interested in BLCU... but I don't know where to start!

[carmelalalala]

Hi! I'm a senior in high school here in America, and I want to major in Chinese. Although I'm mostly going to a university here after I graduate, it isn't such a bad idea to study Chinese in China itself.

I'm currently taking a first-year chinese class in high school, so my chinese is still pretty basic. Here are my first questions:

1. Can I major in Chinese in China at BLCU if i know little Chinese?

I was browsing this site and the BLCU website itself, and I'm confused with the whole HSK deal. In my understanding, you can't enroll in the BA program if you don't pass the HSK test. If I know little Chinese, then I wont be able to major in Chinese at BLCU?!?! (correct me if I'm wrong, I'm reall confused )

2. Should I take the short term intensive courses first, then after that take the HSK, then enroll in their BA program?

Please help! I'm really curious about being an international student and studying abroad in China! Thanks!

[roddy]

If you enrol on a 4-year Chinese-language-for-foreigners type of course*, you won't need any prior knowledge. If it's a BA in something else but taught in Chinese, you need a certain level of Chinese - usually shown by an HSK level.

*Which I wouldn't recommend, as a) it's possible to study for a year and get your Chinese up to a level which lets you jump in to the third year of the BA and B) you'll come out with language skills and not much else. Spend six months to a year getting the Chinese needed for entry to a 'proper' BA, do the BA, and you'll have a better degree, and probably better language skills.

That said, generally advice is not to do your undergraduate degree in China at all.

[Lu]

What roddy said. The best choice imo would be to study Chinese language and culture at home, and go on exchange in China for a year. If your university doesn't offer an exchange program, find one outside of your uni, or just go by yourself.

[Meng Lelan]

Agree with roddy. Look into the University of Illinois at Urbana if you want to major in Chinese. When I was there, the engineering school had tons of Chinese on whom I practiced after Chinese class.

[carmelalalala]

Meng Lelan, thanks for the advice! I already applied to different schools though and I don't have enough time to finish my application before the deadline, so maybe I'll just transfer there in the future if I end up not liking the college I will go to this fall

Thanks for the other advice tho! I thought that it was very helpful and I was relieved, lol My mom wont let me study abroad for college anyway, but I still found the responses very useful.

My current plan now then is to..

1. Major in Chinese here in America

2. Study abroad maybe during junior/senior year or take the summer courses in china that they offer!

Thanks.