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
In a summer of intense political maneuvering, Taiwanese, whose democratic vibrancy is a constant rebuke to Beijing’s authoritarianism, delivered a powerful verdict not on China, but on their own political leaders. Two high-profile recall campaigns, driven by the ruling party against its opposition, collapsed in failure. It was a clear signal that after months of bitter confrontation, the Taiwanese public is demanding a shift from perpetual campaign mode to the hard work of governing. For Washington and other world capitals, this is more than a distant political drama. The stability of Taiwan is vital, as it serves as a key player
Much like the first round on July 26, Saturday’s second wave of recall elections — this time targeting seven Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers — also failed. With all 31 KMT legislators who faced recall this summer secure in their posts, the mass recall campaign has come to an end. The outcome was unsurprising. Last month’s across-the-board defeats had already dealt a heavy blow to the morale of recall advocates and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while bolstering the confidence of the KMT and its ally the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). It seemed a foregone conclusion that recalls would falter, as
The fallout from the mass recalls and the referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant continues to monopolize the news. The general consensus is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been bloodied and found wanting, and is in need of reflection and a course correction if it is to avoid electoral defeat. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has not emerged unscathed, either, but has the opportunity of making a relatively clean break. That depends on who the party on Oct. 18 picks to replace outgoing KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫). What is certain is that, with the dust settling
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Shen You-chung (沈有忠) on Thursday last week urged democratic nations to boycott China’s military parade on Wednesday next week. The parade, a grand display of Beijing’s military hardware, is meant to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. While China has invited world leaders to attend, many have declined. A Kyodo News report on Sunday said that Japan has asked European and Asian leaders who have yet to respond to the invitation to refrain from attending. Tokyo is seeking to prevent Beijing from spreading its distorted interpretation of wartime history, the report
RSS