Chinese language school in Hangzhou

[ex-Hongtongxian]

Has anyone studied Chinese at a language school in Hangzhou such as Chinesetown or Mandarin Capital? What was your experience? Any advice for very short-term study of just a few weeks?

Also, has anyone stayed in the foreign experts building of Zhejiang University? How are the accommodations?

Thanks in advance.

[swell]

I studied at ChineseTown for 4 weeks 2 years ago (September 2009), so although it's been a while, I'm hoping my experience might be helpful. I have to say I thought it was a very good school, much better teachers than a previous experience in Beijing.

There were not many day-time students at the time though, which made me wonder about the financial situation, although they had a chinese department (for learning english, french, spanish, italian, ...) and there were some expats taking evening classes as well. Maybe it was just not the season. For most of the time I was there, there were only two other day-time students, which wasn't too bad for me, and because our level wasn't the same it meant private classes for me instead of group classes (same price, but 3h or 3h30 instead of 4h).

The teachers were great, although two of them left for another school during and just after my stay there, but according to the school they just went to another branch from the same school.

The appartment they provide was decent, and the neighbourhood had lots of restaurants and a few practical places nearby, such as a small supermarket, pharmacy, a local night market and bus stops with busses going to the city center and the school. Location was okay, but taken into account the traffic during morning rush hours you should count about half an hour to get to school (busride + short walk) or to get to city center and the west lake. Hangzhou has a great bike rental system that costs almost nothing (first hour was free, and there are lots of bike docks all over town, including the school and the appartment), and taking a bike will sometimes prove faster than taking the bus. The bicycles are quite small though, which was a bit of problem for me (along with the humidity).

When I was staying at the appartment, after spending most of the first week on my own, I lived there with one of the other foreign students, one chinese student (who was studying french), and two young teachers from the chinese department (teaching english and italian), so it was an excellent way to practice my chinese.

So all in all it was certainly a great experience, and I would recommend both Hangzhou (beautiful city) and the school.

[Ru Si]

I am taking Chinese lessons twice a week from Flora at Mandarin Capital and making good progress. I recommend the school. Several foreign teachers at ZJUT are taking classes there.

[tinggianedmond]

hi, i plan to study mandarin at zhe jiang university in hang zhou.

does anyone one when the semester begin for this spring around february or march 2012 ? what are the procedures for enrollment ?

thx

[ex-Hongtongxian]

Our experience at Chinesetown (http://www.chinesetown.net/) was similar to the member from Belgium. There were very few students and mostly one-on-one classes. The teachers were college seniors who had not been trained in language pedagogy, so their effectiveness varied. (New language teachers should be trained, observed, and given constructive feedback.) However, they were able to work through textbooks with a student.

Classes were only in the morning, and it would be very easy to spend the rest of every day exploring Hangzhou with those convenient free bikes rather than studying... It might be easier to make lots of progress in a boring town with no distractions, which Hangzhou is not.

[czulsk]

Hello!!

I just wanted to tell you my experience going to a language center school in Binjiang and notice that you want to find a language center in Hangzhou. I don't know if you decided on one but I found one in Binjiang.. This school is cheaper than the schools around West Lake area. The school name is Say Hi Wai Yu 思每外语. The center is open everyday from 9:00 - 9:00 and they will be more than happy to schedule classes around your time and study needs.

I travel to this school from West Lake to Binjiang. Now the subway is open, and it's convenient to get to the center. The center is less than 5 minutes walk from BinHe Lu metro stop. The school is on the corner of the intersection FengHe Lu and JiangLing Lu. Also, located next to New Oriental Pop Kids.

I go there to have 1 on 1 Mandarin lessons and started about a month ago. I really enjoy the teachers there and I studied at Zhejiang University. Than I decided to go to Say Hi to practice more of my speaking because at a university there are to many students in a classroom. Not all teachers can help each student and work on their pronunciations. Another problem to study at a university, the vocabulary they choose for the lessons are not always practicable. At Say Hi I can practice my vocab and use their materials for daily life Chinese.

All teachers speak native level English and earned a degree to teach foreigners Chinese as a second language. I have fun learning with them and they really force me to use my Chinese even when I want to ask a question.

The individual you want to contact first is April. She can give you all the information you need from how much it will cost, how many classes you would like to take, and most important what will you benefit from the class. If you want, you can send April a QQ message and she will be more than happy to help you out. So do not hesitate. Contact April.

Contact information:

April

mobile #15158101791

QQ# 357784201

No. 781 FengHe Road,

Binjiang District, Hanagzhou

At the intersection of FengHe Road and BinHe Road.

Best of luck to you

[bmalla]

Hi guys.

I am looking at doing a language course in Hangzhou later this year. I don't really know any Chinese (Mandarin) at all but I though this would be a great way to learn. I am really nervous but I want to do this! I was just wondering if anyone had ever done, or knows anyone, who has done a language course with no prior knowledge. Also at the beginners level are classes all taught in Chinese or English?

These are just a few of the million questions I will no doubt have over the coming day and weeks, I hope somebody here can help!

Thanks folks

[abcdefg]

I was just wondering if anyone had ever done, or knows anyone, who has done a language course with no prior knowledge.

Most of us did exactly that. I certainly did (though not in Hangzhou.)

Also at the beginners level are classes all taught in Chinese or English?

Taught in English.

[bmalla]

It is such an exciting/terrifying prospect. How would you say your langue progressed in the early months. Little things like how long was it before you felt comfortable to go out on a wander and not worry about getting lost because you'd know how to get home, or at least you'd know how to talk to people enough to find a way home?

[abcdefg]

#9 -- I did not find it terrifying at any stage, though it was challenging. How you react to to being in an alien place when you don't know the language will depend a lot on your personality. Not the same for everyone, by any means.

[itssophia]

Hello there, I was wondering if someone could tell me whether the apartments arranged by ChineseTown language school in Hangzhou have internet access in the apartment that is decent and use-able in the evenings?