Learning Mandarin in China

[penguinator]

I know this is not exactly a HK related topic but I was wondering whether anyone could recommend a Chinese language course in China for a couple months? I want to move to HK next year but wanted to brush up my Chinese first. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

P

[M Khan]

I have no direct experience of short language courses on the mainland however when I lived there I had several friends who gave favourable accounts of the courses they had undertaken. One of my friends spent a couple of months at 'Mandarin House' in Shanghai, while another spent a year at Tsinghua university in Beijing and yet another spent a year at the Harbin Institute of Technology.

While reports about all of the above were very positive, it was the Harbin Institute that got me thinking about possibly dropping out of work for a while and studying Chinese for a year or two. Being a northern school the local accent is reputed to be a very good standard putonghua, making the extra-curricula immersion experience all the more valuable. Courses there are also significantly less expensive than equivalent courses in Beijing, where prices are said to be quite absurdly over-inflated simply because it is the capital city and attracts the largest number of foreign students.

If you would prefer to study closer to HK, then there are so many language centres and universities that it can be hard to sort the good from the bad. While I was working in Guangzhou I heard good things about Jinan University, but almost every expat I knew there reported their disappointment in the various language training centres in the city (including Berlitz and New Concept Mandarin - both of which were described to me in the most unflattering terms).

One of the big issues, I think, is that different people want different things from their studies - they come into the class with different existing language levels and they want to learn or practise different things. Different students also learn in different ways. Some catch on to a language best through simple oral repitition; others benefit more when the approach is built around aural or visual teaching methods. Still others learn best simply by reading - pouring over rules of grammar and understanding the complexities of a language from written explanations. And the trouble is that unless you know which way is best for you, AND know the teaching methods of particular language centres, then landing in a class from which you will really benefit may be a bit of a hit-or-miss affair.

I normally recommend that people try free or 'taster' classes before joining any language school. Recommendations from others with direct experience is always useful as at the very least it can give you an idea of a school's character and the level of academic support that you can expect. Just bear in mind that a teaching style that suits one person might not be right for you. This is why two people, equally able in languages, can often have starkly different opinions of a school. If you're just going to the mainland for a brief couple of months' study, however, then you might not have the luxury of 'shopping around' (particularly if you will be applying for a study visa, sponsored by a specific university or language centre).

From the expats I have known on the mainland, private tutors seem to be better favoured as they can usually offer a course tailored to your specific goals and can fit lessons around your schedule. Really good tutors can also adapt their teaching style to give you the greatest possible benefit. Again, though, you often have to go through two or three tutors before you find one that suits your particular learning style and since you're looking to be on the mainland for a relatively short, fixed period then this might not be an ideal solution for you.

I'm sorry I can't give you any single, firm recommendation. I can't even give you a firm recommendation on whether to study in the north or the south, since while the local immersion in the north will doubtless be of greater benefit to your spoken mandarin, you might find that the proximity to HK that is offered by living in either Guangzhou or Shenzhen will be of use to you in preparing for your eventual move. What I can say is that when I have built-up enough money to comfortably take a couple of years off, I'm definitely heading to Harbin.

[jahoga]

Taipei could be a nice alternative.

Check tealit.com for recommendations on courses. You can also find English tutoring gigs to make some extra cash while you're there.

[thatsnotmypuppy]

Just to second the Harbin point.

My ex was teaching english in Tieling and after completiung a couple of years there he moved on to Harbin to further his language skills and spent 6 months at the Institute. He said it was the best move he ever made - as the immersion was just what he needed.

I'm tempted myself to maybe spend a year up north...

I have noticed some courses are popping up in Urumqi as well??? Surely the classic Mandarin over there has been muddled by the central Asian languages??

[M Khan]

Actually I think the Han Chinese in Urumqi now significantly out-number Uighurs, so the prevalent linguistic influence in the city is probably fairly standard putonghua. Of course every city has its local dialects - even Beijing - so every immersion experience will offer insights into not just the linguistic but also the cultural differences of the various Chinese peoples. I think it would be interesting to see how the central Asian languages affect the dialects of Xinjiang.

To go back, briefly, to the Taiwan suggestion above, I think this option would be particularly interesting for someone who intends to move to HK because Taiwan uses the same traditional Chinese characters as HK. After years of living on the mainland I am fairly good at reading and writing Chinese - but only simplified characters! If you've got a good grasp of simplified ones, then traditional characters aren't TOO difficult to pick-up, however it's another learning process that might perhaps be avoided by choosing to study in Taiwan rather than the mainland.

[penguinator]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was actually initially sort of leaning towards Shanghai as I hear it is an amazing city. Do you know of any good universities there for language training?

[penguinator]

actually come to think of it, any good universities in HK for learning Mandarin? guess it wouldn't exactly be total immersion, but then I get to stay with my parents and it would cut costs!

[East_coast]

I can recommend a 121 mandarin school in Kunming - just google keats Kunming and you should get it. The LaoBan runs the place with an iron fist for the staff but is flexible for the paying students. Kunming is quite and not too hot not too cold.

I would suggest a few months at various language schools just for the fun of seeing China.

Mandarin in HK is still pretty poor for people over 30 but people uder 30 they all know a little bit the younger the better.

If your level is absolute beginner get learning Pin Yin tones as soon as possible - use on line guides or get a Tutor in China with Skype. You don't want to be wasting class time saying Mo, Po, Fo a hundred times.

Once you think you have Pin Yin cracked start on basic vocab. Then 121 class time can be spent learning the use of the language to imprint the rote learning in the long term memory.

Lots of rote learning can be done before you start a class. The best MP3 lessons for the casual learner is Chinese Pod.