East China Normal University

[roddy]

Merged two topics - the same questions were getting cross-posted in both anyway.

[jonno921]

keown are you still studying at ECNU?

[titan]

jonno, ive been here on the intensive course for about 2 weeks now. there are four? levels i think. im right at the beginners.

if youre still looking for places to stay, i recomend areas around zhongshan park/ECNU as its real close to the uni. I take about 5 mins to walk to the main gate. i have friends who live further away in pudong and jingan, but they have to get up earlier to get the metro in, as class starts around 8.30am.

i found my place on craiglist. i recommend getting here and staying in hostel/hotel a few days so you can get a real good look at the places you want. prices vary from 1800-3000.

[szL]

Hello,

I am a Canadian Chinese male student new to ECNU and have just found the dormitories to be full =(.

If there's anyone out there with a spare room nearby or knows someone with one and could inform me, that would be greatly appreciated =)

Any tips and advice are also welcome xD

[lorenz]

@szL @Titan

Hi guys. I'm a 25 (Italian born!) Italian guy who will probably go to ECNU for a semester next September.

I'd prefer to live on campus, I guess it's better for 3 reasons: the distance, the price and the opportunity to meet some friends (both foregin and Chinese too).

For some reasons, I cannot apply before July, so I'm afraid to find the dorms full for that time.

When you sent your application?

By the way will you still be there in September? If I'll find the dorms to be full, maybe I'll contact you again on here to ask some advice to find a room...

[adeltjo]

Hi All! I'm 24, and I'm applying to ECNU for a year starting this September.

Can someone suggest places for accommodation? I want to live on campus, but I'm very picky on cleanliness. Also, reading from this forum, why are the dorms always full?

HEEELLPPP!! I'm SOOOOOO nervous just to think about apartment hunting.

[Hro]

I studied for a while (about three months) at ECNU in 2009. It wasn't an exciting learning experience and the teaching quality leaves much to be desidered. To be honest it felt like being in a Chinese middle school - the classes are way too crammed with clueless and not so motivated students who, luckily enough, are from all over the world. This gives you the flipside of having a great ambience and lots of fun. Sadly, professors are simply expecting you to do rote-learning gimmicks such as any other Chinese student would do. Doesn't really match the expectations and the study habits of a Westerner.

Learning materials are all published by the university itself and they're so good I'm still using them for my own individual learning programme, which I fully embraced after ECNU. Campus facilities are ok and are located in a pretty cool neighbourhood, not far away from Zhongshan Park and a great wealth of shops and restaurants.

It's a great "first impact" choice and I warmly recommend it to people coming to China for a short period of time who are not too serious about their language learning targets and requirements, but on the other hand want to experience Shanghai and meet tons of really cool people (and super hot female students if it's your thing - the Chinese candidate to Miss Universe comes from this school and the place has a reputation).

I abandoned the school because I discovered the killer combo Wenlin + QQ International + Lingoes and since then I've been learning by myself with these amazingly useful pieces of software. But if I had the time, the money, and the right mindset (happy-go-lucky rookie foreigner at his first Chinese experience) I'd gladly repeat the ECNU gig.

[MlleSofia]

Hey! I'm applying to both ECNU and SISU starting in September. My goal is to learn Mandarin for a while, then further my education in China.

I'm thinking about Translation/Interpretation, which usually requires a HSK 4. Hopefully I'll be able to achieve that in 2 semesters only. *fingers crossed*

I'm a little confused trying to pick one of these two schools.

1. SISU seems really good as a community. They have really good sports & accommodation facilities, and apparently they are lots of student organizations such as a dance troupe and all. Being away from home, I'd like to meet some people so that I wouldn't feel so alone - so obviously SISU has it's charm. This college has a Undergrad and Grad Program on Translation/Interpreting, which is really appealing as well.

2. ECNU is part of Program 211 and 985, so it has a reputation. They use their own textbooks, which are said to be much better than the standard ones, which are used in SISU. The school's library is 4x bigger than SISU's, but it doesn't look as good facility-wise. There are a lot less sports facilities, student organizations and, most importantly, the accommodation doesn't look as good and is more expensive!! ECNU also has a Undergrad and Grad Degree's in Translation, and apparently better teachers than SISU (?)

If any of you have attended either school, please let me know Thanks!

[roddy]

Any information about SISU should go here. Otherwise nobody will find it. You might want to repost any specific questions there.

[adeltjo]

So I've applied in ECNU and went on for 1 semester in the intensive course. I have to say, I love this campus a lot. The international students office staff are VERY friendly and helpful.

