Italian is in many ways one of the most beautiful and flowing languages when we hear it spoken, but it is also not one of the easier ones to learn in my experience. Taiwan is a fascinating country in East Asia known for it’s vibrant economy, skilled workforce, tropical climate, great food and friendly people. Inside China even in the biggest cities like Shanghai, Beijing, very few Chinese can speak good enough English. Smaller, local bus stations can be more problematic in my experience. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'howwidelyspoken_com-box-4','ezslot_11',110,'0','0'])); So as with visiting any foreign country, the experience really can vary from person to person, since everyone moves in different circles and interacts with different people on a daily basis. When learning a new language, people often focus on vocabulary and grammar.Pronunciation, in contrast, is like the icing on a cake. The best answer I can give you is some of them do, yes. Surprisingly, many Taiwanese seem to be fascinated with English and England. It can feel very frustrating. There are not precise words in the English language that make nasal noises, but approximate combinations of letters can help you get the right sound. You will likely be fine - we've lived here over a year and I still can't speak any Mandarin pretty much and we manage ok. The Chinese Actually DO Study English in School. No, that is not the case. But many people have a basic understanding of the language. I would do an online search or visit an adult education centre. Copyright ©2018 Taiwan Travel Tips - All rights reserved. Can Taiwanese people speak English? Do not learn Cantonese or simplified Chinese it will be useless in Taiwan. Some basic phrases will get you by in smaller shops and restaurants – see further below for more on this.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'howwidelyspoken_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',109,'0','0'])); The overall picture seems to be that it’s easier to get around Taiwan using English than other countries in Asia, like Japan, South Korea and Thailand, but still not as easy as Scandinavia and other Eastern and Northern European countries which have much higher fluency rates. But in the end, so what? While Russian was a popular second language from 1940 until early 2000s, it has fallen out of favor with many schools and … He had to wait for a train that was going back and sadly by the time he got to the airport he had missed his flight. English began to be taught in high schools in the 1980s. English is spoken a bit more in Taipei than other places, but it’s hit-or-miss everywhere. Surprisingly, many Taiwanese seem to be fascinated with English and England. The situation is s… In-Pronunciation Problems of Chinese Learners of English … The most prevalent populations who know English are young people and business people. As with many places in the world, younger people (under 30) tend to speak English better, and are also more interested in doing so (for their own practice).”. English proficiency among millenials is reasonable; older people are less fluent. But just how widely spoken is English there? Yup, England only has 50 million people, so if 4% of Chinese speak English… According to some estimates, fewer than 10 million Chinese, or less than 1% of the population, speak English. However, it doesn’t mean that what you’ll learn in Taiwan won’t meet the specification. The Lowdown If you are lucky enough to spend a lot of time in Taiwan as I have done, you will start to notice things. I upgraded, and I never had any regrets.Waygo on the iOS App StoreWaygo app for Android. My answer to that would be an emphatic, Yes! English is compulsory in students’ curriculum once they enter elementary school. This service is a marvel of engineering that cuts hours off the journey time from north to south of the island. English is a common foreign language, with some large private schools providing English instruction. link to How Widely Spoken is English in Malaysia? This would put it ahead of other nearby countries like Japan and South Korea but matches up with other tourist accounts that English coverage is patchy but widespread enough in Taipei that you can usually find someone nearby who speaks a little. Overall, people here are pretty friendly, so if you put yourself out there, you should be able to make some local friends. Can tourists get by just by speaking English, or will some Mandarin be needed?eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'howwidelyspoken_com-box-3','ezslot_1',107,'0','0'])); Not many people speak English in Taiwan overall, but the capital Taipei has a greater number of English speakers than elsewhere in the country. A good percentage of the Taiwanese can speak English. Can tourists from America, the UK... At How Widely Spoken we explore the prevalence of English and other languages all around the world. There are more English speakers there than elsewhere on the island. Most Chinese learners do not distinguish the long [ 67] from the short [ 6] when they speak English. I do have a story to share with you about a friend who took the high-speed service to the airport. Sometimes the people you would expect to speak English don't and