Debating between CET Harbin or Bincai

[pdchao]

Hi everyone,

I definitely want to study Chinese and be fully immersed. After reading many forums, it seems Harbin is a great place to learn and avoid the "er" sound which I really dislike. The only problem is I don't know which program to choose: either CET Harbin or Bincai. Could some people give some more pros and cons or experiences and tell me what they think?

The most likely reason why I'm leaning towards Bincai is because of pricing; however CET has some great recommendations vs Bincai has ...not so many.

Feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks everyone!

[pancake]

I'm currently living in Harbin.

I had a few trial lessons at Bincai. To be perfectly honest, I was not impressed with them. In the speaking class, for example, the teacher would openly mock the (flawed) accents of some of the Russians. I found it a bit mean spirited, but perhaps it was not intended as such.

I have only heard great things about CET Harbin. So if the money is no problem, that's what I would choose. If you're shopping for a cheap-ish language school, may I recommend the Korean-owned "Chao-en Academy" instead? Alternatively, for a more customised experience, the 1-on-1 teaching offered by http://www.1to1mandarinworkshop.com is great.

Hope this helps.

[pdchao]

Thanks for your insight! (= I'll definitely look up that school Chao-en. Are there any other good Chinese immersion programs? I am definitely interested studying in Harbin but I'm open to ideas.

[terryswift]

i have studied at bincai for two semesters, and all the teachers i have had have been very good. some of the teachers also work at the university programs, so you may get the same teacher you would have at a uni, but with a much smaller class-size. you can also opt for one-to-one , although then of course the tuition cost would be much higher (too high actually, you could find cheaper even in beijing).

the school itself occupies two floors of a building pretty much across the street from HIT, and the staff seem quite proud of the way the school is decorated. but, i think one problem with bincai is that some of their classrooms are really not rooms at all, in that there arent doors and/or four walls enclosing them; the overall space on the two floors is relatively small - often there are many students speaking with their tutors (which you could have daily for free) or classmates in the common areas, as well as other classes in session, and it can be too noisy if you have class in one of those spaces . the actual classrooms (with the doors) are fine (albeit too small and crowded if there are 8 students, but i have seen few classes that large).

bincai can also process visas. they have dormitory style housing as well; it is very convenient, but too expensive if you are staying for longer-term study. .

i have never been to the korean school mentioned in a previous post, but a friend of mine goes there and actually prefers it to bincai. maybe the tuition is even a little cheaper than at bincai. but from my own experience, i think bincai is an excellent value, and would recommend it as a very good place to study chinese.

PROS;

cheap tuition (for the small classes, not one-to-one)

small class-size (except for hsk prep classes, 3 to 8 students per class)

flexibility (you can choose textbook - as long as 3 students want to study it they will open the class)

free tutor available

very good teachers (in my experience)

CONS;

some of the spaces they use for classes are not enclosed, i.e. sometimes too noisy and not suitable for a class

student body not particularly diverse; i would estimate 80% korean, 10% russian, 10% other.

...of course this is all my own opinion, i could be wrong...

[pancake]

I think Bincai is difficult to beat on price for sure. I am happy to hear that your experience with them is more positive terryswift. Regarding the pros and cons, I have compiled a similar list for Chao-en below.

PROS:

Very competent and friendly teachers.

Excellent value tuition.

Karaoke competitions.

Basement restaurant serving great Korean food.

CONS:

A bit too Hanzi focused for my taste, has a "Korean cram school" flavour to it.

Lack of student body diversity, which (to be fair) merely reflects the reality that the vast majority of expats in Harbin are Korean or Russian.

pdchao: I you are not looking to do all the groundwork yourself, I can recommend this company as facilitators. While I am normally a fan of the DIY ethos, I am positive that I would not have been able to come to Harbin to study without them. (My Chinese is terrible, though. Your mileage may vary.)

EDIT: Regarding CET Harbin, I recently heard some news about one of their staff members that makes me question how professional they really are. I promised the person who told me this not to repeat it on the Internet (he does not want "to get in trouble") so if you want the details, please send me a PM.

[Mi-mi]

Pancake, Do you know the rough pricing of tuition at Chao En? I am looking into studying at a pivate school in Harbin for a year, next September. Also consdering Bin Cai.

