The CLS Program in New Taipei is hosted by Tamkang University (TKU) at its Tamsui District campus in New Taipei. Founded in 1950 as the Tamkang Junior College of English, Taiwan’s first private college, it became the Tamkang College of Arts and Sciences in 1958, before ultimately being elevated to Tamkang University in 1980.

TKU has previously held both in-person and virtual CLS Chinese institutes and has developed an exciting, hands-on curriculum. During the program, students will be immersed in an intensive 8-week language learning environment designed to cover the equivalent of one academic year of university-level Chinese study. Students receive eighteen hours of formal classroom instruction each week, with emphasis on intensive reading, writing, speaking and listening practice.

Located in Northern Taiwan, New Taipei has a population of over 4 million people and boasts a diverse array of geographic features. TKU is in Tamsui district, a seaside area famous for its seafood, sunsets and cultural sites. CLS students live with Taiwanese host families and local TKU roommates, which allows participants to build meaningful relationships in the host community, explore Tamsui together, and develop additional insight into Taiwanese culture. CLS students also meet weekly with a language partner recruited from TKU, which allows participants to apply their language skills outside of the classroom and grow cross-cultural friendships. In the past, students have enjoyed drinking bubble tea, playing sports, visiting local markets, and singing karaoke with their language partners.

In addition, students participate in dynamic cultural activities, such as calligraphy, martial arts, and visits to local historical sites. In previous years, CLS students in New Taipei have also visited Yingge District, Taiwan’s Pottery Capital, the National Palace Museum, and the famous mining cities of Jiufen and Jinguashi as cultural excursion sites.