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For most of my adult life, I have lived in Taiwan. I moved here when I was 19, and now I am 40! I had to learn to communicate with second-language learners in English while simultaneously learning to communicate in Chinese. After seven months of unsuccessfully trying to pick up Chinese by immersion, I studied with a private tutor for a year and a half, then independently on and off for years. I eventually took a 3-month intensive Mandarin course in 2018 (1.1: Ming Chuan University Mandarin Basic 2 Transcript). I apply this learning and continue to further my knowledge in daily conversation.
Learning Chinese was a struggle initially, as I had to learn the concept of tones. Chinese uses tones to distinguish syllables from each other with the same pronunciation. At first, I could hear a difference, but I could not reproduce it! Studying a tonal chart and using hand gestures to mimic the tone’s movement helped me pronounce individual words, but I still needed to improve in conversation. My early inaccuracies with tone stemmed from starting words in the same tonal position before changing my pitch lower or higher. I had to learn each tone has an initial starting pitch from which it moves. If I tried to focus on each word’s correct tone, my speed slowed considerably. My success came from mimicking native speakers like I was singing a song, especially the intonation of complete sentences, a tip from a friend.
Additionally, I learn new vocabulary from situations when I need to communicate. I can use words I know to describe the word I do not; the listener often suggests the unknown word. To illustrate, I wanted to buy watermelon seeds but needed to learn the word for seeds. In Chinese, I said they were small, black things inside a watermelon, and the store sold them in a bag with salt added. The clerk suggested the word for seed, teaching me. Connecting the new term in context helps me have a vivid image to remember better.
A key to communicating effectively in Chinese is understanding the concept of ‘face,’ which refers to a person’s social status and reputation. Language and culture are closely intertwined in Chinese communication and sensitivity to a person’s honor is crucial, unlike in English. This sensitivity means avoiding anything that could cause embarrassment or shame for the other person, even if it is true. For example, you should avoid direct criticism or confrontation and use indirect or subtle communication strategies to ‘save face.’ My authentic communication style is to speak honestly and directly, which can seem too abrasive and even rude for most Taiwanese, so I had to learn to delicately approach potential topics of embarrassment, like pointing out when someone was wrong. To relate an example about saving face, I noticed a dog owner failing to pick up his pet’s poop while walking my dog in the park. Rather than telling him directly in Chinese to pick up the poop and embarrass him for breaking the rules, I ran over and gave him a poop bag, suggesting that he must have forgotten to bring one. Another aspect of communicating in Chinese is ‘giving face.’ Even when I had only rudimentary Chinese skills, everyone I met told me my Chinese was great! I had to learn this compliment was not an accurate gauge of my proficiency level but meant to encourage my confidence in speaking Chinese by ‘giving face.’ While my Chinese is far from fluent, I can navigate most aspects of daily living and maintain various relationships in my second language.
In my experience working with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (CCCT), I served on the Board of Directors and was a member of the Communications and Small Business committees for two years. During this time, I composed the CCCT’s monthly newsletter using MailChimp and created advertisement banners for upcoming events using Canva. It was imperative that written communication from the CCCT be clear, professional, and accurate, as our newsletter was representing Canada and went out to 1,600 subscribers who relied on the contents to engage with our events. I wanted to make an impact with my newsletters, so I researched best newsletter practices and learned over time that I needed to focus on several things to ensure readers read our emails. I had to know my audience, mainly English-speaking Taiwanese and expats. I constructed strong subject lines, labeling each with “CCCT Monthly Newsletter” and brief keywords from the most important events or news. I learned what a Call To Action (CTA) is, which I implemented by requesting attendees to RSVP on a Google Form. The responses helped hosts gauge the number of attendees to better prepare for events. I specified how our readers could find the CCCT online, which included various ways of contacting our team, including our social media channels.
Compiling the newsletter required me to communicate with event hosts, venues, vendors, sponsors, and CCCT members to gather and ensure details were accurate and on time for release. I prioritized formatting and double-checking the accuracy of venue locations, as addresses originated from multiple sources. Ensuring all information was concisely presented in the same format, free of errors and casual terms (such as replacing “hang out” with “attend”), helped to maintain a professional tone. I learned the importance of creating a draft early in advance and proofreading a test copy before scheduling the newsletter to be released. The test copy enabled me to catch typos and errors. It highlighted any formatting issues with how the newsletter appeared in mobile and desktop formats before formal release, and scheduling ensured our newsletter went out on time on the first Friday of every month.
Committing to the monthly newsletter required me to plan, gather information proactively, and, most importantly, not procrastinate. I also had to learn to create valuable content and make the newsletter visually appealing. Over time, I developed my skill using Canva, which improved the quality of the CCCT’s advertising banners. Mistakes I made early on were crowding too much information on the banner, using hard-to-read font and font sizes, and placing text on competing pictures or background colors. By simplifying the text layout, prioritizing event details, and choosing relevant but complementary images unique to each event, I improved the readability of the advertisements, which I then used as Facebook event banners, and on the official website (1.2: CCCT Newsletter).
As a member of the CCCT Board, I attended monthly meetings planning upcoming events and discussing current issues. I learned a lot from our Chairwoman, Carrie Kellenberger, about communicating assertively with the Board, all of whom were high-profile executives. I had no formal business or office experience, so I initially felt insecure and intimidated during discussions. I noticed Carrie always made direct eye contact with each member around the table when hosting a meeting, and I realized I had been looking at the table when speaking to the group because I was nervous. Carrie shared Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, with me and taught me the importance of battling sexism, standing up for my beliefs, and helping other women succeed in leadership. I witnessed her swiftly correct sexist remarks while remaining calm and redirecting attention back to business. Carrie offered feedback and encouragement between meetings, and I gained confidence contributing to discussions. As I relayed my opinions, I practiced maintaining eye contact around the table and repeated my ideas when interrupted or spoken over.
A notable example of my growth in communication was when I successfully pitched and hosted my Small Business Committee event, “Art as a Business in Taipei,” to the Board. The Small Business Committee aims to help Canadian entrepreneurs, and though the expat artist community is quite active, it was previously overlooked by the Board as business owners to highlight. Before the meeting, I carefully researched four Canadian guest speakers who launched successful artistic careers in Taiwan because approval depended on curating credible speakers. During the meeting, I introduced each potential speaker and why each would draw interest from the community. I believed the event would help serve our community, and I confidently asked for what I wanted, so the Board decided to give me a chance to host the event. I worked together with Committee members to find a suitable venue sponsor. I coordinated meetings with each speaker, advising on talking points, structure, and our potential audience to ensure each was well prepared. I created an event advertisement for the newsletter and Facebook to invite and inform the public. I provided the local newspaper, Taipei Times, with relevant information to promote the event. I hosted my event by introducing the CCCT and each speaker, followed by a networking period. Art as A Business was well-attended, and attendees made many connections in the community, our definition of a successful event. The positive community feedback gave the Board satisfaction for supporting my idea. I learned how to communicate better by mirroring the Board’s confident communication style. Most importantly, I gained the confidence to communicate assertively from our Chairwoman’s patient mentoring (1.3: Letter of Reference: Carrie Kellenberger).
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