Is three months in China too short time?

[tamaratamara]

Hello everyone!

I am studying Mandarin for 3 years. I passed HSK 4 (score: 286/300). I am planning to go to China next summer. Until then i will be studying Mandarin for 4 years. I am planning to spend three months in China. Do you think it is enough to get more fluent language and better listening skills? Sorry for my bad English. Thanks.

[li3wei1]

the longer you're there, the more benefit you will get. Three months is certainly worthwhile, make as much use of it as you can.

[giokve]

It's definitely better than zero months.

[DachZanz]

It depends on what you will do for those 3 months too.  Are you studying?  Traveling?  Do you have friends in China?  Are they Chinese or will you be talking to other 外国人?  

 

But yes, giokve above me is correct - It's definitely better than 0 months!

[ChTTay]

It depends on your use of that time. If you're attending classes, going out into the city and talking to locals, making Chinese friends, working on your grammar, finding language exchange partners ... then it would be a good three months.

 

However, if you spend most nights in a bar - although it can be good Chinese practice in moderation - and hang out with other foreigners all the time then 3 months probably won't be that worthwhile.

 

Are you planning to travel around or stay in one place?

[dementior]

will you get fluent in 3 months? answer is no

can you make great improvement? sure

 

since you have passed hsk4 with high score that gives you about 1500 words you can use when you land in china to start with. It is a very good foundation.

Avoid hanging out with foreigners and dont by shy, spend as much time outside as possible. Work with your teacher on tones and topics that are practical. Then make sure you put into practice the vocab you have acquired in real situations. Add any new word you come across throughout the day to a flashcard and use the time before going to bed or the early morning to review those flashcards.

Again, avoid spending time on things you can do home like reviewing in detail grammar structures or drilling characters... leave that for later, when you are back home

 

good luck!

[GotJack]

I think in 3 months you would definitely be able to see noticeable improvement and feel more self confident in your own abilities (especially as your going from a non-immersive environment to an immersive one) however as others have said it is very much dependant on how you spend your time.

 

As others have said ensure its spent in a fashion were you are speaking and listening to native Chinese people etc

[daofeishi]

The question is, too short for what? That really depends on your goal. If you are talking about the narrow-minded goal of progress as measured by standardized tests, then the gap from HSK 4 to HSK 5 might be bridgeable in 3 months. HSK 5 to HSK 6 is probably not. In most cases I've seen, it takes people at least as long to get from HSK 5 to HSK 6 as it takes them to get from zero to HSK 5. If you are talking about functional fluency, the ability to converse freely on most everyday topics and being able to read novels and magazines, then the answer is probably no. Getting there takes years of immersion, not months, unless you are a speaker of another Sinitic language. Getting to a native-like level usually takes years or, more realistically, decades. All there really is to say is that every second spent using the language counts, so enjoy your 3 months in China, and try to maximize the time spent using your Chinese. You will probably see some noticeable improvement. 

[roddy]

You can get a LOT done in 3 months - if you tell us what you'd like to achieve, what parts of China you'd like to see or live in, what your budget is, etc, we can help more. Do you want to spend all the time travelling the big tourist sites and practicing using your Chinese; do you want to do a three month intensive course somewhere warm, etc?

[Bigdumogre]

You can improve a lot in just 3 months. I was there for just 2 weeks and found it very beneficial to my listening and speaking. Just use the time wisely.