Taiwan 101: Studying, Working, and Traveling in Today's Taiwan

by Matthew B. Christensen, Henrietta Yang

Overview

"An indispensable guide for readers traveling to Taiwan for vacation, work, or school. It’s chock-full of information that will help people successfully navigate the country." -Library Journal

Taiwan has always been an attractive place to study and work. In fact, long before Mainland China became an option for Westerners, Taiwan was the place to study Chinese and work in a Mandarin Chinese speaking environment. As the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.) gained economic and political strength in the world, Westerners naturally gravitated toward this new market. Language programs and jobs for Westerners flourished. In the past decade there has been a renewed interest in Taiwan. This is undoubtedly due to a dramatic increase in cost of living in the P.R.C., increasing government regulation and scrutiny of foreigners, the increased political tension between China and the West, and generally the increasing difficulty doing business and studying in China in a free and fair way.

In recent years Taiwan has once again emerged as an attractive place to study, work, and live. Taiwan offers a free, open, and safe environment that is welcoming to outsiders. While the cost of living in Taiwan’s big cities is about the same as the big cities in Mainland China, it is much easier for a foreigner to navigate than in China.

This book provides a practical, up-to-date, hands-on guide to navigating life in Taiwan. It is not a travel guidebook, but rather provides detailed information for the foreign resident in Taiwan, whether they be studying or working. It provides a wealth of information covering everything from renting apartments, taking care of your daily needs, what and where to eat, to Taiwanese work ethic and business culture, how to make the most of your study of Chinese, how to get around, and so on. The book is illustrated with relevant photos that contextualize the text, and enhance reader’s understanding of the information.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538187814
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/09/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	170
Sales rank:	814,588
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

MATTHEW B. CHRISTENSEN is professor of Chinese at Brigham Young University. He is also director of the BYU Chinese Flagship Center and has been working with the program since 2002. He has directed and managed Flagship and study abroad programs at Nanjing University since the late 1990s.

HENRIETTA YANG is associate professor of Chinese and linguistics and former co-director of the Chinese Language Flagship Program at the University of Mississippi (UM) from 2013 to 2021. Yang directed and managed study abroad programs at Shanghai University in China and National Chung Cheng University and Tamkang University in Taiwan for more than ten years

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Why Taiwan?

What Is Unique About Taiwan?

Deep Chinese Culture

Foreign Influence on Taiwan

Taiwan’s Religious Atmosphere

Taiwan Is Compact but Varied

How Is Taiwan Different than Mainland China?

The Chinese Language in Taiwan

Studying Chinese in Taiwan

Taiwan Has a Different Vibe

Taiwan Is Easy for Travelers and Students

Highlights of Taiwan History

Endnotes

Chapter 2: Who Lives in Taiwan?

Taiwanese Aboriginals and Austronesian Languages

Outsiders

Hakka kèjiā rén (客家人) and Their Language

Taiwanese táiwān rén (台灣人) and Southern Min Language mǐnnán huà (閩南話)

Běnshěng rén (本省人) vs. Wàishěng rén (外省人)

Chinese zhōngguó rén (中國人) or Taiwanese táiwān rén (台灣人)

Insiders vs. Outsiders

New Residents xīnzhù mín (新住民) and Their Languages

Fitting in as A Foreigner in Taiwan

Culture Shock and Dealing with Change

The Honeymoon Stage

The Negotiation Stage

The Adjustment Stage

The Mastery Stage

Endnotes

Chapter 3: Getting around in Taiwan

Flying in and out of Taiwan

Other Transportation Options

Taiwan High Speed Rail/HSR (táiwān gāotiě 台灣高鐵)

Taiwan Railway (táiwān tiělù台灣鐵路)

Via Highways

Inter-city Bus (guódào kèyùn 國道客運)

Driving in Taiwan

Fantastic Highway Rest Stations

Taiwan’s Metro System (jiéyùn捷運)

Taipei Metro (Taipei Mass Rapid Transit or MRT, táiběi jiéyùn台北捷運)

The EasyCard (yōuyóu kǎ 悠遊卡)

Public Busses (gōngchē 公車)

Bicycles

Bicycling Infrastructure in Taiwan

Scooters, Scooters, and More Scooters (mótuōchē 摩托車)

Taxis (jìchéng chē 計程車)

Travel to Taiwan’s Outlying Islands

Chapter 4: Taiwan’s Food Scene

Taiwan Food as Regional Cuisine

Taiwan’s Take on Chinese Food

Tainan, Taiwan’s Traditional Sweet Tooth Capital

Taiwan’s Fusion Cuisine: Japanese, Western, Southeast Asian

Taiwan’s Street Food Phenomenon xiǎochī (小吃)

Taiwan’s Amazing Fruit

What Is for Breakfast?

