Gateway Chinese is an educational study abroad institution based in beautiful Kaohsiung, the jewel of southern Taiwan. We offer a wide variety of Mandarin Chinese programs ranging from our 2-week intensive program to our full semester or full-year programs. We can also provide customized private lessons with your own private Mandarin tutor. We cater to all levels of language proficiencies from beginner through intermediate and advanced.
Veteran instructors motivate our students to meet their high standards by challenging them with relevant and accessible course content and pushing them to take advantage of using the language outside of the classroom. Official certificates will be issued by the university showing the number of in-class hours completed so that you can receive credit at your home university for time spent studying abroad.
Gateway Chinese students enjoy a number of benefits during their stay with us. You won’t merely receive on-going support from Gateway Chinese student coordinators and staff, but you will attend free pronunciation and tone improvement courses to directly target these too often neglected and misunderstood steps in achieving fluency. In addition, we recruit local university students to meet up with you once a week to practice Chinese outside of the classroom setting to help you better connect with the local community. You will also be lent a Google Chromebook preloaded with spaced-repetition vocabulary review software and a subscription to the ABCs of Chinese online character learning platform. Our program fees include all of the above, along with course tuition, textbooks, accommodation, airport pickup, and weekend outings & cultural tours. It’s an unbeatable all-inclusive program for a great price.
Special scholarships now available for Irish students. Please email us for more details.
The nationality and age mix at Gateway Chinese Limited varies over different time periods, courses and levels. Throughout the year, the average age is 25. In the summer, the average age is 20.
teaches students from all over the world, including:
does not hold classes on the holiday dates below. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.
Taiwan’s second largest city and one of the largest container ports in the world, Kaohsiung (高雄; gāoxióng) makes the ideal introduction to Taiwan. It’s a modern megacity blossoming with authentic Taiwanese culture. With its relaxed and friendly atmosphere, Kaohsiung is an earthy counterweight to Taipei.
Its architectural and historic sights are enhanced by a large number of lush parks, outdoor cafés and bars, art galleries and museums, two swimming beaches and 1200 sprawling acres of pristine forest within the city area– all linked by a spanking-new transport system. The older districts of Zuoying, Yancheng and Cijin Island contain plenty of historic sights along with a smattering of traditional snack stalls and multicultural cuisine, while modern Kaohsiung is best taken in with an evening stroll along the Love River or True Love Pier or perhaps a visit to soaring 85 Sky Tower close to its bustling shopping districts.
There’s also plenty to see on the slopes of Shou Mountain to the west and around Lotus Lake in Zuoying to the north. You can hike up to the ridge of hills known as Chaishan, home of Kaohsiung’s famously capricious troupe of monkeys, or go wakeboarding on Lotus Lake.
Needless to say, while away from the beautiful university campus perched on the side of a mountain and facing a white sandy beach, student life is filled with weekend activities and excursions.
Gateway was the organization that facilitated the school in Kaohsiung. I did not. not opt into the full set of services, but they facilitate not only classes but also housing, activities. cultural outings, etc. They were able to facilitate and customize the program based on my needs. The language school itself was Taiwan Language Institute which was also very customized in its approach and materials. The combined experience was comprehensive and seamless.
Show details » Read more...The classes were amazing, the teachers really know what they're doing, and I loved how they only spoke to us in Chinese, it really helped me and by the end of the course, I was able to have normal conversations with native Taiwanese people! I feel like my speaking, listening and reading abilities have all improved considerably, and all that only in one month! The location of the school and the dorms was nice, we had a really nice view from the dorms and the city was quite close to the campus. The only thing that I didn't really like were the stairs that we had to go up and down everyday to get to class (but it was good exercise). The dorms were ok, not really clean but also not dirty, and I had a really nice roommate, so I didn't mind that at all. The best part of the whole experience, however, was by far the people I met there. I will never stress enough how kind Taiwanese people are, and the advice I want to give everyone else is to use Chinese as often as you can, talk to everyone and meet new people wherever you go, you will not regret it!
Show details » Read more...The teachers are great, they know how to adapt their teaching methods and goals to the student's wishes, while at the same time holding firmly to their duty, i.e. teaching Chinese!
Gareway Chinese Ltd does more than opening the door towards Taiwanese society, they do everything needed - being asked for or not - for you to feel comfortable and discover the best in the city and its surroundings, with valuable tips to what can be useful for someone who does not know Taiwan and the way of living of the people there, like shopping, public transportation, bike renting, restaurants, or places of interest.
One small disappointment about housing (no direct sunlight in the studio), although I'm conscious that real estate and flat renting are quite costly in Taiwan. My disappointment was more than compensated for when I was offered to stay in a hotel with a beautiful view on the sea for my last two days in Kao Hsiung!
