FEATURE: Foreign students praise Taiwan

"It is hard to develop a social network when you don't speak the language. Most Taiwanese students either don't speak English or are too shy to talk to us. Your social life is reduced to a small circle of friends and it can be very frustrating sometimes."

Claudia Cruz, Bolivian student

The black marble table was filled with half-finished Taiwan Beer cans, used chopsticks, crumpled up napkins partially covered with whipped cream, and cellphones whose ringtones fell on deaf ears.

In that dimly lit room lined with black leather couches, no one seemed to be bothered by the smell of cheap vinyl and beef noodles. One guy was busy pushing the buttons on a panel attached to a small monitor, while others were occupied with their own way of relaxing after a hard day's work.

Then, the sound of applause broke out and everyone, even the button-pushing guy, stopped to clap his hands and cheer loudly.

"Where in the world did you learn that song?" one girl shouted in an effort to be heard in the midst of the loud music and laughter. But it was not the song that caught a roomful of Taiwanese off guard, but who sang it.

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed Norwegian, in Mandarin, answered, "I like Teresa Teng (鄧麗君). I know a few of her songs!"

Teng a legendary diva to Taiwan as Ella Fitzgerald was to the jazz world. However, even many homegrown Taiwanese youth are not familiar with her songs.

The singer, Lars Devold, 22, is a student at the National Taiwan University's International Chinese Language Program, and has been studying Mandarin for the last three months. His Chinese course is part of his preparation to receive a master's in Chinese in his hometown at the University of Oslo.

"I studied in China before and I find the quality of education and the standard of living in Taiwan to be a lot better. The people in Taiwan are also nicer and more genuine." he said. And compared with China, he said, Taiwan offers a richer social life.

EFFORTS

Since 2003, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has beefed up its efforts to attract more foreign students to Taiwan. Education minister Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝) recently called on all colleges and universities to establish an international student affairs office or to upgrade the office to be a first tier administrative facility.

The MOE has also pledged to plunge NT$500 million (US$15 million) over the next five years into improving the quality of Taiwan's tertiary education, including increasing foreign student enrollment.

13,000 STUDENTS

According to the MOE's Bureau of International Cultural and Education Relations, there are 13,000 foreign students studying Mandarin at the 26 Mandarin training centers in the nation and over 5,000 foreign students studying in a degree program in various Taiwanese colleges and universities.

Both the Taiwanese government and the universities offer a variety of scholarships for foreign students. Schools also arrange field trips and buddy systems where foreign students are paired up with a Taiwanese student to help newcomers understand the culture and become more self-sufficient.

"We want our foreign students to have a great academic and social experience while studying in Taiwan," said Kuo Shu-min (郭淑敏), secretary of Tamkang University's international students office.

She said most students have no problem adjusting to the new environment. But inevitably, there are students who experience emotional distress after they arrive, recalling a female French student who had to go to a psychiatric ward for severe depression after her German boyfriend left the country.

"While the majority of foreign students have no problem making friends with the locals, some do have a difficult time and end up being a bit isolated," she said.

For Devold, making friends with Taiwanese students is a cinch because of his proficiency in Mandarin, but for foreign students with limited Mandarin skills, it can be a daunting task.

Claudia Cruz, 22, from Bolivia, who is finishing up her masters in technology management in National Tsing Hua University, said her lack of Mandarin has limited her choice of friends.

"It is hard to develop a social network when you don't speak the language. Most Taiwanese students either don't speak English or are too shy to talk to us. Your social life is reduced to a small circle of friends and it can be very frustrating sometimes," she said.

Alejandro Campere, also from Bolivia, shared Cruz's view, saying she could sense the local students are curious about her, but often too timid to approach her.

Both girls believed they would have an easier time befriending Taiwanese students if the school offered more Mandarin training courses for them.

MAKING FRIENDS

But for Theresa Schemindan of Sweden, it was neither her Mandarin nor the locals' English ability that helped her make friends with the Taiwanese students; it was body language that got her through.

"When I first came, it was hard to understand the people. But through gesturing, we were able to communicate. I think you just need to be open-minded and willing to take the first step," she said.

A student from Belize, Stacey Tewes, said although she does not speak much Mandarin, the hospitality and the warmth of the local students have helped her to have a decent social circle in Taiwan.

Some she added, use the language barrier as a conduit to strike up a friendship with the local students.

"Many foreign students meet Taiwanese friends through their language exchange partners," she said.