3 months intensive course in Dalian

[dementior]

Hi everyone!

I have posted another message for Qingdao as well, but Im stil interested in Dalian too...

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

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 gotten quotations from both iMandarin and Ruiwen. Ruiwen seems to be cheaper than iMandarin, what about the quality of the teachers?

can anyone recommend a school based on personal experience?

I have been searching for a while and I am not able to find many posts comparing schools in these two cities...

thanks!!

[roddy]

There's also a TLI branch in Dalian (at least there was a few years back). It's out in the Development Zone and won't be cheap, but they have a good reputation.

I am not able to find many posts comparing schools in these two cities...

How many people do you think study at a private school in Dalian AND study at a private school in Qingdao AND then post about it online? Next to zero. You just need to gather as much info as you can find about your options and make the best judgement you can.

[dementior]

thanks for the answer i will check TLI.

And I didnt mean someone that had studied in both cities hehe I agree that number is close to zero... I meant someone that has either studied in Dalian or Qingdao not both, sorry for the misunderstanding

br

[abcdefg]

I attempted to study in Dalian in the late spring of 2008 through an outfit called "Chinese in China." It was a completely wretched experience and I left after trying it for three or four days. It allegedly was a temporary problem because the Beijing Olympics were being held that summer. They said many students cancelled and the five or six of us who didn't were all lumped into one class, regardless of level.

They originally had a sponsorship arrangement with Dalian Institute of Technology, but that was withdrawn by the university administration, also supposedly because of the Olympics. We could no longer use the campus classrooms, and instead held class in a noisy cafe with loud piped in "mood music" overhead while grouped around a table on soft couches sipping mandatory purchased beverages (so the cafe would not toss us out.)

Though the lone remaining teacher struggled valiantly and seemed competent, the situation was impossible from the outset. The English speaking organizer quickly left for a long holiday in England and the Chinese organizer also left right away for an extended summer holiday in her distant home town. The train no longer had an engineer or a conductor; the airplane no longer had a pilot or navigator. Chaotic to say the best. Housing arrangements were also abysmal.

Just now checked the website, and it seems they have suspended operations. Seems they also used to offer instruction in Qingdao.

http://www.chinese-in-china.com/about

[driftman]

why do you want to study in Dalian/Qingdao?

[dementior]

hi driftman!

I thought Dalian and Qingdao would be nice cities after doing some research. The main reasons would be a lower cost of life in comparison with Beijing or Shanghai and a smaller expat community.

Plus they are both coastal cities, which is nice, and the mandarin spoken there is pretty standard.

I find Chengdu very appealing as well, for example, but I thought it would be a little bit confusing to learn sichuanese mandarin at the beginning.

Do you have any other recommendations?

[roddy]

Dalian and Qingdao are both very solid choices if you're looking for a smaller coastal experience. Xiamen may also be worth looking at.

[anonymoose]

If you're actually wanting to go to the beach, Qingdao is probably more convenient than Dalian.

[kbmussen]

I have been attending TLI in Dalian in April 2011. I can strongly recommend their teaching. I had 1-2-1 lessons with different teachers. All their teachers are ensuring that you are learning as much as possible during the time you are there.

[dementior]

hi!

TLI seems a good option but they have told me already that they dont offer at the moment group classes... Im not able to afford currently paying for 4 hours of personal lessons every day, but it can be an option

to consider if I want to combine it with another school.

thanks

[excellent]

Hi

You can try this one.

info@dlchinese.com (奇才语言学校)

Maybe it helps.

Good luck.(

(an ad, but maybe useful. Roddy)

[dementior]

Thanks!

I am going to drop a line to that a school. Have you studied there excellent? Do you have any reference?