others do. This machine is not in English, so you will need the help of someone who can translate for you. Sometimes your pronunciation needs to go up, down or stay the same at the beginning or end of words. In the event of an emergency, there will be someone who can speak enough English to help you. See this interesting article for more on this. You have to go to specific places like hotels and shops for foreigners or companies doing foreign trade. The people who do speak Chinese are students who go to China or businessmen who trade with the Chinese. But not to worry, we all carry smartphones, right? However, do expect a fair amount of people you interact with to not speak English, or very broken English. The ability to speak and understand, or pretend to understand English, is seen as cool and trendy. Chinese uses a non-alphabetic script of logograms, characters which represent words. Let’s dive in. Consonant cluster don’t exist in Chinese; on top of these unfamiliar sounds, many consonant clusters in English contain the especially challenging “r” or “l” sounds— “tr”, “dr”, “pl”, “cl”, “fr”, “fl”, “pr”… Chinese students of English often add vowel sounds between consonant clusters, and substitute consonant sounds that are easier for them to say. I know a few people who can speak some German and French but they are not commonplace. A: Many people in Taiwan can speak some Japanese as well as English. See the video for more on this, plus also this video for more on the minor differences between the Mandarin spoken in Taiwan versus mainland China. In sum, generally speaking, the average Chinese person can’t speak English well enough to communicate with you. which the sound appears. Why the Islands of Taiwan are a Must Visit. But, if you are the kind of person who leaves things to the last minute, then you should give yourself a bit more time. The traditional teaching system in China. This is the one that I recommend: WaygoThis app is specifically for translations involving Chinese, Japanese and Korean to English. They are more likely to speak good English than the average villager is. Probably the most obvious difference between English and Chinese is that they use different alphabets. Perhaps at a local college or school. Always have destinations written on cards in Mandarin to give to cab drivers to avoid any confusion, plus have your hotel address card to give to them to get you back. It will be enough for you to be understood in Taiwan; any subtle differences and dialect and pronunciation can be picked up along the way. Online free AI English to Taiwanese translator powered by Google, Microsoft, IBM, Naver, Yandex and Baidu. The two main types of people to look for if you want to converse in English are young people and business people, since these are the two segments of the population most likely to speak it. The 5 Hardest Things About Learning Italian. Hakka? Malaysia is a very vibrant and growing country in South East Asia, with a tropical climate and plenty of lure for tourists. A: It is highly unlikely that you will find speakers of languages other than English and Japanese. Taxi drivers and smaller shop attendants are two examples. Do not worry about the language. But don’t be fooled by this. Taiwan seems to lie somewhere in the middle. Many Taiwanese people will be more than happy to speak English with you, as it’s a great chance for them to put their English to use. drape becomes dilape French become Filench Or—students omit the sounds all together… Apart from the fact that people in Taiwan use Traditional Chinese instead of Simplified Chinese as the writing system, there are still several differences between Taiwanese Mandarin and Chinese Mandarin. Only little can speak or understand English. See here for an interesting guide of the country. maybe a quarter of the population can speak English, Do They Speak English In Taiwan? This was the one time where nobody could speak English, so I ended up not going. In fact, when ever I went in a taxi, I had to have the destination written in Mandarin.”. I have been trying to learn it for a while, and I must admit that I’m not getting very far with it. Reading, writing and comprehension are vital for accurate and fluent translation, and this is where things start to fall apart. Thailand is actually quite a complex country in terms of languages, with many different ones spoken, but the major official language is Taiwanese Mandarin, spoken by over 80% of the population (Taiwanese Hokkien is also quite prevalent). In fact, when we’re just chatting, there are some words which we almost skip right over, with just a hint of a residual consonant.In any sentence, the important words or syllables are stressed and spoken at an even, rhythmic pace, almost like the beat you can feel in music. English uses the Latin or Roman alphabet, consisting of 26 letters. Is it possible for Taiwanese students to learn English to a level equal to that of a mixed race, half British, half Taiwanese child with a British parent? Why Do Japanese Not Speak English? There is a lot more to a language than being able to utter a few sentences though. That can be difficult, though… Problems 5 – 1,000,000: The deck is stacked against Chinese ESL learners from Day 1. I find that