Taiwan’s official language is Taiwanese Mandarin. The language is much like the usual Chinese Mandarin, however with slight differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. If you know the basic Chinese Mandarin, you won’t find it hard to communicate with Taiwanese people. However, if you don’t know the basics of their language, we suggest that you try to learn the basic Taiwanese Mandarin online. You may get free online courses via Fluentu or Chinese Class 101.

Language Skills
In a global context, the English Proficiency of Taiwan is regarded as “low proficiency,” with a ranking of 48th among all other countries and a score of only 52.04 out of 100. This would give you the idea that Mandarin lessons may actually be necessary if you’re planning to get a job in the country. You don’t have to be an expert, but familiarizing yourself with the basics of Mandarin will help you in getting around Taiwan and most especially applying for a job.

One of the essentials in communicating in a foreign country is knowing how to greet your counterpart. In Taiwan if you want to greet your colleagues ‘good morning’ you may say ‘gâu-chá.’ Should you want to ask how they are doing, you may say ‘lí hó’ which actually means ‘how are you?’ Another important phrase you should know is saying ‘sorry’ or ‘excuse me’ in Taiwanese Mandarin, and to say that, you may just say ‘pháiⁿ-sè.’ It is very important that you know how to pronounce each word, so try checking out the video in this link to know how those phrases above are said, but if you want to know more common words phrases that may come in handy during your stay in Taiwan, you may want to watch a short tutorial in this link. Finally, another supplemental guide for basic Taiwanese Mandarin can be found in this link.

Body Language
Taiwanese are generally not tactile people. They do not like being touched, especially on the head. When confronted with a baby, you should also know that touching the head may offend the parents. That being said, you can assume that Taiwan has reserved locals. In fact, public displays of affection in the country is not common and showing one’s affection to the opposite sex should no be done in public.

The feet is considered a dirty part of the body, so avoid using your feet in moving objects, and don’t use it to point directions as well. It is also customary that both feet are placed flat on the floor when you’re with your counterpart. Crossing legs is not seen as an appropriate body gesture.

Winking, pointing with index fingers, and wrapping one arm to someone’s shoulder are seen as rude gestures, avoid doing them. When pointing to a direction, better use an open palm instead of fingers. To express the utmost respect in greeting an elderly, place your right hand over your left fist, while pressing it against your heart, however if you are meeting someone your age or someone younger, you may just slightly nod while saying greetings expressions.

Topics for Discussion
It is very interesting to know what topics would keep a local talking, most especially if you’re trying to build rapport. To better engage in a conversation with a Taiwanese, it is advised that you familiarize yourself with American baseball. The locals are big fans of the sport and they would love to share some of their insights about the current events in ongoing tournaments and games. Make sure to note down popular American players who made a mark in baseball history, the information might actually impress your counterpart.

Another good topic you may want to try is informal and not too personal discussions about family. The Taiwanese culture values family orientation, and they think the topic reveals so much of the character of the person they are talking to. Go ahead and open up about basic details on your family relationships and how the wonderful inner culture of your family helped you out through life.

Taiwanese people are moderate travelers. They will not say no to any conversation about travel and international tourists spots. You want to share with them places that you’ve visited so far. It is suggested that you also try to talk about the tourist spots you liked in Taiwan. The locals take pride in their country, and they would be happy to know that you find their place beautiful.

To maintain the good flow of your conversation with your local counterpart, you may also want to keep in mind some topics that you should avoid. While it is common that you don’t speak too much about politics, note that you should try your best not to bring up a discussion about China. How China deals with Taiwan has been a global issue for the longest time and it has already been a taboo topic in the country. Besides that, note that you should not ask for a female’s age by any means. Females in the country try their best to look youthful, and a question about age makes them feel embarrassed and insecure if they look old or not. You may also want to skip the topic on income and expenditures, whether it is yours or theirs. Talking about expenses and matters about money is inappropriate and is a borderline to a totally uncomfortable conversation. In all your discussions, try to keep in mind that you should be at least an arms length away from your counterpart, and that you avoid touching them during the entirety of the discussion.