One of the primary goals of the national Language Flagship is to help Flagship students attain a professional level of fluency in their target language. To achieve this, students must use their target language outside of the classroom in a workplace setting.

To this end, the first four months of the second semester of the Hunter College Chinese Overseas Flagship Program is dedicated to a mandatory in-service internship. While Capstone students are responsible for finding a full-time internship, ideally at a business or organization related to their non-Chinese major, there are two factors that should make their search easier. First, Taipei, as the capital of Taiwan, is home to innumerable companies, non-profits, research entities, and organizations that provide a rich array of internship possibilities. Second, the Taipei Flagship Center’s Internship Coordinator will be working in tandem with the National Taiwan University (NTU) Office of Alumni, and will reach out to the school’s Taipei-based graduates, who work in a variety of different fields and occupations, seeking qualified internship partners and locations.

Once a student has identified an internship position that interests them, the Internship Coordinator will assess the site in order to approve it, and then will advise the student through the internship application process. Prior to beginning the internship, the student will take part in an orientation class, taught by the Internship Coordinator and an instructor, on all aspects of interning at a Chinese workplace, including office etiquette, language requirements, and communication tips for working with coworkers and higher-ranking colleagues. Once the student is settled in at their internship site, the Internship Coordinator will make site visits and continue to supervise. Students will write and submit weekly reports, and also must return to the NTU campus on Friday afternoons for a two-hour meeting to discuss their internship experience and performance. This Friday afternoon meeting, along with the availability and expertise of the Internship Coordinator and internship instructor, should help alleviate many of the challenges a student will face when entering the culture of Taiwanese professional life.

During this unique opportunity, interning at a Chinese company in Taiwan, speaking Mandarin in a workplace setting, students will not only learn how to conduct themselves in a professional manner in a different culture, but will also absorb vocabulary related to their non-Chinese domain and grow professionally while abroad.