Learning from immersion
Learning a new language can be a slow, academic grind — flashcards, grammar drills and vocabulary memorization. However, when you are surrounded by the language every day — when it becomes your tool for survival — something incredible happens.
I moved to Taiwan in 2021. Formal Chinese lessons began when school started, but progress felt slow. My classes were in English, and even with intensive sessions at the Chinese Language Center, I felt stuck. I was learning words, but not truly using them.
Then I got a job at a Chinese restaurant. Suddenly, Mandarin was not just a subject — it was my lifeline. I had to talk to customers, take orders and work under pressure, all in Chinese. I learned dish names, practiced pronunciation, made countless mistakes and cried more than once. My manager scolded me often, and I nearly quit, but little by little, I adjusted.
Chinese is often seen as one of the most difficult languages. The traditional characters are complex, the tones are subtle, and the cultural context is deeply layered. Yet, when you walk the streets of Kaohsiung, hear Mandarin on the MRT, see characters on every corner, you are no longer just “studying” the language. You are living it.
Immersion forces you to use the language — not perfectly, but purposefully. It transforms learning from passive to personal. It does not just teach you grammar — it teaches you resilience, confidence and connection. In just three months, I was functional. I could speak, listen and connect. Mandarin became a bridge, not a barrier. I stopped memorizing and started communicating. I began to belong.
As Taiwan pushes forward with the Bilingual 2030 initiative, it is worth asking: How can we create similar immersive experiences for English learners here?
Many students in Taiwan still approach English the way I once approached Chinese — as an exam subject, not a real-life tool — but what if English-language internships, exchange programs, or part-time work in tourism and hospitality were integrated into the national curriculum? These practical, hands-on experiences would allow students to engage with English in meaningful contexts — giving directions to tourists, working at bilingual events, or helping at local museums and cafes. Instead of studying English, they would start using it.
Communities can support this shift by creating inclusive, low-pressure environments for natural English use, such as local conversation clubs, language cafes, or public storytelling sessions. These spaces would allow students to make mistakes, try again, and grow more confident. They would also help normalize English as part of everyday life.
Kellyn Marvelina Sadeliputri
Kaohsiung
With the Year of the Snake reaching its conclusion on Monday next week, now is an opportune moment to reflect on the past year — a year marked by institutional strain and national resilience. For Taiwan, the Year of the Snake was a composite of political friction, economic momentum, social unease and strategic consolidation. In the political sphere, it was defined less by legislative productivity and more by partisan confrontation. The mass recall movement sought to remove 31 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators following the passage of controversial bills that expanded legislative powers and imposed sweeping budget cuts. While the effort
There is a story in India about a boy called Prahlad who was an ardent worshipper of Lord Narayana, whom his father considered an enemy. His son’s devotion vexed the father to the extent that he asked his sister, Holika, who could not be burned by fire, to sit with the boy in her lap and burn him to death. Prahlad knew about this evil plan, but sat in his aunt’s lap anyway. His faith won, as he remained unscathed by the fire, while his aunt was devoured by the flames. In some small way, Prahlad reminds me of Taiwan
When Hong Kong’s High Court sentenced newspaper owner Jimmy Lai (黎智英) to 20 years in prison this week, officials declared that his “heinous crimes” had long poisoned society and that his punishment represented justice restored. In their telling, Lai is the mastermind of Hong Kong’s unrest — the architect of a vast conspiracy that manipulated an otherwise contented population into defiance. They imply that removing him would lead to the return of stability. It is a politically convenient narrative — and a profoundly false one. Lai did not radicalize Hong Kong. He belonged to the same generation that fled from the Chinese
President William Lai (賴清德) on Sunday congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on their historic landslide victory in Japan’s general election. The LDP secured the largest single-party majority in post-World War II Japan, winning 316 seats. The win is expected to strengthen ties with Japan’s allies and potentially deter Chinese aggression in the region. American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene on Monday said that under Takaichi’s leadership, he anticipates deeper coordination among the US, Japan and Taiwan to promote regional stability and prosperity. US President Donald Trump has also shown his strong support for Takaichi,
RSS