I found the course excellent. Learning Mandarin was always going to be difficult for me, I'm not great at languages and Mandarin is so different compared to English or Spanish. However, I found the guys in Gateway to be excellent, I really learned a lot and made a lot of progress in a short period of time. I can now get by quite confidently which is great. I would like to say a big thanks to all the guys for their help - I would really recommend them.
Show details » Read more...Chinese is not an easy language to learn but the staff at Gateway helped me get past that. The methods they used provided me with the right tools to build on my language skills. The teachers helped me through my difficulties in the beginning to achieve success in learning Chinese.
Show details » Read more...Everyone was so kind and helpful, and it really made the experience much more than about the language! A fantastic opportunity for cultural awareness and a lot more.
Show details » Read more...After doing many hours of research online, I've decided to go with Gateway and I am so glad I did!! Great teachers and the whole set up with the activities really improved my Mandarin. Thank you Gateway!
Show details » Read more...I found the process very rewarding and a great overall experience. The teachers and classes were well prepared and engaging. The city is vibrant and modern and the people were very friendly. The facilities were new and similar to what I have experienced at home. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone.
Show details » Read more...I simply arrived and started studying! Everything was already set up and waiting when I arrived. What a great way to learn a new language. The price was cheaper than others I've seen. And everything was included! Nic and his team made it so easy. Thanks!
Show details » Read more...Brand new building on campus. All the latest equipment.
Teachers were professional.
Loved the excursions at the weekend.
The best part was the software they gave me on the laptop. I'm still using it... lol
They set me up with a local student (Peg) we spent a few hours every Friday night chatting. I thought that was a great idea. I practiced what I learned during the week.
I didn't fancy staying on campus in the dorm rooms, so I asked for a room off campus. They sorted it out.
Highly recommend.
My boss sent me to Gateway to learn Chinese as we're moving into Asia to find new buyers. I did the intensive Business Mandarin course for 4 weeks with 25 hours a week. I have to say, I was very apprehensive about the whole experience. I learned French in school but was never any good at it. But teacher Tess took me under her wing and brought me through it. Thank you so much teacher Tess! You're a star, and I'm very grateful. Most of what I learned was directly related to our business. They tailored the vocabulary for me and I can now chat about fashion with our buyers quite confidently. My listening still needs work, but I'm getting better. I'm going to Shanghai in a few weeks, and I'm thinking about dropping by to say hi to my favorite teacher!
Show details » Read more...I loved the city!! It was so beautiful. My favorite part of the experience was the weekend trips with the Taiwanese students. We went waterfall chasing and river tracing in the mountains. It was like hiking in the amazon! The lessons were well organised with really good teachers. I was a total beginner, but I've got a good grasp of the language after 11 weeks. I'm actually planning on going back to Kaohsiung again to do another course. My advice to other students would be to talk as much as you can when you can to whoever you can. The more you practice, the more it sticks. I was talking to all the locals everywhere I went. They're so friendly.
Show details » Read more...From the very first day until the last, the staff really took good care of us. We were given orientation packs when we first arrived which we used throughout the month. The teachers were excellent. I learned more in that one month than I did for the whole six months I was studying Mandarin at home. Highly recommend, this program. Thank you to Nic and Jaclyn for all your help. And hopefully I'll see my exchange partner, Tina, in Europe soon.
Show details » Read more...Student residences are more suitable for an independent student, who is looking for clean, basic accommodation at an economic price. All students must be 18+. Your housing starts on the Sunday before your first day of class and ends on the Saturday after your last day of class, unless otherwise noted. Student residences often do not include any meal plan. Learn more about student residence accommodation
We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.
Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you.
Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Kaohsiung based on your budget, schedule and preferences.
Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.
Taiwan’s second largest city and one of the largest container ports in the world, Kaohsiung (高雄; gāoxióng) makes the ideal introduction to Taiwan. It’s a modern megacity blossoming with authentic Taiwanese culture. With its relaxed and friendly atmosphere, Kaohsiung is an earthy counterweight to Taipei.
Its architectural and historic sights are enhanced by a large number of lush parks, outdoor cafés and bars, art galleries and museums, two swimming beaches and 1200 sprawling acres of pristine forest within the city area– all linked by a spanking-new transport system. The older districts of Zuoying, Yancheng and Cijin Island contain plenty of historic sights along with a smattering of traditional snack stalls and multicultural cuisine, while modern Kaohsiung is best taken in with an evening stroll along the Love River or True Love Pier or perhaps a visit to soaring 85 Sky Tower close to its bustling shopping districts.
There’s also plenty to see on the slopes of Shou Mountain to the west and around Lotus Lake in Zuoying to the north. You can hike up to the ridge of hills known as Chaishan, home of Kaohsiung’s famously capricious troupe of monkeys, or go wakeboarding on Lotus Lake.
Needless to say, while away from the beautiful university campus perched on the side of a mountain and facing a white sandy beach, student life is filled with weekend activities and excursions.
Have questions? Get answers from Gateway Chinese Limited staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.
Ask a question