Convenience Store Food and Fast Food

Taiwan’s Fast Food Chains

The Taiwan Box Lunch, biàndāng (便當)

Eating Hot Pot, huǒguō (火鍋)

Vegetarian Cuisine in Taiwan

Taiwan’s Tea Culture

How to Eat Well in Taiwan

Eating in a Chinese Restaurant

How to Make Sense of a Chinese Menu càidān (菜單)

How a Dish Is Prepared

How the Ingredients Are Cut

Endnotes

Chapter 5: Living in Taiwan

Housing Overview

On-Campus vs. Off

Hotels

Long-term Residence in Taiwan

Taking Care of Daily Needs

Post Offices

Convenience Stores

Coffee Shops

Banking and Money

Phones and Sim Cards

Trash and Recycling Collection

Public Toilets

The 7-ELEVEN Effect in Taiwan

Health and Safety

National Holidays

Useful Apps and Social Media

Endnotes

Chapter 6: Studying in Taiwan

The Value of Education in Taiwanese Society

Traditional Asian Paradigms about Education

Taiwan’s University System

Why Study in Taiwan

Where to Study Chinese

Making the Most of Your Time in Taiwan

How to Make the Most of Your Chinese Language Studies

Endnotes

Chapter 7: Working and Interning in Taiwan

How to Land an Internship or Job?

Industry-Academic Collaboration

Job Searching Websites

Taiwan’s LinkedIn

1111 人力銀行 (1111 rénlì yínháng, 1111 human power bank)

104 人力銀行 (104 rénlì yínháng, 104 human power bank)

Through Connections (guānxi 關係)

Taiwanese Business Culture

Strategies to Make the Most of Your Work/Internship

Endnotes

Chapter 8: Taiwan’s Diverse Geography

Taipei and Northern Taiwan

Taichung and Western Taiwan

Hualien and Eastern Taiwan

Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Southern Taiwan

Outlying Islands

Endnotes

Editorial Reviews

This book provides an invaluable resource for foreigners coming to Taiwan to study and work. It covers all the basic information they would need to really enjoy their time in Taiwan.

Nicole Yen-Yi Lee

As the title promises, the book informs the reader about many aspects of Taiwan, whether the reader might be going there to study, work, or travel, and is full of good suggestions and advice. It is a good read for anyone going to Taiwan for the first time or for repeated visits. The tables at the end of the book, of the Chinese words used in the text, should come in very handy as you navigate Taiwan.

Camilla H. Hsieh

I found this book to be highly relevant and pertinent to anyone coming to Taiwan. It does a great job introducing everyday life in Taiwan with all its complexities. Reading this will indeed expand the readers understanding of everything Taiwan.

Director General Yvonne Hsiao

04/01/2024

This title by Christensen (Chinese, Brigham Young Univ.; A Geek in China) and Yang (Chinese and linguistics, Univ. of Mississippi) is a concise but thorough overview of the people, the languages (more than 20 are spoken there), and the history of Taiwan, including a timeline from 239 AD to 2017. Taiwan offers an affordable rapid transit system, called MRT, that makes getting around easy and accessible for first-time visitors. Attractions such as shopping districts, gorges, and beaches are highlighted too. But the authors emphasize that their book isn't intended to be a travel guide. Instead, they give practical advice for daily living in Taiwan, such as where to live, eat, and work. Readers who are thinking about working or studying in Taiwan will find, for example, information on workplace etiquette and strategies for landing an internship. There are tips for how to visit the numerous food stalls in Taiwanese markets, plus charts of the country's top night-market dishes and breakfast foods. The cultural differences among Taiwan's four regions are explained as well. VERDICT An indispensable guide for readers traveling to Taiwan for vacation, work, or school. It's chock-full of information that will help people successfully navigate the country.—Whitney Bates-Gomez

Library Journal