For a person who has no knowledge of Chinese, who is willing to spend 6 months to a year in Shanghai, to eat and breath Chinese. Looking for a established language school, hopefully one that provides room and board.
2007-02-20 01:36:41 · 6 answers · asked by grapevino 1 in Travel ➔ Asia Pacific ➔ China
Thanks for the answers, I am now leaning towards going to a university (6 months to a year), enroll in some kind of Chinese immersion program, and finding my own place to live through Craigslist.
Any suggestion as to which university I should check?
2007-02-21 03:15:32 · update #1
There are at least ten universities in Shanghai where you can take Chinese courses for a semester. I recommend:
-Fudan University (one of the top universities in China but their language school is not the best)
-Tongji University (not far from Fudan, in the north part of the city), -Jiaotong University (more downtown and a decent language program),
-East China University of Science and Technologies,
-Shanghai International Studies University (more focused on language they have programs for Japanese and other languages as well).
Taking an university program is by far better than going with a local, at least if you are serious about learning Chinese. Locals girls maybe mostly looking for husbands or trying to improve their own English skills. Private schools are way too expensive and not worth the money. You can get a Chinese program at a local university for 1000 to 2000$, and it is good for your CV.
Hope it helps,
Chris
Pacific Satellite, Shanghai
http://www.shanghai-tv.com.cn
2007-02-24 03:41:33 · answer #1 · answered by sinovantage 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
journeyeast.org offers a "Marco Polo Immersion Program" that is seasonal, their next one is held during the summer. If you want full immersion then avoid Shanghai and set out for the countryside or a medium size city.
The price is about average for the amount of hours and tours you get, and when I did the one in January, they did these exotic immersion projects that got you involved with applying the practical aspects of thats days classrom exercise. I absolutely loved it.
They can also set you up with acredited semester programs at a discount through the government. Be wary of alot of chinese middle-man companies out there that mark up the price and provide substandard programs and touring.
PS> ThisShanghai.com may have better living resources than craigslist.. But keep in mind, any univ. study dorm situation is going to suck @ss! a decent place will cost you between 2500 and 4,000 rmb per month.. ($500 USD)
2007-02-21 12:16:43 · answer #2 · answered by Tom 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer about local girls willing to do whatever for 'language exchange' is right on the money. DON'T fall into that. I discourage the free language swap system. You get what you pay for here like everywhere else. Stick to the Universities (Fudan, Jiaotong, East China Uni. Science & Tech., or the like). Find a cheap place to live on your own nearby your school. You will learn as much from your chinese school mates if hag out with them.
If you have the money, you can enroll at one of the language institutes. I did that. It works great. My company paid for it becuase I had to speak the language. There are many of those. Someone else alluded to one. It is a good place. There are others.
Be aware that getting a visa for what you are talking about is no small feat. Start early on that!! Be careful with the eat, sleep and breathe part. China will wear you down and take a toll on you. Find some friends from your home country as well. They will help keep you sane and keep you from saying to hell with this place and heading home prematurely. Good luck. Tsie Jian, xin nean kuaile!
2007-02-21 08:41:37 · answer #3 · answered by jason s 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As mentioned by someone on the forum here, there are many locals who are more than willing to teach you Mandarin if you are willing to teach them English. No established language school will provide room and board....BUT, I am very sure, if you "search" harder in the classified advert...you will find a local woman who will be able to provide you room and board in exchange for some free expensive meals, branded stuff, romance (read: sex) and maybe leading to marriage. Don't trust me? Well, go and see for yourself. The local women will do just about anything to "catch" a foreigner and most expatriates (men) knows that!!
2007-02-21 08:18:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The one that I went to is Mandarin House, they are very expensive. $500 (USD) for 60 hours. This is a private school more for foreigners arriving in China for work. However there are a lot of people that can teach you Chinese if you are willing to teach them English. I don't know if there are any schools that will house you & also teach you Chinese. You probably want to go to the local colleges/universities for that.
2007-02-20 23:03:56 · answer #5 · answered by grendeth 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The best way is to speak chinese to local
2007-02-20 22:49:46 · answer #6 · answered by White Shooting Star of HK 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