hongputaojiu Posted February 20, 2011 at 04:39 PM Report Posted February 20, 2011 at 04:39 PM Hi there I have done a fair bit of looking into this on the forums, but am still undecided! Am hoping to get some suggestions from members that have had similar experiences. I am looking to choose a 6 week summer program. I am at an intermediate level, having studied at uni. This is what I am deciding between Beijing -- pluses: Mandarin area, some good unis to choose from, I know my way around the city -- minuses: I lived there for a number of years already, so not much wow factor, worried about falling into the sunlitun/laowai thing again, summer heat Kunming -- pluses: some good unis to choose from, never been there, natural beauty -- minuses: not standard Mandarin area Dalian -- pluses: Mandarin area, never been there -- minuses: unsure As I now live in EU, I really dont get the chance to get back to China very often, so this is quite a big thing for me to have 6 weeks off work to just enjoy studying Chinese, and I really hope to make a good decision! Uni credit is not a factor for me, but I was leaning towards a university program as I think (perhaps misguidely?) that the chances of the quality being higher would be at a university. Any advice or suggestions much appreciated. Cheers hongputaojiu Quote
amandagmu Posted February 21, 2011 at 08:22 AM Report Posted February 21, 2011 at 08:22 AM Do some more searching on this forum, but do not use the upper right corner search box; use the Google custom box in the upper left hand corner. I wrote some posts a few years back about Dalian + Liaoning Shifan Daxue. Sounds like it might be a good choice for you. Quote
abcdefg Posted February 21, 2011 at 11:15 AM Report Posted February 21, 2011 at 11:15 AM ...but I was leaning towards a university program as I think (perhaps misguidely?) that the chances of the quality being higher would be at a university. I don't think that assumption is correct for six weeks of study. Also, since you time is short, I'd look into one-to-one options to get the most bang for your buck. You will find varying opinions on this. Search for prior posts regarding Kunming. (That's where I study now.) It would make a refreshing change from Beijing, although you will hear lots of regional dialect spoken here. Quote
hongputaojiu Posted February 21, 2011 at 07:41 PM Author Report Posted February 21, 2011 at 07:41 PM thanks guys for ur suggestions. will follow them up. cheers hongputaojiu Quote
The World of Chinese Posted February 22, 2011 at 02:26 AM Report Posted February 22, 2011 at 02:26 AM You're not considering Harbin? Standard-as-heck mandarin, warm and DRY in the summer, nice (OK, kinda polluted but still nice) river to walk along, beer gardens everywhere, difficult to fall into the foreigner crowd because there isn't much of one.... If you want bang, look at CET Harbin. I did the summer program there a few years ago and it was by far the best thing I ever did for my Chinese. It ain't cheap, though, so you may need to find some scholarships. 1 Quote
mr.stinky Posted February 22, 2011 at 04:53 AM Report Posted February 22, 2011 at 04:53 AM go with kunming. exceptionally nice in the summer. less crowded, less pollution, lower cost of living. skip the unis. more expensive, less responsive to students' needs. you'll have a much better learning experience at one of the private schools. they can set up something short-term over the summer to meet your requirements. i studied at ELCEC a few years ago, can recommend them. now with two locations - central downtown, and northside. there is also KEATS, but i have no experience with them. Quote
anonymoose Posted February 22, 2011 at 05:06 AM Report Posted February 22, 2011 at 05:06 AM I don't know about universities, but these are my thoughts on Kunming and Dalian: Kunming - I've only been there for short periods traveling. In my opinion, it is somewhat over-hyped. I mean, it's pleasant enough, but I wouldn't say it stands out as a paradise on earth. The scenery in Yunnan in general is fairly spectacular, and also very varied from the mountainous north to the tropical south, but unfortunately, none of this is really apparent within the city of Kunming itself. Dalian - I lived there for a year, so I am fairly familiar with the city. Compared with many Chinese cities, I feel it is cleaner and more orderly (which, admitedly, is not comparing it against a high standard). For the purposes of learning Chinese, I think it would be a fairly convenient choice. On the other hand, being a relatively new city, there is very little by way of history. So, I wouldn't expect to get a huge wow-factor there either. Other cities worth considering: Qingdao (a lot like Dalian, but with more history) Hangzhou (nice scenic environment) Xi'an (one of the main historical cities in China) Xiamen (pleasant city, although maybe quite hot and sticky in the summer) Quote
abcdefg Posted February 22, 2011 at 11:56 AM Report Posted February 22, 2011 at 11:56 AM i studied at ELCEC a few years ago, can recommend them. now with two locations - central downtown, and northside. there is also KEATS, but i have no experience with them. These are both still good bets. Quote
hongputaojiu Posted February 22, 2011 at 09:22 PM Author Report Posted February 22, 2011 at 09:22 PM thanks everyone! but i fear more possibilities!! sounds like no matter which way i go should gave a good experience! am looking forward to it! cheers hongputaojiao Quote
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