Taiwan: Taipei

Program Snapshot
Semester: Fall, Spring, or Full Year
Offered: Annually
Estimated Dates: Fall: Mid-September to mid-December, Spring: Early March to late-May
Program Focus: Language Intensive
Prerequisites: Two semesters of college-level Chinese. Minimum 3.0 GPA. Students must satisfy the Words and Numbers CORE requirement before participating in an overseas program.
Housing: Student Apartments
Campus Contact: Keith Dede
Professor of Chinese
dede@lclark.edu
, 503-768-7445


Program Design

In cooperation with CET Academic Programs, Lewis & Clark offers a program of Language Intensive study in Taipei. Students take small-group Chinese language classes in the mornings, and then work at a local internship in the afternoons. This experience provides students with organized language learning, along with the opportunity to put language skills into practice while gaining real-world experience. The program is located at Taiwan’s top university, National Taiwan University (NTU). The large, beautiful campus has a vibrant international feel thanks to the many students and scholars who come from all over the world to study there.

The CET Taiwan office is conveniently located on the main NTU campus. Here, students can meet with staff or hang out in the student lounge, or head off to the nearby main library. Students can also go for a bite to eat at one of the many cafes and restaurants just outside of the campus gates.

Program Location: Taiwan is many things at once; It is a major world economy, a key player in the world’s high-tech industry, a little league baseball powerhouse, and a thriving democracy where economic, political, and journalistic freedoms are sacred. Taiwan is distinctly Taiwanese, but at the same time obviously Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian. It is an island, but it is also home to some of the most formidable mountains in Asia. Its tea is world-famous, but small, independently-owned coffee shops are ubiquitous. It is a paradise to nature lovers, cyclists, surfers, foodies, environmentalists, birders, music lovers, and philosophers, and activists everywhere.

Onsite Staff:

The Resident Director of CET Taiwan is Dale Albanese. After graduating from Ohio University in 2007 (BA in English Literature/International Studies) and eager to continue learning Mandarin after a formative study abroad experience in China in 2004, Dale first came to Taiwan on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship, later earning a Master’s degree from the Graduate Institute of Development Studies at National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taipei. He is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Education at NCCU. His interdisciplinary research interests include experiential learning, educational innovation, creativity, and cross-cultural experience, and his classroom experience includes teaching in programs based in Taiwan, India, and Thailand. Dale lives in Yilan County with his wife, two children, two cats, and a dog.

The Internships Director and General Manager of CET Taiwan is Chunling Wang. Chunling completed her undergraduate studies in English Literature at National Taiwan University in 2004 and got an MA in the same discipline at National Sun Yat-sen University in 2008. She then went on to work as a research assistant on a wide variety of government-funded education, literature, and humanities projects at both her alma maters and at National Cheng Kung University. Chunling has a special affinity for Shakespeare and has worked for three different organizations dedicated to the study of his work! While no stranger to the big city and an expert on all things National Taiwan University, Chunling was born and raised in rural southern Taiwan and loves to introduce foreign students to the unique language, culture, and geography of this region.


Academics

Requirements Fulfilled:

General Education - This program fulfills the Global Perspectives general education requirement for students who successfully complete 8 or more semester credits.

Students who complete Chinese 201 or higher fulfill the World Language proficiency general education requirement.

Major/Minor Requirements - This program fulfills the overseas study requirement for the Asian Studies major and the World Languages major with Chinese as the primary language. Select courses can be applied to the Chinese minor.

Credits: Credit earned varies based on courses completed. Students may earn up to 19 credits. Overloads are not permitted.

Curriculum:

CHIN 145: Chinese Language Pledge and Cultural Immersion (1 credit): Students will improve oral proficiency and cultural immersion skills on the China overseas program by taking a modified language pledge, and meeting with CET staff and Chinese roommates in cultural immersion activities. 

In addition, 12 credits on the program are Chinese language, and 3 credits are the Internship course/placement. The level of classes (their exact number) will depend on the results of a placement test at the beginning of the program. 

Students start their day with three hours of intensive Chinese language class with other ICLP students. This starts with an hour of one-on-one instruction, followed by small-group classes. Students have the choice of studying traditional or simplified characters, or both. In the afternoon (10 hours per week), students head to their internships, where they see their oral proficiency greatly improve. There is also an internship companion course run by CET, where students discuss their internship experiences and gain tips for succeeding in the Chinese workplace.

