Taiwan

American Institute in Taiwan: +886 7-335-5006                                 
AIT Emergency Phone: +889 2-2162-2000 
AIT Website: https://www.ait.org.tw/offices/kaohsiung/   
Cultural Insurance International (CISI): +1 800-303-8120 

• Program Director | Dr. Chih-Hsien Chen | 86012@mail.wzu.edu.tw | +886 955-185-804 
  • Chinese only
• Program Coordinator | Chu-Rong (Helen) Yen | 93005@mail.wzu.edu.tw
  • English & Chinese
• Address:
  900 號, Minzu 1st Rd, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City 80793 Taiwan ROC 

• Project GO Director | Mr. Nathaniel Lanaghan |nlanagh@iu.edu  
• Project GO Assistant | Ms. Jenny McDougall | jkmcdoug@iu.edu 
  
• Language Workshop Director | Dr. Kathleen Evans | ke1@iu.edu  
• Business Manager | Mr. Alonso Saldivar | jasaldiv@iu.edu  
• Phone: +1 812-855-6930
• Site: https://languageworkshop.iu.edu

Intake OPIc: April 1-June 30

Online Culture Course: TBD

Orientation in San Francisco: June 18-20

Depart SFO for Taiwan: June 21

Classes Start: June 24

ACTFL Listening and Reading Test: TBD

EXIT OPIc: TBD

Depart Taiwan for SFO: August 17

Project GO Indiana is responsible for setting up all travel from the students' homes to the orientation site and to Taipei and from Taipei back to the students' homes.

Students will spend approximately one week in a hotel near campus until dorm rooms become available. After two weeks each student will have their own dorm room on campus.

Students will spend two weekends with individual host families.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided to students in their dorms. For dinners, students will be able to sign up for dinner at Wenzao, or eat dinner off campus at their own expense.  

When staying with a host family, students receive three meals during the weekends.

Students may not cook in their dorm rooms.  

To maximize language learning, students commit to speaking only Chinese Mandarin between the opening of the program and the close of the program. The Immersion Contract is a key component of your language-learning success. 

What Immersion Means 

By signing the Immersion Contract, students commit to speaking the language of study whenever feasible, including:  

• in the dorm, including with other Program students 
• any time you are with a tutor, skills trainer, conversation partner, visiting presenter, or guest of the program 
• any time you are with an instructor of your language 
• any time you are with another student of your language 
• any time you are at an event or activity in your language 

Exceptions to Immersion 

The immersion requirement can be lifted during class at the discretion of the instructor. Most instructors will permit limited use of English for the sake of clarity. Outside of class, instructors will not break the Commitment except in emergencies. 

The Immersion Contract does not apply to interactions with non-Chinese-enabled Indiana University staff, including program staff, academic advisors, university administrators, etc. 

Immersion is a Communal Effort 

Maintaining Immersion is difficult and at times frustrating but can also be tremendously rewarding. Students commit not only to speaking their language of study but to supporting other students in their efforts to do the same. Faculty also commit to supporting students in their commitment. Together, faculty and staff strive to ensure that every student can take full advantage of the immersion commitment to further their language acquisition. 

Accelerated language learning is extremely time-intensive. In addition to 4 hours of class each weekday, you will participate in extracurricular cultural events, language tables, group activities, and more. Students also have daily one-on-one training sessions. Homework loads range from 3-4 hours/day. The daily minimum workload for successful students is 7-10 hours. 

Students may miss up to 8 hours of class with prior authorization by program staff, or in an emergency. Students who miss program activities without prior authorization or who miss more than 8 hours may not receive full academic credit for the program and their Project GO Scholarships may be reduced. 

If you have an emergency and will miss more than the maximum number of hours, contact program administration – in advance if possible – to request accommodation. 

The Wenzao program organizes frequent extra-curricular activities, both on-campus and off-campus. Students are required to attend all activities unless the program administration communicates otherwise.  

Online Placement Estimate 

Students will complete a placement test before being admitted. Students will receive a conservative placement estimate. Students must test at Level 2 in order to participate in this program.

Placement testing will take place from February-March 2024, and is calibrated to take into account that students are likely to be in the middle of a semester at the time of placement. 

Intake Placement  

Students complete a second placement at the beginning of the program to ensure that they are enrolled at the correct level. Intake placement results are final. 

OPIc Proficiency Assessments 

All students complete externally administered oral proficiency assessments at the beginning and the end of the program.  

The intake OPIc must be completed prior to arrival in Taiwan. The post-program OPIc must be completed before the end of August 2024. 

Conducted by an independent testing company, these assessments provide an unbiased view of student progress throughout the summer and come with a nationally recognized ACTFL certificate of proficiency. ACTFL certificates are accepted in many government agencies, some universities, and private businesses as documentation of language mastery.  

