Studying in China

Ever wanted to learn Mandarin? Are you already studying Mandarin but are frustrated by your lack of progress? Well, I can't recommend strongly enough how important going to study in China is. Once you arrive, you will be amazed at the speed of progress just from being immersed in the language and culture. Below is some information on this topic which I have gathered from my own personal experience studying Mandarin in China.

Mandarin Courses

Most Chinese universities offer short-term and long-term Intensive Chinese Language Programs ranging from one month to one year in duration. Most of these programs follow a very similar format, offering various levels from beginner to advanced focusing on speaking (口语 kǒuyǔ), listening (听力 tīnglì), intensive reading (精读 jìngdú) and writing (写作 xiězuò). Most universities also offer additional classes such as business vocabulary, calligraphy, Tai Chi, etc. The main class structure is usually four hours a day five days a week.

You'll find that the way everything is set up, you are generally kept away from the local Chinese students and are always around foreign students. The foreign student dormitories are usually in separate buildings, you sit classes in a separate college or floor to Chinese students, and there are usually very few social events organised that are designed to mix foreign and local students. This will vary from university to university of course, but this has been my experience. 

For this reason you will need to take some initiative to immerse yourself in the language by making friends with the local students. If you hang around with other native speakers of your native language you will always revert back to that language, no matter how hard you try to speak Chinese. In this case you will make much slower progress. 

You'll find making friends with the local students is actually quite easy. They are very keen to get to know foreigners, however this is usually because they want to practise their English. Try and speak Chinese as much as you can without reverting to your native language, even if you know you are making mistakes. I would even suggest trying to "forget" your native language while you are there.

I studied Chinese for one semester at Shaanxi Normal University in 2010, and I will study for one year at Tsinghua University in Beijing in 2014, so I will talk about my experiences with those two universities.

陕西师范大学
Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an

This university has quite a bit of history behind it, and is relatively well-known around China, although it is not considered to be one of the top universities

The classes here are given at the International College of Chinese Studies (国际汉学院 Guójì Hàn Xuéyuàn) on the old campus on Chang'an Nan Lu (长安南路) at the southern end of the city. 

I found the Chinese language course to be very educational and well-structured. The administration and teaching staff were all very friendly and helpful. Classes ran from 8am to 12pm Monday to Friday, with two subjects per day and short ten minute breaks every hour.

Xi'an's ancient city wall.

The Drum Tower, Xi'an.

There were regular optional extra-curricular activities organised, such as trips to the local attractions like the History Museum, the Wild Goose Pagodas (大雁塔 Dà Yàntǎ / 小雁塔 Xiǎo Yàntǎ), and the Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑 Bīngmǎyǒng). There are also many other interesting sights around the city, such as the ancient city walls, the Drum Tower (鼓楼 Gǔlóu) and the Bell Tower (钟楼 Zhōnglóu).

Accommodation in Xi'an is quite cheap compared to the rest of the country, and off-campus accommodation is usually cheaper than the on-campus accommodation. When I was there, I rented a fully furnished studio apartment on the sixth floor of the new Hengda Guoji (恒大国际) building on Chang'an Nan Lu (长安南路) directly across the road from the university gates. This cost me 350 RMB per week, whereas the shared dorm room was around 400 RMB per week. 

The tuition ranges from 1000 RMB for one week to 15,000 RMB for one year. 

You'll find almost everything you need on Shi Da Lu (师大路), including restaurants, a post office, passport photo shops, and even a café! Although, one coffee costs 20 RMB, which is the same price of a big bowl of noodles or a dish with meat and rice.

The Bell Tower, Xi'an.

清华大学
Tsinghua University, Beijing

This university is very well-known both internationally and within China. It is considered by the Chinese to be one of the top universities in the country. It has a long history, and an outstanding reputation.

The Chinese Language Program costs 12,600 RMB per semester, and the on-campus accommodation costs 560 RMB per week. Unlike Xi'an, it is cheaper to live on-campus. 

Make sure you pay attention to all communications sent to you as this university is quite competitive with a very large number of students trying to get in, so make sure you apply for everything as early as possible and don't miss any deadlines. 

For example, you only have two days to register, and if you miss the registration date, you will breach the conditions of your visa and your admission to the university will effectively be cancelled. This year the registration dates are 17 and 18 February, one week before classes start.

The Old Gate, Tsinghua University, Beijing.

The dormitory booking system was only open for a 24 hour period and they stress that it's first in first served. The system opened at 8:30am on 22 January Beijing time, and I managed to complete my booking by 8:32am, so lets see if I get one of the rooms with a park view!. There are single rooms, twin rooms and double rooms all equipped with a TV, air-conditioning, furniture, internet access and a bathroom. There are shared kitchens and a 24-hour reception.

The Auditorium, Tsinghua University, Beijing.

Click here for information on Tsinghua University's Chinese Language Program, and here for an overview of the program's structure.

I'm due to start studying in mid-February, so watch this space for more information about what it's like studying at Tsinghua in about a month's time.

 

Sample JW202 Form

The Application process

You'll find that during the application process, everything is left to pretty much the last minute. This is very normal. I had to wait and apply for my visa just four weeks before I was due to fly out, as I had to wait for the Admission Notice and JW202 form to be sent to me first. 

For this reason, I would suggest that you don't book your flight dates too far in advance of the registration date, as you may not have time to apply for a visa. If you intend on arriving on a tourist visa then changing to a student visa, you will have to leave China to do so. You'll find more information on this in my post titled Applying for a Chinese Visa.

Flights 

You can find flights if you book early. From Australia, China Southern Airlines tends to be cheaper. They fly to Beijing but with a stop-over in Guangzhou. They are usually around AU$800 return. Another airline with good prices is Air China which flies directly from Australia to Beijing. 

If you look at other airlines, it's usually cheaper to fly in through Hong Kong then take a train or domestic flight. This depends on where you're heading, of course.