The best Mandarin language programs in Beijing or Shanghai

[mlaeux]

I need your opinion on the best language program in Beijing or Shanghai. I'm looking for some place that has bilingual English teachers. Please post the link, if you can. Price is a factor, as well as, the general location of the school. It can be a university or private school. Either one is OK, as long as there is no history of problems getting a residence permit and the cost is reasonable.

[zhouhaochen]

alright, I work for Live the Language, so I am biased, but as you are asking for links, here we go:

www.livethelanguage.cn

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=110317565677699

http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2010/10/05/Path-of-Immersion-Andy-Zhou-of-Live-the-Language-school

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/26383-live-the-language-ltl/

I leave it up to others to comment on the quality

[Duncan Leung]

Hey mlaeux,

I'm studying at 1on1 Mandarin now (in Beijing), and they do mostly (surprise surprise) one to one Chinese classes; heh.

You can check out their website at http://www.1on1mandarin.com/

I also did my research on other schools like BLCU, Tsinghua, Sinoland, Global Village, The Hutong School, etc. and compared to those other schools, 1on1 Mandarin is up there in price (though if you take afternoon classes the prices are cheaper). I took a sample class at 1on1 Mandarin and really liked the quality of teachers- I'm looking at it as a good investment =p since I do plan to work and live in in China after I'm done with my schooling, and am not here just for a short summer/semester term; I need my Chinese education to count! =)

I didn't get to check out http://www.livethelanguage.cn/ when I was researching schools, but I did see their feature in The Beijinger. I guess that counts for something =)

Hope you find a school that you like and that fits your needs!

[Mai]

Unless there is a specific reason you HAVE to be in Beijing or Shanghai, I suggest you find a language program in a smaller city. You want a place where you have more opportunity to speak mandarin and less opportunity to depend on your English. Also, there are much cheaper, and more interesting places to live. I learned mandarin by hiring a private tutor in Beijing. I only did this because I was working the whole time, otherwise I would have done an intensive study program somewhere. My tutors english was excellent but I am not sure how relevant this was.

There is an amazing language program in Harbin. It's very intensive, but the location is ideal (less cosmopolitan - less english speakers) and the program really does FORCE you to use mandarin. You actually have to sign a contract saying you will only speak Mandarin while you are there. i am not sure how much the program costs, but you will save money by not living in a big city and living in a dorm (which I believe goes along with the program).

There is a similar program in Xi'an that runs more frequently during the year and is in a much nicer climate.

Hope you find a language program that suits your needs.

[knadolny]

Some people love BLCU's teaching style and some people couldn't stand it. I enjoyed my experience there (although things might be a bit different now...I was there in 04-05), but I had friends who wanted to switch.

You should find the spot you like best. One on one teaching is great for some people, but is not for everyone. In Japan, they say small class sizes are bad because you have less people to collaborate with.

It seems that Beijing has a good amount of new schools to fit people's tastes so think about what you want and then go from there.

[jmhcali]

I have mixed feelings about BLCU's style ... on the one hand, the teachers (my teachers, anyway) are really excellent. On the other hand, they are really, really wedded to following the book, especially the dialogues. On the other hand, there are very few native English speakers in my class. The advantage of this is that my friends here tend to speak poor English, so when we are together even outside class, we speak Chinese. I think this is the advantage of having larger class sizes. Speaking with other people who know about as much Chinese as I do is a really low-pressure way to practice.

[greenarcher]

Among BLCU, Peking University and Tsinghua University, BLCU is the most specialized in teaching Mandarin to foreign students but has also the most lax short term (one semester / one year) program among the 3. By lax I mean there are no regular exams outside the usual midterm and finals. Homeworks are most of the time optional depending on the professor.

My friend who studied in both BLCU and Shanghai Jiaotong University said that it it's even more lax (and easier) in Shanghai universities.

Personally I believe it all depends on the student.

As for Beijing VS Shanghai, IMO there's a lot more things to see and do in Beijing including more opportunities to interact with the locals. Shanghai is a quite a boring city when compared to Beijing.

