit groups (and it's more likely than not that you will have the same classmates(s) for more than one term), which is great for how close you can get with some people but terrible in terms of how clique-like things can get. 

Also, for me personally, there were too many written tests at the higher levels for my liking. For beginners I understand the necessity of building a solid foundation, but once you know the basics I don't think it's necessarily to quiz everyone on 30-40 characters (including definitions, strokes, and tones) a couple times a week. Yes, writing is important, but too much emphasis on one area means not spending enough time on another.

One class I was in had us taking an average of 3 or 4 quizzes a week. I objected to this mainly because I wanted to focus primarily on speaking, as opposed to learning how to write the characters, which can be done on one's own. I think this was mostly done for the benefit of the exchange students, whose grades actually mattered, but then again, this was still Asia, where "learning" by means of rote memorization is a huge thing, something I struggled with based on pure principle.

Cost: Originally NCCU was cheaper than the other two schools, but they raised their tuition starting Fall 2014 so I'm guessing each school's tuition is now about the same or nearly the same.

The school does offer 10 scholarships (20,000NTD each) every term for those who do well in classes. Not enough to cover even one term's tuition, but still better than nothing. Scholarships are awarded purely based on academic results and your previous teacher's recommendation.

Location

Pros: Located in the more rural part of Taipei, so rent and cost of living is generally cheaper than in downtown. Those living close to school can expect to pay about 5000-6000 NT per month for rent. Dorms are cheaper but very limited, especially for foreigners since Taiwanese students get priority. Expect to have an extremely difficult time finding housing if you don't arrive two or three weeks before the term starts (sometimes even then).

Generally quieter than living in the city, for obvious reasons. If you like cable cars and zoos, both are located about 10 minutes away from the school, within walking distance. If you prefer living in close proximity to bars and clubs, this is not the place for you.

Cons: Closest MRT station is Taipei Zoo, the last stop on the Brown Line and about 30 minutes from Taipei Main Station. Can be problematic if you like to party in the city and tend to miss the last train, which is around midnight, but taxis are fairly cheap even late at night, especially for groups.

Eating options are limited. Obviously all the standard tea shops and convenience stores still apply, but beyond that, don't expect anything extraordinary in terms of quality or variety. On the plus side, a typical meal will probably cost you around 60-100NT, which is cheap even for Taipei. There are also various cafes and restaurants located right next to campus. For entertainment, however, unless you like hiking or bike riding*, there's not much else. There are also no beaches nearby.

*There is a YouBike station (Taipei's awesome bike-sharing system) next to NCCU. 

A lot of people complained about this one, especially during summertime when the temperatures reached astronomically high degrees: the language center is located atop a hill, or more like a small mountain. To get to class you need to take a 1-minute bus ride, which runs pretty frequently anytime other than in summer, or walk, which takes about 10 minutes, depending on fast you walk and how many people you bump into on the way to class. This was especially inconvenient when it rained (which was often) or when you had morning classes and were running late.

Bonuses

This school was a good fit for me aesthetically since I prefer a more rural-like environment to the city, so long as the city is still nearby. I loved the mountains and open areas. The campus itself is very beautiful -- not necessarily the buildings but the scenery surrounding them. It also didn't feel very crowded 90% of the time.

This is also a very international university in Taiwan. They have a lot of exchange students from Europe and other parts of Asia, like Japan, Korea, Thailand, etc. (not many Americans, though) so if you're looking to do some sort of language exchange, you're coming to the right place. They also have a good amount of student events like concerts, food fairs, and various club activities.

To Note

Not exaggerating when I say it rains like crazy in Taipei and it gets especially cold during wintertime, because no one in Taiwan really uses central heating systems. (TIP: Make sure you bring winter clothes unless you want to buy them there.)

In one year, there were maybe three major typhoons that closed down the school and prevented anyone from going outside. If you're not used to rain, don't want to deal with rain, or just plain can't stand rain, consider studying somewhere in the south (such as Kaohsiung or Taizhong) instead. Also, yes, like everywhere else in Taiwan, there is year-round humidity.