What is the best full-time Mandarin program in HK?

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  1. #1

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    Oct 2008
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    What is the best full-time Mandarin program in HK?

    Hello,

    I would like to know what the best full-time Mandarin program is in HK. I am looking at the Chinese program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which has a reasonable price. Are there any alternatives to this program with comparable quality?

    Also I have gathered that under a student visa it is illegal to work. However, in order to pay off any tuition at the Chinese program, I would like to teach English. Is there any way to do this under a student visa, or must it be off the books? Is teaching English with only a student visa common, or is it impossible to do?


    Thanks for any advice.


  2. #2

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    no you can't work

    and

    you need to show immigration 50k/semester for a visa


  3. #3

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    I'm not going to provide any information or comments about working while on a student visa. I am sure some people here will provide you with some feedback or opinion about that.

    However, I think your choice of learning institute is quite good. I can tell you I have done a fair bit of research while here trying to find the best provider for my needs. The Chinese University of Hong Kong was a standout. If you can start with them, that's who I'd go for.

    My problem has been that I'm a non-Cantonese speaking learner who's not a beginner. There are loads of courses for beginners, but those beginners must lose interest when it starts getting hard, because there's not much available at all beyond that, apart from private tuition, which is pretty costly. So I'm still waiting for a course with enough numbers at my level.

    You might also wanna look at Hong Kong Language Learning Centre. I also had a pretty good feeling about Puhua Language Education Centre , because they made no secret of the fact that they expected students to work and to also study reading and writing.


  4. #4

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    I second the Chinese University recommendation. Quite a few of our members have had good experiences with them.


  5. #5

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    they'll do smaller classes if you pay more


  6. #6

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    thanks for your replies. I'm currently in Japan and they allow students to work so long as they apply for extra permission, the reason being its too expensive to just study for a prolonged period of time without working. In fact, desperate foreigners are more a liability without money since they are more prone to do illegal things (steal, rob etc).

    My question is, how does HK expect foreign students to survive? I find it hard to believe that eveyr foreign student in HK is self-sufficient on savings for 2 years (or however long it takes to complete a language program).

    If I may ask, for those of you who stayed here on a student visa, what did you do to survive (aside from savings)? If you are uncomfortable saying it publicly, I wouldn't mind a PM.

    thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions thus far. I think I have decided of CUHK based on the info provided. It just seems a bit more structured, though I am also not an absolute beginner so I'll have to see if they can accommodate.


  7. #7

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    Its easy, you learn to live within your means. You can spend as much or as little as you like in hk.


  8. #8

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    Can I ask why you're coming to Hong Kong to learn Mandarin?

    If that's your only reason for coming here, then I wonder whether you're open to the possibility of doing your study in Chiha. In China, your study should be considerably cheaper, and if you choose the right city, your cost of living will be much easier to manage without a job. Plus you'll have the enormous benefit of being immersed in the language. Again, if you choose the right city, English speakers will be the exception rather then the rule so you'll have no choice but to improve your Chinese at a rapid pace.

    In Hong Kong, you'll actually have to create opportunities to speak Mandarin. It's just not a part of everyday life. Yes, you could speak with many local people in Mandarin, but when you do so, you're really asking them to communicate in a language which is neither your native tongue nor theirs. So it would be much more practical for them to just use English with you.

    Whatever you decide, good luck. It's a great language, and is really rewarding to learn, because it opens the channel between you and an awful lot of Chinese people.


  9. #9

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    I'm actually deliberating between HK and Shanghai.

    You have raised very meaningful points. Please bear in mind that I have only visited HK and not Shanghai so I can't really speak about the latter. When I visited HK I was actually drawn to its international crowd. For example, I was pleased to find really good Indian food. I have spent extended time in Singapore and while HK was not IMO as international, I still got that good multicultural feeling. I realize that this poses a problem towards learning the language, but I am looking for a place to work after study and would enjoy a job that uses both English and Mandarin.

    Another reason I have been looking at HK is because I want to learn traditional Chinese. As difficult as it is to handwrite it, I am drawn to its aesthetics and just have a personal problem with simplified Chinese. Its very silly, I know.

    I have also heard the numerous health concerns of living in mainland China, though inevitably all the smog and food circulates so I suppose its a moot point.

    If anyone has experience in Shanghai, could you provide any insights to this comparison.

    At the end of the day I just want to be in big city so either will do. I have lived in Tokyo and New York and HK felt at times similar in a good way, but again, I have yet to hit up Shanghai so I do not know.


  10. #10

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    Although, you are considering Shanghai I would also recommend that you look at Beijing, also suggest applying directly to the school and not through some external study abroad program/agency.

    Peking University (Beijing DaXue) en.pku.edu.cn
    People's University (RenMin DaXue) 中国人民大学
    Beijing Culture & Language University www.blcu.edu.cn

    You can always ask if the professors if they can assist you with traditional Chinese - when I was at BeiDa several of my classmates were doing just this - the professors was more than happy to assist.

    You could also consider programs other universities in other cities throughout China.

    Last edited by Alby; 16-10-2008 at 07:26 AM.

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