Internships: The internship component of the program gives students the chance to gain practical experience, improve language skills, build their resumes, and see what it’s like to work in a professional environment in Taiwan. CET makes every attempt to match students with a placement of their choice, but the actual projects that students complete will be determined by the host organization. In the past, students have held internship positions at the following organizations:

  • Deepblu, tech startup for SCUBA enthusiasts

  • The China Post

  • Taiwan Ministry of Justice

  • Democratic Progressive Party

  • Taiwan Citizen Participation Association

  • Kuomintang, political party

  • Geber Consulting

  • Taipei Arts Festival

  • Taipei Zoo

Excursions: This program includes an overnight trip to Taroko Gorge, “Taiwan’s Grand Canyon.” The trip begins with a visit to a Buddhist Monastery, where students have the opportunity to have a Q&A session with a local monk. The group then heads to Taroko National Park to take in the beauty of the gorge and the Eternal Springs Shrine. The trip ends with some time spent at the beach, and a hike along the Shakadang riverside trail.


Student Life

Housing: Students live in double rooms in fully-furnished apartments in central Taipei - located no more than ten minutes from a metro station. Students live with a mix of other internationally-minded people from Taiwan and around the world. Students are responsible for purchasing and preparing their own meals. The Overseas Office will give them a stipend to cover the cost of their food. Students have the choice of cooking at home, eating out, or getting take-out from one of the many noodle or biandang (bento box) cafes near campus.

Extracurricular Activities: Over the course of the semester, students have access to a variety of activities around Taipei. Students can join the bikeshare program, hike to the top of Elephant Mountain, surf the waves at Fulong beach, and visit the Shilin night market for some fried chicken, fresh fruit smoothies, red bean custard pies.


Cost

2023-2024 Fee Breakdown*

Total Fee (includes Tuition, Program Fee, and Health & Wellness Fee): $39,385

Tuition: $30,958

Program Fee: $8,390

Health & Wellness Fee: $37**

Included in the program fee are room/housing, board/meals, and administrative fees. Not included are airfare, passport and visa expenses, primary insurance coverage, photographs, books, immunizations, and incidentals. 

*Fees are updated every February for the following academic year.

**The Health & Wellness Fee supports the operations of Wellness Services staff in delivering pre-program orientation services, as well as in providing health-related consultation regarding participant health needs. All students in the College of Arts and Sciences pay a mandatory fee of $37 per semester.

Stipend: Students will receive a stipend to cover the cost of meals and transportation costs not covered by the program fee.

Estimated Airfare (Round Trip PDX to TPE): $1,000 - $2,000

Estimated Travel Document Fees: $160 - $190

Estimated Health Insurance Fee: $1,943.50

All students participating in overseas programs are automatically enrolled in iNext, a supplemental travel insurance program. The fee for iNext is covered in the program cost. However, students are also required to have comprehensive health insurance during their time abroad. All students participating in overseas programs, both abroad and domestic, are automatically enrolled in the College’s student health insurance program. Similar to a regular semester on-campus, students participating in overseas programs may waive enrollment in the student health insurance program if they have other comprehensive health insurance (e.g., through a parent, guardian or employer) that 1) provides coverage for them in the geographic region in which they will be studying and 2) includes mental health benefits. Click here for more information regarding health insurance & overseas programs.


Program Preparation

Application Process: This program has a dual application process. Student must first submit a Lewis & Clark Application one year before the start of the program. Once admitted by Lewis & Clark, the students will receive instructions for submitting their secondary, or program sponsor, application, and will receive a separate notification letter from CET. Please keep a digital copy of your essays and other application materials as you will need to submit these again to CET or you will need to re-write the essays. Please note that this secondary application process can be as late as the semester preceding your scheduled participation.

For more information about the application process, click here.

Travel: Students usually fly into Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), where they are met by onsite program staff and transported to the orientation.  

Visa: Students will be required to apply for a visa in order to participate in this program. More information will be provided upon admission to the program.

Country-Specific Health Information: Click here to view specific health information for people traveling to Taiwan.  

State Department Country Information: Click here to visit the State Department’s Taiwan page.


Taipei, Taiwan