A true representation of the expression when East meets West, Taiwan was once known by the Portuguese as the ‘The Beautiful Island’. Located off the coast of China, its mountainous rugged coastlines are easily accessible by the high-speed trains, combining nature with technology.

By understanding more about our exchange students’ lives back home in Taiwan, it will help you gain insight into their culture and background and prepare you for a successful hosting experience. Let’s start by learning about what’s typical in Taiwanese communication, home life, education and food, as described by our program participants.

Communication style

Taiwan’s official language is Mandarin Chinese. However, some residents also speak Taiwanese. Communication in Taiwan is quiet, respectful and less direct. People are generally friendly, generous and reserved. Students may not interact with their parents when they are home together, as they are expected to study and get good grades. Much of their time studying in their room. The traditional greeting in Taiwan is a nod of the head, wave of hand, bow and smile or shaking of hands. Kissing or hugging is not a common greeting.

Tip From EF: Students may appear to understand or agree with something they don’t because they don’t want to offend you. Ask open-ended questions instead of questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no.” This will help encourage conversation. Be aware that your student may not feel comfortable verbalizing that they disagree, so be sure to rephrase in different ways to determine their true perspective. It may be helpful to ask your student to write down any concerns or questions as they grow more comfortable with the language.

Food habits

Breakfast in Taiwan is generally heavy. Steamed buns, rice, fried bread sticks, breakfast burger and fried egg pancake rolls are common. Milk tea or soy milk is usually served with breakfast. Dinner is considered the main meal and generally includes soup, rice, meat and vegetable dishes. Dining out at restaurants or outdoor night markets is convenient and popular. Rice is served with almost every meal. Most foods and vegetables are stir-fried, and sauces are an important part of the meal. People in Taiwan do not eat large portions of food at one time.

Tip From EF: Food in Taiwan is different than in America, so allow your student time to settle in and talk to them about the types of foods they prefer. Scheduling a few meals together as a family each week can make the student feel welcomed and at home. Encouraging them to help with grocery shopping and meal preparation will also help them adjust.

Home life

The Taiwanese respect their elders and value relationships with extended family. It is common for several generations to live in the same household. Access to public transportation is common in Taiwan. Students spend their time studying, therefore they are not expected to help with household chores. Removing shoes before entering a home is common as is wearing slippers inside the house. Taiwan is densely populated so living in apartments is common.

Tip From EF: Sit down with your student at the beginning of the year and go over all rules, schedules and expectations; write them down. Be sure to explain and demonstrate how to do any chores and use the washer and dryer. Take time to explain how transportation will work and the importance of curfews and checking in with you. Lack of public transportation will be a difficult adjustment for your student. Help them to understand the best way to get around and how to communicate with you about this. Make time to sit down once a week for the first month to discuss differences they have noticed.