it works well under most circumstances. The unanimouis view from tourists who have been there is that you should not let any language barriers deter you from visiting Taiwan – it is widely reported to be a very nice country with friendly and welcoming locals who will always do their best to help you out. New York and Texas have the second and third largest Taiwanese American populations, respectively. I only speak English and my Mandarin is limited to Chi Chi and Ni Hao and a few other basic words. A: In Taipei, maybe but for the rest of the country that is unlikely. Do they speak Chinese? BUT, dont expect most people to speak English. The staff at my hotel spoke broken English, so communicating with them was also difficult. The timetables and locations are in English. You will always find way to communicate. We also provide free English-Taiwanese dictionary, free English spelling checker and free English typing keyboard. The 2018 English proficiency index seemed to indicate this. Can Taiwanese people speak English? Can I speak Spanish or German? There is an ad from HSBC that says that more people speak english in China than there are people in England. I don't worry for hotel & shopping centre. Is it the same as Mandarin? English Use in Major Cities … Some do not speak it so well though. I have used this service a handful of times and have found it to be excellent. There are a lot of Union Jacks here. Chinese looks like a formidable language, it bears no resemblance to English at all. They are subjected to frequent and arduous testing too! Can Taiwanese speak English? Once again, give yourself plenty of time. First and foremost, don’t worry. The government has in the last generation emphasized English more and more, and wealthier parents are starting to realize the importance of English and send their kids to private tuition on top of the state schools. Translate your sentences and websites from English into Taiwanese. It uses traditional Chinese characters. See the video below though from a vlogger for an interesting experiment on this. If your credit or debit cards carry hefty foreign transaction and ATM charges for foreign use, consider a Pre-paid Visa or Mastercard as a cheaper option. by Ian | Dec 17, 2018 | About Taiwan, Travel Tips | 0 comments. Exact statistics on the percentage of the Taiwanese population who speak English are hard to find, but it ranked 48th out of 88 countries surveyed in a 2018 study on English proficiency around the world, just ahead of Japan, another country we have covered which does not have very high rates of English fluency among the general population. Do Mongolians Speak Russian? With around 15 hours of learning material it will give you a great start learning Mandarin. In 1945, following the end of World War II, Mandarin was introduced as the official language and made compulsory in schools. How Widely Spoken is English in Gibraltar? 7-Eleven’s have a kiosk that allows you to purchase many different services and tickets. For all the crazy difficulties of English – and for all the ways it pretty objectively makes no sense – people all around the world manage to learn it. Especially taxi drivers and shop attendants. They should be able to advise you. There are literally thousands of characters to learn to be able to read and write in Chinese. “I rode my bicycle around the whole of Taiwan. Here are some everyday Mandarin phrases that might come in useful for a trip or longer stay. Taiwanese Mandarin is broadly similar to the Standard Mandarin spoken in mainline China, with a few minor differenceseval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'howwidelyspoken_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_12',112,'0','0'])); For general tourist purposes, standard Chinese Mandarin is a good place to start. English as a school subject is also featured on Taiwan’s education exams. Despite some of the reservations mentioned above about patchy English coverage, she manages to get around the capital Taipei fairly easily speaking English, both asking for directions and ordering food in English without too many problems. One person who had lived in Taiwan for a while gave an estimate that maybe a quarter of the population can speak English to some extent. Everything is in both English and Chinese, so language should not be a problem. You see them on motorcycle helmets, on T-shirts, even on socks. One way or another, you can get around Taiwan and Taipei especially, with either English or a little Mandarin and typical tourist gesturing and pointing. Mandarin is a difficult language to learn, but if you want to study it in more detail, then check out this introductory audiobook course in Mandarin from Paul Noble, well reviewed and available for free on Amazon with a trial of Audible. Wether you need a guide will depend on your tolerance, basically, if you do a bit of homework prior, like getting the transport mapped out, tickets figured out, you would probably be OK. For Taiwan, you will need to learn Mandarin. Then, when Chinese speakers want to learn English they have to learn an entirely new alphabet! Many restaurants have extensive menus, but they are nearly always only available in Chinese. I will recommend an app for you, there are, many apps