Address: 162 Hoping E. Road Section 1 Taipei, Taiwan ROC
Telephone: (02) 321-8457 (02) 391-4248
Fax: (02) 341-8431
Contact: Secretarial Staff
Year founded: 1956
Enrollment: 1,700
Tuition: NT$13,200-29,400 per term. Summer different.
Livint Expenses: US$700 per month
Scholarships: MOE

Teaching Staff:

MTC has 188 full and part-time instructors. Teachers must be graduates of domestic universities and speakers of standard Mandarin. They must have thorough knowledge of Chinese language and history. In addition, they are required to undergo rigorous training in teaching Chinese as a second language. Candidates for teaching positions take written and oral tests. The
student/teacher ratio is 7:1.

Facilities:

MTC is located on the 7th floor of NTNU's Union Building. There are 63 air-conditioned classrooms. The library has 9,600 volumes, with domestic and foreign periodicals and newspapers. There are two language laboratory rooms, one for students and the other for classroom teaching. In addition, a computer laboratory, equipped with language instruction software, is available. After completion of a new building to house the MTC early in 1994, MTC facilities will furthere expand. There will be over 100 classrooms, an auditorium, and a new library. By special arrangement, MTC students may audit NTNU classes and
have NTNU library privileges.

Students:

The largest numbers of students are from Japan, the United States and Korea (in that order). There is an even ratio of female/male students.

Admissions:

Admission requirements: Students must be 18 years of age or older, at least graduated from high school, with grade averages of no less then "B." Those applying must submit application form, photocopy of diploma, English transcript, health certificate (including results of an HIV blood test), and financial guarantee (to the effect the student has at leat US$2,000). Letters
of recommendation are helpful, but not required.

Calendar:

The academic calendar is divided into four quarters plus one summer session. Dates and application deadlines are as follows:

Tuition:

Fees are calculated according to the types and number of classes for
which students register. Fees for one term (three months) are as
follows:

Living Expenses:

MTC estimates that students will need approximately US$700 per month for living expenses.

Curriculum and Instruction:

Courses are divided into introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels, with courses in Classical Chinese, philosophy, history, and literature being taught as well. Students may register for individual classes, two-students classes, or three-to five-student classes. The overwhelming majority of chasses are three-to five-student classes. Individual tutorials are normally only open to advanced students. A regular course load involves two hours of class per day, ten hours per week. Students may also register for intensive courses of four hours of class per day, twenty hours per week. In order for a student to be considered full-time, he or she must register at least for ten hours of class per week.

Extracurricular Activities;

MTC arranges various school trips, student-faculty teas, Dragon Boat racing (men and women teams), and holiday parties.

Scholarships:

The Center offers no scholarships or financial aid to its students. However, after successfully completing three months of full time study, students are eligible to apply for scholarships offered by the ROC Ministry of Education. Please see Appendix II for further information.

Although the number of scholarships varies, those awarded to MTC students have recently averaged around forty each quarter.

Housing:

Although MTC does not provide housing, the Center maintains a file of Chinese families who are willing to host foreign students. Students should contact the Director's Office for further information.

Transcripts or Certificates Awarded:

Upon completion of studies, MTC will issue the student a progress report.

Transfer Credit:

Students must make their own arrangements with their home institutions.

Exchange Agreements with Foreign Institutions:

MTC has a variety of exchange agreements with foreign institutions, including Georgetown University, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, the University of Northern Colorado, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, Chicago State University, the University of Missouri-Columbia, and Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

Language Center Statement By MTC

The Mandarin Training Center was established in the fall of 1956 as a non-profit language training institute. Since that time the Center has grown to become one of the most respected institutions in the Republic of China dedicated to providing instruction in Mandarin and Literary Chinese as a second language. Located on the 6th and 7th floors of the Union Building on the main
campus of National Taiwan Normal University, the Mandarin Training Center has modern air-conditioned classrooms, a library, language labs, and other facilities.

Around 1,000 students are enrolled at the Center in any particular quarter. The student body is diverse and international, with students from Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan, Hungary, Poland, and the Confederation of Independent States. Altogether, over 50 nationalities are represented at the MTC.

The faculty of the Mandarin Center is composed of over two hundred experienced teachers who take a genuine interest in their students. All faculty members are speakers of Standard Mandarin. New teachers must be approved by the University President after passing a rigorous qualifying examination. Qualified teachers must then participate in an intensive training program in teaching Mandarin Chinese as a second language.

All levels of classes at the Center are conducted in Standard Mandarin. (The Center offers no classes in any of the numberous Chinese dialects such as Cantonese or Taiwanese.) National Phonetic Symbols are used to indicate the
pronunciation of Chinese characters. Teaching materials include specially written language texts for non-native learners as well as Chinese primary and secondary school readers. The Center also offers courses in literary, historical, and philosophical works written in Literary Chinese for advanced students. Numerous extracurricular activities are sponsored throughout the
year, including student-faculty teas, tours, field trips, and a variety of cultural programs.