Language in Taiwan

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Language in Taiwan

The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese (Guoyu), but because many Taiwanese are of southern Fujianese descent, Min-nan (the Southern Min dialect, or Holo) is also widely spoken.

The smaller groups of Hakka people and indigenous people have also preserved their own languages. Many elderly people can also speak some Japanese, as they were subjected to Japanese education before Taiwan was returned to Chinese rule in 1945 after the Japanese occupation which lasted for half a century.

The most popular foreign language in Taiwan is English (lucky for us English teachers), which is part of the regular school curriculum. Although most people speak some level of English, it is advised that you have instructions to get to your school and to your home written in Chinese so you can show a local or a taxi driver.

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Megan Cramer

Megan Cramer “I recently returned from my first year in Korea. I spent it in Jeonju where the foreign community is very close and open to all new people. Footprints made the journey so easy, especially their step-by-step guide to getting all paper work done properly the first time! I was placed with/chose a decent school where the teachers and students were great. I occasionally had troubles, but it was not Footprints fault, but a cultural difference and I had to learn to change my thinking to better negotiate my needs. No journey is a walk in the park, but Footprints made the difficult and stressful parts more bearable. I am glad I went with them, and if or when I go back, I would like to be represented by Footprints!”