An Unforgettable Experience

Before I chose to go to CET Taiwan, I was really anxious since it was my first time abroad and I was even considering backing out. However, I am extremely happy I went because it ended up being a life-changing experience! I am currently on one of my last weeks in Taipei and I almost feel tears welling up in my eyes as I type this because I am going to miss Taiwan so much! T^T One thing you need to know about CET Taiwan is that it is a mixture of CET + ICLP + Internship. ICLP is a world renowned intensive Chinese Language School so if you are looking to improve your speaking ability, this is THE place to be! There are diplomats and Phd students from all over the world that travel here to learn Chinese. The teachers are amazing and super motivating. You are not strictly tied to grades so it won't be a rote memorization experience. Teachers grade you on progress and since you often have great teachers, it almost makes you want to try your hardest!

On the CET side, I loved the support we had. Chunling and Andrew are the most amazing human beings to walk upon this planet. (not an exaggeration) They were essentially the glue that held our sanity together amongst all of the school/internship stress we had. They really go out of their way to make help us feel at home and are there for our highest and lowest points. Without them, this review could have a complete 180 turn tbh. Internship depends on the company you are interning for. My experience was okay but if there are any improvements to be had, I would love it if we could look for internships on our own! The CET excursions are much better than ICLP's, so I highly suggest you go to all of them! I have never regretted coming out.

On the ICLP side, the workload is heavy, but doable. You go to school 5 days a week for about 3-4 hours a day in the morning. The ICLP trips are honestly dreadful, there's just so many people and sometimes it is poorly run. The good thing is, you can always split from the group when you get tired so I suggest you go since CET helps pay for these excursions!
The first two weeks of the program is orientation and just trips here and there. And classes begin after that. At the end of the program, you have to do a 5 minute talk which basically gives you an opportunity to show your improvement and the teachers will try their best to help you prepare you for that. There is a language pledge inside the building and I think that's about it! You also get an ICLP language partner (a local you can communicate with). Some of my classmates didn't meet with their's much but most of my unforgettable experiences are from the local excursions I had with my partner.

For internship (for the summer program at least) you need 80 hours. Personally I think you should work more in the beginning so you can get these hours out of the way. The workload gets heavier as the weeks progress. Internship course is decent, not much more to say! It is what it is, an internship.

You will probably come to Taiwan scared af but I guarantee that you will leave feeling very fulfilled. There is so much delicious, affordable food, wonderful night markets, and some of the kindest people you will ever meet. Everyone is really forgiving and patient so if you want to learn and test out your chinese, this is the place to be! It is also extremely safe which was a culture shock bc I was always so paranoid at night in the US. You can also get more on my blog, valerieenguyen.wordpress.com (or just .com)