I came in the semester only knowing how to read and write 5 characters. I can speak better but not fluent. In 5 months, I am able to hold conversation with local Chinese, and I am able to write 300 words essay in full Chinese character. I love my teacher as well as she was SUPER helpful and attentive (intermediate level). However, I don't think the afternoon class is useful for me because it's too easy for my level (listening and speaking).

I'm continuing next semester in ECNU, but I have to move to the standard course due to my internship. I hope the teachers are better too. But hey, I came in not knowing anything but to speak broken Chinese, and only in 5 months, I am able to take HSK 4. I will be taking HSK 5 this year.

Oh, the teachers in this school are qualified teachers. They all have experience in teaching Mandarin as second language. I don't think other schools are as good as this. I have a friend who enrolled in another school the same time I did here. Apparently up to now, she still can't read the Chinese characters and is still unable to hold fluent conversation in Chinese.

[roddy]

Thanks for the follow-up!

[suthapipe]

Hi! everyone,

My name is Pipe from Thailand. Now, I am studied at Jiaotong university in long term chinese class for 5 months, my level is around 5 out of 10 levels.

The problem is I want to enroll in to 5 months Business Chinese in East China Normal University in next semester.

This course is taught in Chinese and quite expensive there. However, I dont know whether my chinese skills are good enough to learn.

Anyone had studied this course, or know someone who did, Pleaseee....

1) I want to know What is the minimum HSK level that help students understand the class material ?

2) Do they teach very well compared to Shanghai University of Finances and Economics and Shanghai Normal University?

3) Do you have any other best university in Shanghai that offer Business Chinese course for 5 months?

Love

Pipe : )))))))))

[roddy]

Hi Pipe,

I'm going to move this post to the ECNU topic. Also, perhaps you could give some advice on Jiaotong, here

[Lin You Le]

Hello,

On Jan. I'll go to 华东师范大学 to study one semester of Chinese and I'll live in dormitory, who already lived or is still living in dormitory knows if is possible to accommodate a guest sometimes or International Exchange Service Centre don't allow it in any way?

Thank you！

[adeltjo]

It's possible to bring a guest to the International Exchange Service Center, but you have to do it quietly so the security guard doesn't find out. But you cannot bring guests if you stay in the other dormitories. They have very tight security system because the guards are able to remember who live in the dorm.

[Lin You Le]

What about International Student Residence Hall?

Always when I go to my room I need to notify dormitory guards? I'll live alone in a International Student Residence Hall bedroom, but if I can't bring my friend to visit me and sometimes stay a night there I think will be better to me live off-campus..

 

How about dormitory guards? If my friend want to stay a night in my bedroom the guards will go to my bedroom ask him to leave?

[nichicca]

Hi guys!

I'm an Italian student, in the Spring semester I would like to attend the Special-Mandarin Training Program- "Mini-Class", but the course will not be available until there are at least two applicants. At present I'm the only applicant, is anyone interested to join this program? It is an intensive course, but in class there are only 2-5 people. I post the link to the program description.

http://lxs.ecnu.edu.cn/EnFront.do?method=findContentByChannel&parentid=51&kidid=652

[ryanthecat_taco]

Hello,

 

I just received the Chinese Government Scholarship (I am an American student), and need a letter of admission from a Chinese university by April 30th! I want to apply to ECNU, but no one responds to email/phone calls! How can I apply to ECNU online, and how quickly can I get a letter of admission? I want to apply to the regular Chinese language course for the Fall 2014/Spring 2015 year. Please and thank you!

[Lin You Le]

I'm an international student at 华东师范大学.

My major is Ancient Chinese History, especially History of Ancient Chinese Medicine. I come to China on January 10, and since then I'm studying at 华东师范大学.

Original I want to go to Zhongshan Daxue, in Guangzhou, but the staff and this university are very very bad, never answered my questions and sometimes was very rude.

Since the first time I contacted with 华师大 teacher's, they always answered me very fast and they're very kind, always able to help you about any problem. For example, I came to China almost two months before the classes begin and I live outside the school, so I had some problems to my manage by myself, and not just once one of 华师大 teachers, Jiang Li, even in her vacation time call me to know if everything was ok, if I needed some help, I was very touched. Even now, when I already used to China, sometimes she send me emails to know how I am.

Teachers in 华师大 are all very good also, and actually 华师大 is one of the best universities in the world to study Chinese (is the best university to study it in Shanghai, and ranking 5 in China)!

If you really like Chinese, if you are willing to study hard, I strongly recommend this university. Now I'm going to another university because of my major, but I'll never forget my experience, my classmates, and especially those teachers who I met in 华师大~

 

Obs: Sorry about my English, it`s not my mother language, and since I came to China I never talked English with anyone, so I almost forget how to type haha

[roddy]

Many thanks, glad you had such a good time.