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Criteria for Choosing a Private Chinese School


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Posted

HI guys,

I am a complete beginner looking to learn mandarin through a quality private school. Are there any specific questions that I should be asking of the private schools I am looking into?......what criteria am I looking for to seperate the quality ones from the dodgy ones?.....I'm keen on studying in Tianjin, but I guess good schools would share the same qualities regardless of city right?

Any help much appreciated

cheers

Posted

One of the first things I would consider is the number of students in each class. I've been through the whole range, from having one-on-one tutoring to being in a class with 25 other students. Most language schools I've looked at has a maximum number of students per class and this is incredibly important. It's not that you necessarily learn less with more students, but the kind of tuition you will receive is quite different. Small classes allow for more feedback and more opportunities to speak/communicate. Practising pronunciation is almost useless in big classes. In a small class, you also have a stronger influence on the teaching method.

Posted

Ask what teaching methods they use - if they have thought about it and are able to mention academic specifics there is a good chance this is a good school

Ask about which text books they have good experience with and why - this will tell you if they are flexible in their choice of books and if they have thought about it. Some schools just stick to one since this is easier

Ask how long students typically stay for as this will give you an indication of their ability to retain students

Ask if the teachers are graduates of teaching Chinese to foreigners and the answer should reveal

  • Like 1
Posted

One thing they won't tell you, at least over the phone, is their fee schedule ... They insist you come in for an interview ... I've always used a private tutor (to control costs and for continuity), so I can't speak about the quality of the teachers or the methodologies at, say, New Century or Wizard, but if you are a beginner, take your main reason for wanting to learn Chinese as the main criterion, and judge for yourself whether they can help you get started and guarantee progress ...

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