In university classrooms across Taiwan, students are beginning to opt for Vietnamese language courses in an effort to further their careers.

As economic growth booms in Vietnam and throughout Southeast Asian, young Taiwanese are setting their sights on the ASEAN nations, where job opportunities are abundant, reports Channel News Asia.

Chou Shou-Ann, National Chengchi University's language training division chief, has noticed a marked shift in the language interests of her institution's business-minded students.

“In the past 10 years, the number of our students has grown 20 times. The ASEAN market has become very important in the world,” the educator told Channel News Asia.

“Taiwan’s economic and cultural exchanges with Vietnam, Thailand and other ASEAN countries have also become more frequent,” Shou-Ann continued. “So many students come here to study for business purposes.”

In the past, Taiwanese have typically ventured to mainland China for work, however as opportunities arise in ASEAN countries, attention is shifting to Southeast Asia. On 104.com, a website geared toward Taiwanese jobseekers, nearly 4,000 ASEAN postings are advertised. While that's still only one-third the number of jobs available in mainland China, the steady growth of available opportunities for young Taiwanese mean Saigon – and the rest of Vietnam – is likely to see more Taiwanese expats in future.

[Photo via OIA NTU]