East China Normal University

[Jenny Yan]

@Sharon_TooCongratulations!

Hi Sharon, can i ask you when did you started the applying process? Was this the only University that you applied for?

i am very interested in this program,and i want to become a decent Chinese language teacher as well.

我目前在科罗拉多州，中文是我的母语。一直在这边的语言培训学校教一些中文。但我发现会说中文并不表示一定会教中文，而会教也有不同的讲法。

所以我想通过学习来提高自身和教学水平,不仅仅更有效，也更有趣，让学生们能够爱上学习中文。谢谢你的帮助！

[iekkim]

@Sharon_Too I hope we get to meet and see each other there! I'm flying on the 8th but will be going to the school on the 10th.

 

I've just booked my ticket and received my visa. Cheers to new adventures and learning (and being independent)!

[艾墨本]

I'll be getting in on August 22nd.

[艾墨本]

Having been on campus at ECNU for the past couple months, I just wanna say a few things. I don't have the time to do a full write up but just in case anyone is considering coming here for a master degree in International Chinese Education.

 

1) Overall, the program is good and I recommend. It is not free from many of the limitations that come with studying in China. It is a 双一流 program, meeting that it is one of the best programs at one of the best universities in China as ranked by the Chinese government. I have high standards and am satisfied here.

2) 11 different classes a week. All but a couple are directly relevant to those who want to become Chinese teachers.

3) Very little "language training" is included. People come with a barely "HSK 5" (in quotes because not a good gauge of level) level and struggle horribly with classes. People do fail to get the master degree due to language ability. If you choose to start the program as an HSK 5 level Chinese student, be prepared to study a lot to catch up.

4) Chinese students and international students are separated and I have come to realize this was a great decision on the schools part. We attend class in the same two rooms every day that are next to each other and have plenty of time to connect with the Chinese students. They study nearly the same content but have higher expectation and standards.

5) Many classmates are from Chinese speaking backgrounds (华裔) and thus you are going to be compared to them in everything you do.

6) If you can't comfortably write a 2000 character, well structured essay in Chinese with only a few major mistakes, take a writing focused class before starting the program. This is what I should have done. You will need to write a 30,000 character thesis to graduate.

7) As mentioned above, people do fail (excluding those that decide not to finish) to complete the program because of a) can't finish the thesis, b) fail to defend their thesis (in Chinese), c) fail to meet the grade requirement (>85%) to keep their scholarship and can't afford to continue. 

 

Some things to consider.

[LinZhenPu]

On 11/10/2017 at 5:30 PM, 艾墨本 said:

grade requirement (>85%) to keep their scholarship

That's a high standard, 85% grade average is not an easy thing to accomplish. That's like getting a perfect 4.0 or straight HDs 7.0 grade point average.

[艾墨本]

A copy-and-paste conversation from my messages. (I verified it was okay to post this here with Devina, first)

 

请我介绍一下！ I am devina, from indonesia. I am reading a lot of your post regarding MTCSOL and found out you are enrolling MTCSOL in ECNU! congrats! I am planning to apply to ECNU too (fingers crossed!) but I am planning to apply the scholarship through Chinese government scholarship because I heard a lot of rumors about Confucius instititue Scholarship (how they cut the scholarship to 50% halfway and so on).

 

If someone's scholarship was cut halfway through it was because they didn't satisfy the testing requirements. For this program, the CIS recipients must pass the HSK by the end of the second semester. If you can get the CSC it is likely preferably but seemingly less likely. There are 28 students in the international group. 26 have CIS. 1 has CSC. 1 is self financed.

 

I want to ask you about somethings regarding your application:

1. Did you sign a 5 year teaching contract with Confucius institute? did you previously enroll in one of confucius institute? because I have never studied in confucius institute and I am not sure that I can apply the confucius scholarship if I am not a confucius institute student.

 

I've been told about the contract, though that's a requirement of the scholarship, if I recall. I'm not to clear on this deal and haven't fretted about it much seeing as there seems little way to enforce that rule. 

 

I have not studied at a confucius institute but did apply though one. I contacted a confucius institute, explained my situation and motivations and asked if they would help me out. A desire to become a Chinese teacher is key.

 

2. Do you know any of your classmate in MTCSOL that receive chinese goverment scholarshil instead of confucius scholarship? is the scholarship for MTCSOL only applicable for confucius scholarship?

