Learn Taiwanese Mandarin
with instructors who specialize in teaching it
Study Partner is a language school based in Osaka, Japan, specializing in Taiwanese Mandarin — traditional characters and Zhuyin. Lessons are one-to-one, online across Japan or in person in Osaka Umeda. We also prepare learners for TOCFL and support applications to universities and language centers in Taiwan.
What makes it different
Taiwanese Mandarin and Mainland Putonghua share almost all of their grammar, but they differ in writing system, phonetic notation, pronunciation habits and everyday vocabulary. We teach the Taiwanese variety.
Traditional characters
臺灣・學習・電腦, not 台湾・学习・电脑. Traditional characters are also used in Hong Kong and Macau.
Zhuyin (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ)
Taiwan's standard phonetic system. We can teach with Hanyu Pinyin as well if that suits your background.
Pronunciation habits
Erhua is rarely used in everyday speech, and retroflex initials tend to be lighter than in northern Mainland speech.
Everyday vocabulary
計程車 / 捷運 / 鳳梨 rather than 出租车 / 地铁 / 菠萝. These differences show up constantly in daily life.
Learners of Taiwanese Mandarin can communicate in Mainland China without difficulty in most everyday situations; the differences are in vocabulary, tone habits and script rather than in grammar.
What we teach
Beginners
From pronunciation and tones to everyday conversation. About 70% of our learners start as complete beginners. Instruction is available in Japanese and in Chinese.
Business Taiwanese Mandarin
Email, meetings, negotiation and presentations. Curricula are adapted by industry — IT, manufacturing, finance, trade. Simplified characters are supported when your counterpart requires them.
TOCFL preparation
Practice sets, high-frequency vocabulary and listening support for the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language, developed in Taiwan.
Conversation with native speakers
A free benefit for enrolled learners: up to once a month, 30 minutes per session, with volunteers from Taiwan. These volunteers are not necessarily contracted instructors, and these sessions are conversation practice only — they do not include structured instruction, learning records or proficiency assessment.
Fees
| Item | Price (tax included) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online lesson | ¥3,500 / 50 min | Zoom, LINE or Microsoft Teams |
| In-person lesson | ¥4,400 / 50 min | Osaka Umeda |
| Pair lesson | ¥2,500 per person / 50 min | Online only, two people applying together |
| Enrollment fee | ¥0 | Textbooks are charged separately if you buy them |
| Conversation with native speakers | Free | For enrolled learners, up to once a month, 30 min |
| TOCFL practice app | Pricing to be announced | Not currently offered free of charge |
Cancellation: contact us at least 24 hours before the lesson starts to reschedule or receive a refund for the unused lesson. Cancellations after that point, and no-shows, are treated as one lesson used.
Who teaches you
Every instructor has completed a degree in Applied Chinese Teaching (應用華語) at a university in Taiwan. Being a native speaker and being able to teach are two different skills; we hire for the second one as well.
Lead instructor — HUANG WEI-XUN (黃暐勛)
MA in Applied Chinese Teaching, Kainan University, Taiwan. Adjunct instructor at the Kainan University Chinese Language Center. Currently a doctoral candidate at the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies, Kobe University. Over ten years of teaching experience.
He has taught more than 1,000 learners in total, including his work at the Kainan University Chinese Language Center. This figure refers to the lead instructor's own teaching record, not to the number of people enrolled at Study Partner.
Application support
We support applications to language centers and universities in Taiwan — choosing a school, preparing documents, and issuing our own letter of recommendation. We work with more than 30 partner universities and language centers.
- Counselling on purpose, duration and budget
- School and programme comparison
- Application support and document preparation
- Follow-up until the letter of acceptance is issued
- Guidance on applying for school dormitories, and checking documents you prepare yourself
- Our letter of recommendation
- Guidance on visa procedures and required documents
- Booking flights, arranging accommodation outside the school, airport transfers
- Planning or selling packages that include travel and accommodation
- Advancing or transferring tuition on your behalf
- Submitting visa applications as your agent
- Setting up your life in Taiwan on your behalf (bank accounts, mobile contracts)
We provide introductions to educational institutions and support with enrolment procedures. We do not arrange travel, because that requires registration under Japan's Travel Agency Act. Tuition is paid by you directly to the school.
Fees: if you are taking lessons with us, application support is included at no additional cost once you have taken at least 8 lessons (language study) or 60 lessons (degree study). The letter of recommendation is charged separately: ¥8,000 (language study) or ¥33,000 (degree study), tax included. Up to 3 schools and 3 departments per school. If you are not taking lessons with us, or have not yet met those conditions, a Taiwan study-abroad support contract is available: application support ¥11,000 (language study) or ¥88,000 (degree study), and the letter of recommendation ¥8,000 or ¥33,000. All prices include tax. A prior interview is required before we recommend you to any school. Submitting a letter of recommendation does not guarantee admission, acceptance, or the granting of any fee reduction.
Start with a free trial lesson
Tell us your goal and current level, and we will suggest a plan. Lessons and consultations are available in Japanese, Chinese and English.
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 7:00–22:00 (JST) |
| Online | Zoom, LINE, Microsoft Teams — anywhere in Japan and overseas |
| In person | Common Room UMEDA, Kyoei Bldg. 3F, 2-8-11 Shibata, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0012 |
| Phone | 070-2316-1800 |
| studypartnertaiwan@gmail.com | |
| LINE | @650obpgp |
| Payment | Credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPay (all via Stripe), or bank transfer |
Our booking form and the rest of our site are in Japanese. If you would prefer to write in English, please email us or message us on LINE — we will reply in English.