Hi there!
Can anybody recommend a Chinese Intensive langauge Program (2-3 months) at one of the universities in Shanghai or Beijing?
Many thanks!
J

Right now, Im studying Chinese in Beijing in the Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU). For further information just have a look on www.blcu.edu.cn.

Hope, you can learn the language properly. Its amazing with all these characters...

Good success!!

Rainman

Hi Rainman!
Thanks for the link, I have heard about the program and have had a look at their website. Is this Haidian district far from the center? I remember that the Summer Palace was a little outside the center, so do you have the chance to go out easily or do you spend most time on campus? also, are you enrolled in the 3 months or 6 months program?
Thanks again!

I've been considering this question for some time, and have asked a great number of professors about this. This is what I've learned:

The top school is IUP at Tsinghua (it's not run by Tsinghua, but hosted there). Very difficult to get into, and very expensive. But I've been told that none compare.

Other good programs I've heard about include the Princeton program at Beijing Normal, the CET program in Harbin, and the International Chinese Language Program at National Taiwan University.

The NTU website is kind of tricky to find. Here it is http://ccms.ntu.edu.tw/~iclp/

I've heard from many participants to stay far away from the following programs: the Nanjing-Hopkins center, the Cambridge, and anyone who does anything at Beijing University (Peking U).

For students who are very motivated, and who don't mind some disorganization, I've heard wonderful things about BLCU. It seems that foreign students from Europe go there exclusively. It does have a good environment. But you have to kick yourself in the pants to learn more than is required (or so I've heard).

What's up with the prevelant assumption in China that non-Asians can never learn fluent Chinese? It's almost entertaining. (However, it also conditions many of their language programs as well).

Jeeze, I forgot about FALCON at Cornell. Awesome as well. I'm starting there in the fall. It's half at Cornell, and half at IUP (see previous post). Very much looking forward to it.

Hi Zotigrillo,
yes, I have also heard that IUP is the best, it used to be the "Stanford Center" in Taiwan and they do have harsh entry requirements. But, as you say, all of these programs have hefty tuition fees. I therefore had a look at the Chinese university homepages and looked for language programs without an intermediary foreign institution. As it turned out, the fees are much lower if you contact them directly. I was looking mainly for Shanghai universities and almost all of them offer language programs. But i guess the difference lies in the teaching method. At Chinese universities you will be with around 15 other foreigners in one class and the teaching is Chinese style, meaning not much interaction.
have you heard of any prestigous programs in Shanghai?
Julius

Well...

I was speaking to a Chinese friend of mine last year, before I started studying the language. He knew that I was going to take a year off of JD study to learn Chinese. He said to me, "I've studied English for more than 12 years...Since I was in elementary school, and through college... And my English still isn't that good. I don't think it's reasonable for you to expect to learn Chinese in just a few years."

There could be reasons why it takes 12 years in China to learn English... I worked at an English department in China for nearly a year, and I could share with you some reasons, but that's not for this forum...

I love Europe for their open-mindedness to languages. Northern Europeans often speak their local language, English, German and French perfectly. Many Eastern Europeans working in Western Europe speak five or six languages. Sure, French and German are both European languages... but five or six fluent languages?

I'm ranting (as usual... I only get on this website when I'm REALLY bored).

You're right, a Chinese program is very much cheaper. I think that BLCU is probably a good bet. There's also a great school across the street from Tsinghua called TainIn. They are REALLY awesome. They saved my butt when I wasted my tuition at Tsinghua to try and learn Chinese last summer. Lost of people go there, and they really rock.

As for other programs... Well, I wouldn't risk it. Really. You'll learn SO MUCH MORE with a well-trained teacher and a good book. No amount of will-power can make up for that.

Oh, another big reason why I went through Cornell is because I could get a pretty good financial aid package. I couldn't get that by going directly to IUP.

Hi everyone,

I'm also looking for a Chinese program in Beijing for one year of study. Between matters of tuition and timing, I'm trying to decide between BLCU and Tsinghua (but not IUP - too expensive! And I missed the deadline).

Rainman: what's your opinion of BLCU?

Zoticogrillo: can you explain what you mean by "...when I wasted my tuition at Tsinghua"? Were you referring to IUP or their standard program? I find a lot of online opinions about BLCU but hardly any about the non-IUP Tsinghua program.

Incidentally, I am a graduate of Cornell :) I studied mandarin there for 3 years but never took FALCON - although you are right, it is a fantastic program. I'm want to go to Beijing to refresh my mandarin and continue studying at a more advanced level.

Cheers,
Cat

Many thanks for the links zoticogrillo (the TianIn link doesnt seem to work though). Nice to hear your positive opinion about us Europeans, however, especially in the bigger countries people usually only speak English fluently (more or less..) but in smaller countries you do encounter some who master 3 or more (haven't met anybody with 5 however ;-))
J

Great to hear from a graduate of Cornell. Did you feel that you had a professional level of Chinese after 3 years at Cornell? What are the best China-related professors at Cornell (in any department)?

I'm sorry that the Tianin link doesn't work. I really hope that the school hasn't gone out of business, because it's the best bet out there.

I attended the non-IUP program, and it was a waste of time because the teachers had such very low expectations for my language acquisition abilities. I didn't learn anything. I had to re-take all the classes at the University of Washington. I've heard that kind of attitude is not as pervasive at BLCU.

Oh, to find someone in Europe who has mastered 5 languages, talk to a migrant. Many young Africans in Europe (and China) are impressive linguists.