- Welcome to Taipei - Erin De Santiago
When visiting Taiwan, it is a good idea to be familiar with the various languages and dialects found on the island. Many parts of Taipei have a large number of decent English speakers, but when traveling to more remote areas, visitors may run into a few different Chinese dialects. Aside from Mandarin, there is Taiwanese, Hakka, and 14 aboriginal dialects found in Taiwan.
Mandarin - The Official Language of Taiwan
Mandarin is the most well known dialect spoken and is the official language of Taiwan. When immigrants came from various parts of China under the new Republic of China (ROC) government, they brought Mandarin with them. Although it is the official language, Mandarin speakers comprise only 14% of the total population in Taiwan. Today, when children are taught Mandarin in school, they learn through a phonetic system, relying on 37 phonetic symbols. The characters that make up the writing system are still the complex traditional ones, called fanti zi, which is a notable difference from mainland China. Mainland China now uses a more simplified system of Chinese characters, called jianti zi.
Taiwanese and Hakka - Most Popular Dialects Spoken
Combined, Taiwanese and Hakka comprise the vast majority of dialects spoken in Taiwan, comprising about 85% of the total population. These dialects are used primarily by the descendents of the immigrants from China's Guangdong and Fujian provinces hundreds of years ago.
Taiwanese, called taiyu, is used primarily for less casual conversations whereas Mandarin tends to be used in formal situations. Outside of Taipei City, approximately 70% of locals speak Taiwanese and it is the preferred language outside the city. Comparing Taiwanese to Mandarin, Mandarin only has four tones whereas Taiwanese has eight. Since Taiwanese is used primarily in a spoken form, there is no written form for it so other Han Chinese characters are used, making translation difficult at times.
Hakka is one of the oldest Chinese dialects, spoken primarily by a Hakka group in Southeastern China. The work Hakka means guest, which was adapted due to their long history of migrating. In Taiwan, the Hakka are south of Taipei County, typically in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli Counties. Hakka has only six tones, and actually uses Chinese characters for writing.
Tribal Dialects Found in Taiwan
The government of Taiwan recognizes 14 different indigenous tribes on the island. Each of them has their own language. Although there are a large number of tribes, they only account for about 2% of the total population in Taiwan. Visitors will find the indigenous tribes are located in the more remote parts of the island.
English Usage in Taiwan
The use of English is definitely gaining popularity on the island, with some restaurants in bigger cities being multi-lingual and/or offering menus in English. Many of the larger stores have fluent English speakers as well, especially in the tourist districts. Locals take education and learning languages very seriously. English is now mandatory in Taipei schools, with students taking it in the first grade. In other parts of Taiwan, English is the third or fourth language children learn at school.
As Taiwan continues to increase their status as an industrialized nation, they are pushing for more native English speakers to move abroad and teach local students. Many private programs exist to help accelerate the language lessons, and many locals try to get their children into the American School in Tianmu, where visiting Expats usually send their children to school.
Although not every city and area has an abundance of English speakers, visitors can easily manage navigating through Taiwan as road signs are Chinese characters and written words, with important ones in English as well. The Community Services Center in Tianmu also provides excellent resources to Expats moving into Taiwan. Most major sightseeing locations also have tours and information available in English, making Taiwan one of the easier Asian countries to explore.
Source:
Liu, A. Taiwan A to Z: The Essential Cultural Guide (2009)
Erin De Santiago - Erin is a freelance travel, food/wine, & Disney writer in Taipei, Taiwan, who has traveled within 40+ different countries to date.
