On a study abroad in summer 2025, students explored Taiwan’s culture and language both within and beyond classroom walls.
Every night, visitors to Taiwan’s capital city smell the scent of fermented tofu waft from night markets, hear the Mass Rapid Transit subway announce destinations in a variety of languages, and watch the Taipei 101 tower signal the weekday in one of seven colors. These smells, sounds, and sights greeted Audrey Wiener (Chinese ’28), Zachary Jessop (Linguistics ’27), and other BYU students as they arrived in Taipei for a two-month study abroad in summer of 2025. Though Wiener and Jessop went primarily to improve their Mandarin, they also became students of Taiwanese culture as they pursued learning opportunities beyond the classroom.
Learning Mandarin
Three hours a day, five days a week, Wiener and Jessop attended classes at Taiwan’s Shi Da University, also called National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). NTNU is renowned for its Mandarin Training Center, drawing students from across the globe to increase their Mandarin proficiency.
With small class sizes, Wiener and Jessop pushed themselves to participate and seek the help they needed from their peers and teachers. Wiener describes the curriculum as “fast-paced and intense,” with class time involving constant speaking with the teacher and other Mandarin learners. While both students found the classroom environment rigorous, they grew to thrive in it. Jessop says, “The classes were designed to help you to learn as long as you were willing to just try.”
The formal practice at NTNU also boosted students’ confidence in speaking outside of the classroom. Both Wiener and Jessop made acquaintances by using Mandarin in natural settings—ordering at restaurants, speaking to neighbors, or, in Jessop’s case, walking and talking with locals on a hike up Mount Qixing. He says, “What better way to learn the language than to be immersed with other Mandarin speakers?”
Locals enthusiastically supported the students’ efforts to learn and practice Mandarin. They encouraged conversation and showed happy surprise at their proficiency by often asking, “How long have you been in Taiwan?” Both in the classroom and out, Wiener and Jessop saw kindness and support offered to eager Mandarin learners.
Learning Taiwan
Beyond learning in the classroom, the study abroad group took a week-long trip to tour Taiwanese sites and culture, exploring the Kaohsiung Buddhist pagodas and natural wonders like Sun Moon Lake and the Hualien coasts. They even visited Jiufen, a town whose teahouses, winding alleys, and glowing red lanterns inspired scenery in the famous Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away.
Following the group trip, the students were largely responsible for immersing themselves in Taiwanese culture. Wiener went on multiple weekend trips to explore the island and, in between, fell in love with the busy hours and foodie paradise of the Taiwanese night markets. Jessop enjoyed exploring Taipei wherever public transit took him. He says, “I would just pick a random train stop that I hadn’t been to before.” He introduced himself to the bustling city by deciding to “go to a museum one day, then on a hike another day, then a performance, or even just wandering the streets.”
Learning Back Home
Wiener arrived home from the study abroad with a greater appreciation for Taiwanese culture—and a mannerism or two she had adopted from it. For instance, when offered something in Taiwan, she had learned to reach out with both hands to accept it. At the start of the study abroad, Wiener “didn’t speak Chinese quite as well, so to help show my gratitude, I had to use a bit more body action to communicate.” Wiener still finds herself accepting things with both hands, showing a willingness to receive a different culture—and her study abroad experiences—wholeheartedly.
Wiener and Jessop both intend to keep learning Mandarin. Wiener’s experiences abroad helped her notably improve her understanding, and she’s since continued her learning through an online Mandarin conversation program and Chinese classes at BYU. Jessop continues to take classes as well, and he makes the most of coincidental run-ins with Mandarin speakers to practice the language colloquially.
Studying Mandarin in the classroom helped both Wiener and Jessop improve their proficiency, but ultimately it was their willingness to seek out and wholeheartedly accept another culture that made the trip transformative—and one worth repeating.
Learn about more opportunities on the College’s study abroad webpage.