that promise to solve all of your translation woes but in practice, very few of them work very well. Getting around won't be too much of a hassle but communication would be difficult. One person who had lived in Taiwan for a while gave an estimate that maybe a quarter of the population can speak English to some extent. What about Hokkien? (Before 1945, Japanese was the official language and taught in schools.) The city of Tainan in the south of Taiwan has launched a 10 year project in 2015 trying to make English a co-official language in the city. Not all of the trains stop at all of the stations. The Taiwanese are very friendly and helpful. Will people understand me? You just kinda have to do it enough times to get the hang of it. This plan could be rolled out to the entire country in time.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'howwidelyspoken_com-banner-1','ezslot_10',111,'0','0'])); The idea behind this is the realization that having more widespread English competency in the population increases global prospects and competitiveness. Yes, there are instances where an English menu is provided, but this is not very common. Q: What about other European languages? Continue browsing or click to consent. In Hong Kong , a special administrative region, English is an official language; about 50% of the population speak it, though most in that category would not consider themselves fluent. But sometimes, I do love to venture with local people in each country. There are smatterings of English everywhere, magazines on shelves often have English titles, restaurant menus will have category headings in English – “Sandwiches”, “Toasts”, “Teas” etc. Most signs are in Mandarin and English. One of the convenience store’s staff will probably be able to guide you through the process. You will always find way to communicate. Let me share with you some of my experiences and stories that will put your mind at rest. No, people here do not speak English well; this is basically a monolingual country, just like Korea, Japan, China etc. Let me share with you some of my experiences and stories that will put your mind at rest. The question of Taiwan’s linguistic situation can be a bit confusing to some travelers, foreigners and newcomers. The other (less important) syllables an… Is Taiwanese different from Chinese? Most of them can speak English. In the last couple decades of the 20th century, English in Japan was about as rare as foreigners throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries. There was a miscommunication somewhere, so it pays to give yourself plenty of time and double check everything, especially when there are international flights involved. They are probably on other, more discrete, items of clothing too!It’s fair to say that the Taiwanese have a fascination with English. Otherwise you have quite a number of Chinese speaking english. It is a challenging language, so have no illusions. This would put it ahead of other nearby countries like Japan and South Korea but matches up with other tourist accounts that English coverage is patchy but widespread enough in Taipei that you can usually find someone nearby who speaks a little. Reading restaurant menus is by far the biggest challenge I face on a daily basis. Have you ever noticed how English speakers “gabble” and don’t say each syllable and word with the same degree of clarity? Learn their rough pronunciation when trying to speak Taiwanese. You are probably worried about your visit to Taiwan. We use cookies on this site to improve the user experience. It isn’t an uncommon language to find in the capital city of Taipei. Children spend all day at school and then often get sent off to “Cram Schools” a few evenings a week to boost their English skills further. Transit App The best way is to enrol on a course. “I have just returned from a fantastic 10 day trip to Taipei. link to The 5 Hardest Things About Learning Italian. The other major reason why I’m compelled to say that they don’t speak English in China is that for the amount of time they spend studying English, their understanding and speaking ability is horrible. Having some basic local phrases will endear you to them even more and ensure you are always received warmly – see further below for more on this. The pronunciations are only approximate, since Mandarin is a complex language phonetically, with many different intonations or inflections of words required to speak it correctly. Learning vocabulary, verbs and... How Widely Spoken is English in Malaysia? The content of the magazines will be in Chinese; the restaurant menu items will be in Chinese. To illustrate this, Chinese learners of English often excel in reading, but when it comes to speaking, it’s not uncommon to hear words that are mispronounced, stressed incorrectly, or spoken with a heavy accent. See our article on English proficiency in Scandinavia for an example of a country which has emphasized English for many decades now and has a very fluent population. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. BUT, my biggest problem was communicating. There is also possibly a North-South divide in terms of English proficiency, with higher fluency in the Northern and central cities like Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichiung and Hualien, with Southern cities like Kaohsiung having less proficiency. This is why guided tours are so popular, and not just in China, but for tourists visiting a wide range of foreign countries. Since 2018, the Taiwanese Ministry of Education has been planning to make English an official language of the country.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'howwidelyspoken_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_6',108,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'howwidelyspoken_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_7',108,'0','1'])); .medrectangle-3-multi-108{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-top:15px !important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;text-align:center !important;}. But how widely spoken is English there? You will not master it in five minutes but if you could learn a few of the commonly spoken phrases that would go a long way. Debate still continues in political circles there, but there is no doubt that having English skills opens up more opportunities for young people. Visit any major city in Taiwan, and you will find English language schools everywhere, it is big business! For everything else, read on! In the last few years in Tainan, they have sought to make English a co-official language in the city in a 10 year project. It’s free and works very well. Full Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLALQuK1NDri1z3oB55y2_t2HFotpWeU7--您好! It covers the entire rail network and has the MRT systems for both Taipei and Kaohsiung.Transit app on the iOS app storeTransit app for Android. English is spoken in parts of Taiwan. Once, I asked a woman for help to buy high-speed rail tickets, and she ran outside to fetch her husband from the car to help me! Since then, Mandarin has been established as a lingua franca among the various groups in Taiwan: the majority Taiwanese-speaking Hoklo (Hokkien), the Hakka who have their own spoken language, the aboriginalswh… Transit is the app I use for most of my transport needs. It is free to try, but it will limit you to the number of translations you can perform each day. "Va" sounds something like "thvav." Nasal vowels are sounds in Taiwanese made using your nose. Here are some tourist accounts looking across the forums which accurately summarize what the general experience seems to be. 台北人英文超強? (https://youtu.be/wWV0NCPD050), quite a complex country in terms of languages, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1LWu81kWqE, Learn Basic Greetings in Mandarin Chinese: Hello, How Are You, Thank you 中文打招呼❤ LearnChineseWithEmma (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1LWu81kWqE), this introductory audiobook course in Mandarin. Mandarin is commonly known and officially referred to as the national language (國語; Guóyǔ) in Taiwan. As we all know, from primary school to college in China, a … I once tried to take a bus from Changhua to Lukgang, The timetables, and the bus signs were in Chinese only. Q: Do Taiwanese speak other languages? And another account that is a good overview of what to expect in the capital. In addition, English (ESL) education has been mandatory in schools for many years now. Does this mean that everyone I meet speaks perfect English? In this case, he ended up going past the airport by a fair distance. Q: Will there be other westerners around that can help me? I got some problem in communication while I was travelling in Hong Kong especially I orderred local food. Shop keepers and night markets have been assisted in providing English language menus and there is a drive to increase the use of English in general in the city. It was my first time there…. An interesting break from the general North-South divide in English skills in Taiwan, as well as the lowish overall coverage, is the experiment that a city in the South called Tainan has undertaken since 2015, that may become a blueprint for the whole country. Do not worry about the language. The best answer I can give you is some of them do, yes. It was not a big deal for me, but maybe for you it could be the difference between catching or missing a flight. People who visit Taiwan do tend to report that English is most prevalent in the capital Taipei, up in the North. You can get around a little easier there and in the North of the country in general, as opposed to the South, where English speakers are much harder to come across. Will the language be a problem? This is either due to the Taiwanese have more open access to English media and English speaking people than mainlanders have, or the other factor that I believe made a difference is the Taiwanese have different accent than mainlanders do. Taiwanese Americans (Chinese: 臺灣裔美國人) are Americans who carry full or partial ancestry from Taiwan.This includes American-born citizens who descend from migrants from Taiwan.. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, 49% of Taiwanese Americans lived in the state of California. English here in Taiwan can really be hit or miss. You will generally find someone who can help you in most stores, but it’s always handy to have the Google Translate app at the ready, so you can be sure they understand what it is that you want to buy.