A mix of Taiwanese (Minnan), Mandarin, Hakka and other Asian languages are spoken in Taiwan. Taiwanese is the largest group spoken by 70% of the population. In the North there is a segment of the people, known as "mainlanders", that mostly speak Mandarin. There is also a decent amount of Japanese spoken as there are many Japanese visitors.
All public announcements in the transportation system will be made in Mandarin, Taiwanese and Hakka, with the exception of the Matsu islands, where announcements are made in Mandarin and the Mindong dialect.
English is becoming increasingly useful, especially with people of the younger generations. There is an emphasis on English language education and compulsory courses are taught from mid elementary school onwards. However, attempts to speak Mandarin or Taiwanese are encouraged.
Mandarin Chinese
Some universities in Taiwan have programs promoting Chinese. These are offered to foreigners who wish to learn Mandarin Chinese. The writing system is usually traditional Chinese.
However, the Mandarin in Taiwan is different from the official Beijing Dialect. Taiwanese tend to use traditional Chinese characters, not the simplified versions used on the mainland. Taiwanese Mandarin also tends to not differentiate between the "S" and "Sh" sound. All people schooled after 1945 are generally fluent in Mandarin, although it is sometimes not their first language.
Schools
- International Chinese Language Program(ICLP) - Located in Gongguan, Taipei, on the main campus of National Taiwan University.
- Mandarin Training Center (MTC) - is one of the world's oldest and most distinguished programs for Chinese language study. It is run by National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, Taiwan.
- Taipei Language Institute - was founded in 1956 by a group of missionaries who wished to provide training in Mandarin Chinese for Taiwan-bound missionaries. Originally named Missionary Language Institute, its founders created the institute as a means of educating these foreigners in Mandarin and Taiwanese.
Online
If you prefer to study at home, online classes may be perfect for you. There is also the ability to study online before you even enter Taiwan. One such school is www.studylanguages.org.
Update 10/12/2010
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