[amandagmu]

I think a lot depends on your level. If you are just beginning now, go to Beijing and Shanghai because you'll feel more comfortable and the program really doesn't matter too much. After you get your feet wet and can say a few phrases (a few months later) switch.

If you already have a knowledge of advanced beginner/intermediate or above, I liked one-on-one mandarin (through Skype), located in Beijing. I will go to the actual school next month for night classes--they have good teachers who teach in a similar ICLP/IUP style and with emphasis on you rather than handholding the other 14 foreigners in your class (my experience at BLCU). ICLP in Taiwan was good for my intermediate level when I first entered, mostly because I jumped a few levels over 3 quarters with them, but they are ridiculously overpriced and like IUP at Tsinghua they require applications months and months in advance (it's a selection program; you need to be intermediate level already).

I have also heard many good things about the Harbin program (HUT - through CET I believe), but that's coming from upper intermediate and advanced students.

[Jamasian]

I definitely hated studying in 上海，but that's the best place for English speaking teachers probably. It will be expensive though. I would say choose a smaller city. I studied in 成都 and it's much more effective and cheap. You can always meet with people to organize an English network if you need it.

Edited December 14, 2010 at 11:45 AM by imron
color and font

[jmhcali]

Oh yeah, re: BLCU -- only one of my three teachers speaks decent English. Classes are taught entirely in Chinese, so it doesn't matter much, and my tutor speaks pretty good (not fluent) English.

But if the teacher's English competency is important to you, don't come to BLCU.

[JonBI]

That's a bonus. The one teacher I have who speaks a little English relies to much on it and uses it to explain to many words that we know the Chinese explanation for. Then again, I didn't arrive as a beginner. Either way, this isn't the best place to learn if you are paying, unlike me who goes where the paying Chinese government tells me.

[JenniferW]

I'm looking for the same thing - somewhere recommended for one-to-one classes, for a short period of 2 to 3 weeks, in Beijing, probably in March.

Out of the postings so far, really only 1on1Mandarin has been recommended. Anywhere else?

[lanzhoumian]

I am studying at Live the Language and I would recommend them. I have a very good teacher (dont actually know what her English level is, we only speak Chinese during class) and like the atmosphere at the school.

I also spent some time at BLCU. I had a good time there, great bar scene, though you get to speak more Korean than Chinese there, but I feel I am progressing much faster now than I did back then there.

[abcdefg]

There is an amazing language program in Harbin.

There is a similar program in Xi'an that runs more frequently during the year and is in a much nicer climate.

What programs are you referring to?

[TailorMade Chinese Center]

Dear Jennifer,

I would like to introduce you the school I'm working for.

TailorMade Chinese Center specializes in providing Chinese language training to foreigners, and it is located in the heart of the CBD close to « The Place ».

It is our mission to provide each student with the most appropriate tools to learn Chinese, and we believe the following assets represent our main strengths:

• Professional teachers, all university graduates with a major in “Teaching Chinese as a Second Language”. They were rigorously selected for their professionalism and trained to match our quality standard.

• A clear, practical, and up-to-date method developed by our team to focus on the right issues.

• An efficient management of your training process, starting with the precise definition of your objectives before designing the most adapted program, and then carefully monitoring your own progression so that real-time adjustments can be made when necessary.

• A total flexibility to adapt to your needs and availability.

To sign up for a free lesson and make your mind up, or to get any complementary information please contact me by email: jf.pouliquen@tailormadecc.net or by phone: 13910437734.

This may also be a good opportunity for you since a 20% discount offer is currently applying on all Chinese lessons for Chinese New Year.

Jeff

www.tailormadechinese.com

[mike39]

I work are at one of language school mentioned here, but I will not say which one ;) I recommend that you try out some of the schools, I know that a lot of schools will give you a class or two for free. You can always try out the schools and see which teachers seem like the best fit for you. Hope this helps.