Study Chinese in China - where is the cheapest?

[rumy]

Hi everyone,

I am planning to go to China for one year to study Chinese. As I have searched for lots of Chinese languages schools in the internet, I find the regular course quite expensive, especially those which are located in Beijing and Shanghai. I dont think Im affordable to pay for such expensive tuition fees.

So, I want to ask everyone here if you knows any Chinese language schools that offer cheap price. I dont care which city in which the language school located; any places is fine for me. And the school should be fine, I mean, cheap price but the course is still reliable.

Thank you very much in advance. Hope to receive information from you.

[Rin]

I am looking into Kunming university of Science and Technology. 3600 rmb per semester.

[abcdefg]

OP -- You probably also need to think about whether or not the school can grant student visas. Are you looking for a private school or a university? Degree program or just a language course?

[rumy]

For me any school is fine, provided that the school offers cheap price for the course. And yes, language course only, I only want to study Chinese. Chinese intensive course is what Im looking for. Im right now an undergraduate student studying Chinese in my university, but I dont find it effective as we dont have much chances to practice speaking Chinese. We only learn grammar and vocabulary.

I think private school is quite expensive right? Studying Chinese in university is much cheaper right? Thank you for the visa information; of course I do want to look for a school that can grant student visa.

[roddy]

Have a think about where you want to study - sure, maybe somewhere in Heilongjiang might have the cheapest fees, but do you really want to deal with the -40^oC of winter to save $100 on tuition? Even if you're looking for the cheapest deal, you need to find somewhere you're going to be happy living, otherwise you'll have a rubbish year and learn less. You might think any school is fine, but some parts of China are likely to suit you better than others.

Read this, then come back with some clearer ideas on which parts of China might suit you - then we can look at possible universities.

[rumy]

Thank you so much for the reminding ^^ As I have read the post, here are my ideas about which places I want to study:

- The weather should not be too cold or too hot, maybe the south is the best for me.

- As I want to practice speaking Chinese rather than learning grammar and vocabulary, I would like to learn Chinese in private school or with tutor, but I guess the fee could be high so, I dont know, maybe just a normal language school which offers intensive course/regular course.

- I think a semester (6 months) to learn Chinese would do me good.

- Accommodation: it would be great for me if I can share room/house with the Chinese as I will have more chances to practice speaking Chinese, but if its too hard to find, then a university dorm is fine for me.

- I would like to live in second-tier cities (Harbin or Chengdu, Dalian and Qingdao).

Thank you so much ^^

[Steingletscher]

If you are thinking about Chengdu, the universities to apply for are Sichuan University, Sichuan Normal University, Southwestern University for Minorities, and Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.

川大 is the largest and most popular, but is also the most expensive at just under 9,000元 a semester (unless your Chinese is very advanced, in which it is the best). There are already a lot of foreigners in the city, so it is easy to get lost in them since the campus is in the middle of the city. I go there, and it is okay for the lower levels, there are just a lot of students.

I don't know the price of the Southwestern University for Nationalities, but I can say that it is much cheaper. It is also in the city center, but most of the students are not Han Chinese, with many of them speaking Chinese as a second language. But they do offer one-on-one tutoring to their students. I met someone who went to both this university and 川大 and said that at 川大 there is a much greater emphasis on characters. At the Nationalities university you don't have a reading class.

Sichuan Normal University is about 5,000元 per semester, and they also offer one-on-one tutoring. It's sort somewhat near the city center, but no in the middle like the two schools above. I don't know much else about it besides that there are a lot of girls there.

As for the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, it is at 6,640元 per semester. They also grant one-on-one tutoring. The campus is very far away, so no going into the city for a night out. That actually might be the best since there are very few foreigners there.

But still, ever lower tier cities would have cheaper prices (like Qufu Normal University, but I'm not sure if they even teach foreigners Chinese). But at these prices, $3,000 a year max for school, it is still a steal no matter what compared to the US, so I shouldn't concern myself too much with finding the cheapest place.

[roddy]

Yuxi Normal University (aka Teachers' College?) claims year-round spring-like weather and the cheapest fees in China. The website's a bit of a mess and I got taken to some German site. Yuxi isn't really second tier, but might be worth a look. I think we have some info if you search, but not sure there's anything recent.

[ChTTay]

Are you going after graduation or inbetween studies?