 

Yes. No.

 

3. Did you write study plan or research plan or both? 

 

We were all required to write a study plan but it was more of a box to check rather than something that is referenced. 

 

4. I am hsk5/6 myself, with prior study in china experience. Do you have problem in hearing what lecturers said in class? does all the class is taught in chinese? 

 

I do not have much a a problem studying in Chinese. The first few weeks were tough but I got used to it pretty quickly. I'm pretty middle-of-the-boat as far as ability goes. Some struggle a lot to understand.

_________________

 

If anyone else knows more about the contract to teach back in your home country after graduating, please speak up.

[abcdefg]

On 11/10/2017 at 2:30 PM, 艾墨本 said:

1) Overall, the program is good and I recommend. It is not free from many of the limitations that come with studying in China. It is a 双一流 program, meeting that it is one of the best programs at one of the best universities in China as ranked by the Chinese government. I have high standards and am satisfied here.

 

Wish you great success there, Ben.

 

Have recently been reading the bitter and negative thread by the chap who studied TCM in Beijing. Cannot help but wonder if he would have had a more valuable experience had his attitude been better. Sounds to me like you are approaching this learning experience the right way. To a certain extent at least, we manufacture our own destiny.

[Badger]

I am trying to play for next year what I am doing, and I am looking at applying for the CGS this time at ECNU.  I had a few questions I thought you would be a good person to ask.  I am mainly interested in living conditions in the dorms, and the possibility of having a single room? I am not sure if that is possible and how much that would be.  Also how do you like the location of the school?

[艾墨本]

@Badger

 

A bit busy so will be keeping answers shorter than I'd like:

 

If you take a scholarship, you will likely be living in dorm 12 or 15. Neither is in good condition, though 15 is much worse off. Two people per room (one bed, a desk, and a wardrobe for each) with enough space to do yoga in the middle of the room. If you are willing to pay for a room off campus, you can have your own room and the scholarship will give you an extra 700 RMB for it, but expect the room to cost roughly 3000 since apts nearby the school are expensive!

 

As far as the location of the school goes. It really doesn't get much better. Check ditu.amap.com and look around. Three different subway lines 15 minute walk from campus.

[Badger]

@艾墨本

Thanks for the reply! I heard that dorms 2 and the "outside dorm" are pretty good there. Are these not available for scholarship students? Do you know who would live in these nice dorms?

[艾墨本]

54 minutes ago, Badger said:

Thanks for the reply!   I heard that dorms 2 and the "outside dorm" are pretty good there.  Are these not available for scholarship students? Do you know who would live in these nice dorms?

If you take a scholarship you can apply to change to dorm 1 after living on campus for a full year. It's nicer but very far away from the cafeteria. Perhaps that is what you mean with the outside dorm? Dorm 2 is mostly for students that come on paying programs in partnership with universities in other countries. You'd have to pay to stay there and it wouldn't be worth it. You'd be better off renting off campus. Equally expensive but you'd get your own room and way more out of the deal.

[JQ]

just got csc from ecnu. I was told scholarship students only have double room with public bathroom. anyone know what kind of public bathroom? my Chinese friends told me it might be open style. is this true? 

[艾墨本]

It is not open style. If you go to dorm 12 the bathrooms are actually quite nice and kept very clean. If you end up at dorm 15 I have less nice things to say about the dorm but at least some of the bathrooms are okay. If you’re in dorm one, you’re nearing luxury.  Those are the three dorms you might be in, but most likely 12.

[yiing]

If I want to apply for a master program in ECNU,do I need to contact an academic supervisor first?

I want to apply the MSC in Business Analytics, I sent an email to every supervisors from this master program,but ends up nobody even reply me.

My application is stuck here because I am not sure that if any supervisor will accept me.  Feeling very upset here. Anyone has experience with this issue?

[艾墨本]

Contact the international Student Office. Everything starts and ends there. @yiing

 

[yiing]

already contacted,been told that the program only gots few places for foreigners.?

[yiing]

Hi.Anyone here has the experience being interviewed for master program by ECNU[Economics and management department]?Which questions would be asked? Or any other programs interviews ? Please share experience.I am so nervous, cant find any experience post here in the forum