These assessments do not affect grades or placement. 

American Council Reading and Listening Exams 

Students will be required to take the American Council’s Reading and Listening examinations. This will be a computer-based exam that will measure students' reading and listening ability in Mandarin Chinese. Scores will be recorded and sent to IIE as part of program completion. 

Canvas

The Project GO Overseas Resident Director will create a Canvas page for the program. Students will be automatically enrolled on the Canvas site for your course 6 to 8 weeks before the beginning of classes. The Project GO Coordinator and Resident Director will use the Canvas page to keep students up to date on program requirements and other pertinent information.  

Online Culture Course

There will be a supplemental culture course that will have its own Canvas page. This course's assignments will need to be completed before departure.

Textbooks and Materials

All required texts and materials will be provided on-site in Taiwan.  

Emails

Project GO Indiana staff will communicate with students using the email address the provided by students' in their Project GO application. Be sure to check this email address regularly.  

Weekday Activities with Activity guides may include the following: 

• Popular Culture
• Calligraphy
• Chinese Tea
• Martial Arts
• Chinese Cuisine
• Chinese Board Games
• Taiwanese Language
• Chinese FestivalsHandicraft classes
• Visit to Historical Museum
• Visit to Art Museum
• Chinese Medicine

Weekend Excursions with Activity Guides may include: 

• Pier-2 Art Center
• Hongmaogang Cultural Park
• Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum
• Tainan Historical Sites
• Miaoli Cultural Sites
• Kinmen-Southern Min culture
• Hualien Taitung Aboriginal Cultural Sites

Students will receive a multi-function card that allows them access to the Wenzao library, dormitories, dormitory air conditioners, and gym. The cards can also be used for buses and the metro in Kaohsiung and Taipei (MRT). They can also be used for prepaid shopping in convenience stores. 

While at Wenzao, all health concerns should be reported to the IU-appointed Resident Director immediately.

Insurance

The program will provide you with insurance through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI).

The comprehensive plan provides:

Increased coverage of $500,000 (paid at 100%)
$0 Deductible
Coverage for personal effects from theft or damage
Trip Interruption
Emergency Medical Reunion (round trip ticket for a parent if a student is hospitalized)
Security Evacuation: provides coverage in the event of: Natural Disasters, Political or Military events, Physical Attacks or Threats, Expulsion from Host Country and Kidnapped or Missing Persons.

For safety and convenience, students will receive a loaner phone at the beginning of the program. This phone must be returned in its original packaging at the end of the program. If the phone is damaged or lost, students will be responsible for paying 6,500 NTD for a replacement.  

Students must keep their phones charged and on their person at all times. If issues arise with the phone, please contact the Resident Director immediately.

Project GO students are allowed and encouraged to conduct independent travel (in pairs or groups) within Taiwan while they are on program. Students will not be permitted to leave Taiwan on personal leisure travel while on program due to time limitations, the intensive, short duration nature of programs, and for safety and security reasons. Independent travel will not be approved if it conflicts with planned program activities.  

All independent travel conducted by students on the program must be tracked and approved by the Resident Director and the Project GO Manager. Students must submit a form to the Resident director five business days before any independent travel and provide the following information. 

See Appendix F of the Taiwan Handbook for a copy of the Independent Travel Form, or submit one here. 

 You are responsible for bringing: 

•  Laptop & headset w/microphone  

•  Computer charger 

•  An internationally unlocked mobile phone, international phone plan, or wifi calling 

•  Passport  

•  Driver’s license or other form of ID (Do Not Bring Common Access Cards (CACs)!!) 

•  Some cash: do NOT bring more than $500 USD 

•  Credit and or debit card 

•  Chargers for electronic devices 

•  Flash drives for class use 

•  Paper clip to open SIM card drawer in phone 

•  Water bottle 

Optional Items: 

• Books, magazines, or eBook device 

• Soap / toiletries  

• Workout equipment and supplements 

• Gym Clothes  

• Silverware

Luggage Allotment: Your Project GO scholarship includes a $70 stipend for checked baggage. 

Domestic Flight: You will be charged for your luggage. It will be around $30 for the 1st bag and $40 for the 2nd. 

International Flight: 2 checked bags for our international flight, no extra charge. 

Visit us between 3 and 4pm Eastern on Mondays and Thursdays for Virtual Office Hours

Ask your question by sending an email to pgo@iu.edu. 

Call us between 10 and 5 Eastern on weekdays: 

Mr. Nathaniel Lanaghan, Project GO Director: +1 812-856-1751

Ms. Jenny McDougall, Project GO Assistant: +1 812-855-6930