You Could always consider trying to find a teaching position for 6 months at at private language school. You will most likely work weekends and one or two evenings, you will meet a lot of Chinese staff and (potentially) adult students. You could use your earnings to fund a private tutor, one on one. In my experience, I found that people want to talk to you a lot more in smaller cities as you are more of a novality. Also, making friends with Chinese people seemed easier, often i'd be approached by students looking to practice English or just Emglish speaking adults whi never get chance to practice. From that, and work colleagues, i had the opportunity to practice speaking a lot.

Just an idea anyway.

Another point to consider is that a University based course may not be best for you if speaking is your goal. I guess you will speak more than at your home University. However, i have found (at Tsinghua in Beijing) that there is more emphasis on grammer, vocab and, as you get more advanced, 书面语. Also, depending on class size, there just isn't much time for you to speak a lot in class as everyone has to have a turn. As it is, you might end up paying for a tutor anyway if you want to make the most out of a University course. Language partners can be good ... But i've found them only useful to a point. I prefer to have a tutor for learning then just Chinese friends to talk Chinese, not so much them teaching me anyway directly.

Good luck! Hope you write back on here when you are in China!

[abcdefg]

#8 -- As to Yuxi Normal, I've been there to look around. It's a very pretty campus. They were endowed by some alumni who became wealthy in the tobacco business. It's close to Kunming, for airport purposes.

[Rin]

@abcdefg

I've been to the Yuxi website and it's very outdated. Stating figures for 2008. Also when trying to email them I got a failure notice. Any suggestions on how to contact them?

[abcdefg]

Suggest using the telephone. Unfortunately, official e-mail seldom works in China, and out of date websites are also a frequent problem.

The main contact number given on their Chinese language website is 0877-2052835. An alternate number is 877-2057488 and there they list a contact person by name, Ms. Kerry Wu, who might be an English speaker.

I don't know for sure if it's more up to date than the English website, but I think it might be. At least it's worth a shot.

http://www.yxnu.net/

[roddy]

Rumy, where have you decided to go?

[Rose Ann]

Hi rumy,

 

did you pursue your study in china, cause I also want to study chinese in china. But I can't find a cheaper school that will meet my budget. Plus I am the one whose going to support my study abroad.

[Rose Ann]

Anyone could help me, couse i wanted to start studying before this year ends.

[roddy]

So what's your budget?

[Rose Ann]

10000 Philippine peso. I'm thinking of Southwest University.

[Rose Ann]

I know that my budget is not enough, but i guest i could work at the same time so i could provide my needs in studying in china.

I would like to finish studying chinese before i became 30 so that i could come back in my country as soon as finish my language course.

[onebir]

Stumbled across Tongren Polytechnic College, RMB3,500/YEAR:

http://trzy.admissions.cn/course

 

Other expenses normal:

http://trzy.admissions.cn/expense

(presumably you can pay the RMB1000/y for a dorm & rent elsewhere?)

 

Website mentions Laotian students coming in 2011, so looks like they're good to process visas:

http://en.trzy.cn/index.jsp

 

Looks like it's set in amazing countryside too.

[onebir]

Pipped to the post by Changde Vocational and Technical College, RMB3000/year (but 2000 for accommodation):

 

http://cdzy.admissions.cn/course

 

or under sec V:

http://www.cdzy.cn/english/contents/1256/12236.html

 

Of course Medical Hairdressing Technology is a little more...

 

Update:

+ve:

1) Loads of scholarships/grants:

 

Article 5: The scholarships are divided into first-class and second-class scholarship.  First-class scholarship: 4,500 yuan(RMB) / year/person; Second-class scholarship: 3,000 yuan / year/person; Grants: 1,500yuan / year/person.

...

Article 7:International students applying for scholarships and grants should have other conditions:

        1．For non-degree students: they must have a high school diploma or above and have studies at the college for more than one semester. They can apply for student subsidies.

...

Article 11:  The number of students withscholarships is determined according to the international students enrollment in that year, in which first-class scholarships accounted for 10%, second-class scholarships 20%, grants 70%.

 

So (nearly?) 100% of international students can get scholarships/grants...

 

1a) I contacted them; they only take students 'around 20' years old it seems - not sure if they have a well-defined age limit.

 

2) Changde has public bike rental

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changde#Public_bike_service

 

-ve: climate v similar to Changsha (see min max tables in particular):

http://en.climate-data.org/location/2228/#temperature-graph

 

Cf Changsha (aka 24h sauna 5 months/year):

http://en.climate-data.org/location/764446/#temperature-graph