[pancake]

mi-mi: The exact tuition varies depending on the number of students and the current cycle of the moon (or something, was never really able to figure it out). I think Bincai is difficult to beat on price, but Chao-en is also very cheap. Maybe around 1500 per month or so?

[Menino80]

One more question--how much Korean is used in the classroom? I studied Mandarin at a buxiban in Seoul and it was 50% Korean, which I found to be useless.

also, their contact info can be found at http://www.hskchina.com/

But it's all in 한국어.

[pancake]

Menino80: You will be exposed to some Korean, but only from students talking among themselves. I found the teachers were very good at making sure it doesn't get out of hand.

[Menino80]

Great thanks for the info Pancake.

[fatduck]

I have been here at Bincai for about half a year now and so far I am pleased with the school and the quality of teaching. It's a good value for the money, you get the same amount of class time as the universities, plus the school also provides free tutor lessons daily. The tutor lessons are hit and miss; you get some really good tutors, along with some mediocre ones from time to time but either way you are still practicing your Chinese.

The University programs may be a little more structed than Bincai, but they have too strong an emphasis on Hanzi for my taste. I have not studied at University so I can't speak from experience, however I know a few people who said the University program was not interesting, nor engaging and have since switched to Bincai or other private institutions.

To address what Terryswift said, yes the classrooms can definately be noisy, especially in the morning when the school is at it's busiest. When I first started here I found it hard to concentrate when in class, but after a little while I realized that the noisy classrooms were actually quite good for my listening and speaking. In China you will never find yourself in a situation where you are speaking to someone in Chinese and the surrounding environment is not noisy, whether it be on a train, bar, restaurant, the street, etc...(other than at home). So this has actually helped with my listening and speaking.

I am sure the CET program is great, but when I checked it out the tuition and accomodation fee for just one semester is $10,450 USD. That is almost six years worth of classes at Bincai. You could hire a full time, round the clock personal Chinese teacher for well over a year for that price.

Tutors in Harbin are cheap (10-20RMB/hour) so you can get lots of practice outside class.

That is my take on things. I would go with Bincai if I were you.

[Riley-G]

I've been at Bincai for just under a month now, and I'm quite enjoying it, which is one of the downsides to Bincai. It provides a good-natured and relaxed environment to learn Chinese, which on one hand makes going to class an enjoyable experience, but on the other hand it does not necessarily provide an intensive studying environment. You have to still largely motivate yourself. The classrooms are new, clean, and classmates/teachers are friendly and supportive. The teachers however are not overly intense and will not be hard on correcting or challenging you. If you don't do your homework, don't understand or don't even turn up they really don't mind. In my experience they follow the textbook quite closely, and often tell you the answer before you are given a chance. As a comparison, a year ago I studied in a private school in Beijing, and the teacher was relentless at correcting my pronounciation and tones, to the point of utter frustration. I have hardly been corrected at all here, which gives me confidence to speak, but does not prepare me as well for the outside world. Also, there is no teaching of how to write, or how to associate and understand characters, you are simply told to route learn them by writing them down countless times. So, if you're looking for an intensive, creative and critical environment to study Chinese, Bincai might not be for you.

However... the price is pretty hard to beat, for 1400Y a month I get 4 hours of class 5 days a week (with a max of 8 people per class), and a free tutor (some days I have 3 hours of one on one tuition). So you can potentially clock up 7 hours of daily tuition. So if you are self motivated, disciplined at only speaking Chinese to classmates inside and outside the classroom, find a good one-on-one tutor (like a previous poster highlighted, they are pretty hit and miss), study at home and share an apartment with a Chinese person, then its a pretty good choice. Also, the vast majority of students at Bincai are Russian or Korean, so if you can't speak either of these languages, then you will only be able to communicate in Chinese. There is also not that much else to do in Harbin, so it provides a good immersion environment to study, with minimal distractions. Also, way cheaper living expense compared to Beijing, what I would be potentially paying for one months rent in Beijing, I can live here for 6.

I would only go to CET if I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship, paying those exorbitant fees is somewhat criminal in a town where an average wage is at the very most around A$200 a month.

All the best with making your decision!

[kreoss]

Hi all, am thinking of studying there this June till maybe late fall, any updates on the Bincai experience?

[kala]

Same here, I'm trying to decide which school would be the best in Harbin. I plan to concentrate on improving my speaking skills, hanzi I can study on my on. I'd go already in July and stay for one month. All info would be appreciated