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- Teaching in Taiwan
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Taiwan or Mainland China
- By ESL Taiwan
- Published 09/6/2007
- Teaching in Taiwan
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ESL Taiwan
View all articles by ESL Taiwan Many Western teachers, who have not experienced either Taiwan or Mainland China or, alternatively, have only taught in one or the other market, mistakenly believe that these two markets are relatively similar. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Yes, both are uniquely Chinese in terms of language and culture although both have significant secondary languages. In Taiwan, the Taiwanese language is often heard in daily conversation while in Mainland China, depending on which Province one is located, there is likely to be another dialect or entirely different language in use. For example, Taiwanese is actually a language that originates in Southern China in Fuqien Province and is known as “Minnanhau.” Additionally, in South Western China in Guangdong Province and in Hong Kong, Cantonese or “Guangdonghua” is widely used.
However, these linguistic variations are only
English language classes in Taiwan are typically capped in terms of the number of students that can enter a class. This applies to the private language schools as well as the public schools at all levels. In Mainland China, few schools cap such English language programs because there are not enough English teachers, there are not enough classrooms, and private and public institutions must maximize the cost-benefit of the programs. Thus, in Mainland China, most English language courses are typically packed with far too many students to make even the best teaching efforts effective in many cases.
