3 months intensive course in Qingdao

[Guest dementior]

Hi everyone!

Sorry to bother you with a very typical question but after searching google and the forums Im not able to find a accurate answer...

I have no previous Chinese knowledge and I am thinking of taking a 3-months course (at least) in Qingdao.

I am looking for a private school with max 4 students per class and 3-4 hours of lessons daily (maybe plus 1 hour of tutoring).

Where can I get the best value for my money?

I have seen that iMandarin has a school there but they dont answer to my emails asking for information...

Any recommendations very appreciated ;)

thanks

[abcdefg]

I have seen that iMandarin has a school there but they dont answer to my emails asking for information...

Unfortunately, that's not unusual for private schools in China. If they have a phone number listed in the website, try calling them. You can use Skype or some other VOIP to minimize the cost.

[dementior]

Thaks for the tip!

I got finally an answer from iMandarin. They are quoting aprox 65 Yuan per lesson for 3months courses of 20 and 30 lessons per week.

And tutoring lessons one-to-one go up to 200 Yuan, which seems pretty expensive by the way.

Has anyone out there had experience with a private school in qingdao and can recommend one?

thanks!

[icebear]

1 on 1 shouldn't be more than 100 per hour, even in bigger cities. In smaller cities I figure you could push in below 75 or even 50. Well rated tutors are available on iTalki for between 5-10 USD per hour.

[Saxondale]

you can get some pretty good 1 on 1 lessons for 35 an hour in qingdao

[dementior]

thanks for the information!

it is relieving to hear that those prices are possible... I was getting scared after receiving quotations from some schools, especialy with regard to

accomodation rates: I was going to pay more there than in my city in Europe!!

[icebear]

A lot of the cost schools are quoting you will be their own margin, plus the cost of their office space and staff which are factored in. The costs cited above would be if you organized your studies and living arrangements independently (which is absolutely possible, but intimidating to some).

[abcdefg]

They are quoting aprox 65 Yuan per lesson for 3months courses of 20 and 30 lessons per week.

Twenty hours a week of one to one is usually enough. That's 4 hours a day. Need some time after class for homework and for exploring, etc.

I would double check that 200 Yuan per hour quote for one to one lessons. It sounds way too high. 100 an hour should be tops.

[dementior]

I like to organize my studies and living arrangements as independently as possible, especially when you notice how much you can save if you make that extra effort. But sometimes language

barrier or not knowing how things work in a place makes you choose the easier path.

As for renting an apartment there have to be agencies, which can offer decent studios for no more than 2000 yuan per month. Maybe 3000 depending on the location, but more than that sounds

insane to me, as insane as paying 200 for a 1-to-1 tutoring hour.

And I agree as well that 4 hours per day should suffice: theres a lot to study afterwards and, as you say, explore.

thanks for the tips