Beida - Chinese Language Course - how easy is it to change courses?

[susie10216]

Hi,

I am going to Beida for the Chinese Language Course in September. Since I already have a good foundation in Chinese, I wonder how easy it would be to switch to more advanced courses if the classes are too easy.

Also, is it possible to study other subjects on top of the normal language classes?

Anyone out there with similar experience?

S

[Xiwang]

It's not encouraged but it's pretty easy to switch language classes after the courses have started. I had one classmate last semester who didn't even bother to take the placement exam. About a week into the semester, after coming back from traveling, she just picked the classes she wanted and then enrolled.

As for taking on more classes, it depends on your level. At the beginning level, your courses are set for you. At the intermediate and advanced levels, you are supposed to sign up for a couple of language electives. However, "you are not encouraged to attend more than 20 class hours a week."

If you're truly an advanced student, you may be able to enroll in regular non-language classes at the university with the Chinese students.

If you're ambitious, you can try to audit classes unofficially at the university if the course instructor doesn't mind. Friends of mine were very happy with classes they audited in the business school and international relations department. I was very impressed by the Chinese students in the law school class I attended (although I eventually dropped it because it did not fit with what I wanted).

[Scoobyqueen]

With regards to your first question about changing classes I seem to remember having read a thread here about people doing that and it not being that easy. You can search the forums for that/those threads.

[imron]

If you are going to Beida, you will have a placement test at the start of the semester that tests your Chinese level. You will then be placed in the appropriate class, or given permission to take classes with regular Chinese students, depending on your Chinese ability. When I was there in 2002, there was both a written and a spoken test.

[fritz]

I don't think the placement exam will have a spoken part - normally they just test your listening skills and place you in an appropriate kouyu class based on this.

During the summer course at Beida they gave students time limit, saying that they could switch classes up until thursday on the first week of classes. You may be able to switch classes after this as well, but expect some resistence from the intl students office.

[imron]

Things may have changed, or perhaps it's different for the summer course as opposed to the regular semester courses, but as I said, when I was there a few years back there was definitely a separate spoken exam in addition to the listening/reading/writing exam.