Cantonese Classes in Beijing

[wiley]

Anyone heard tell of Cantonese classes in Beijing (preferably in Wudaokou or greater Haidian)? I'm looking for an evening class, I've heard that such things exist but haven't heard any of the particulars. A class conducted in Mandarin would be fine, in english, even better!

Thanks for your help!

[Ncao]

Uh,Cantonese classes in Beijing?!. I think you can hire a private Cantonese speaking teacher in Beijing,but I never heard of Cantonese classes offered in Beijing.

[roddy]

They do exist, but I wouldn't think they're very common and finding a Cantonese person for tutoring / language exchange might be easiest. I've seen Cantonese courses advertised at the adult education department of (I think) Beiwai - can't offer much more help than that though.

Roddy

[Ncao]

I'm really surprised!! Since Cantonese isn't considered a language but a dialect by the government.

[roddy]

No rule against 'Dialect Classes' I guess. I think the problem would be demand, not definitions, anyway, and I do think the best option is going to be finding a tutor / language exchange partner - any actual classes you find are likely to be Chinese-taught for Chinese students, which often means sitting around listening to the teacher explain stuff and doing pronunciation drills.

I'm not sure what info we've got on here, but a look at Adam Sheik's Cantonese pages should help you get started with self study, and if I remember correctly there are Cantonese learning materials available in the two bookstores in Wangfujing and at Xidan Book City - I seem to remember thinking that Xidan had the best selection.

Roddy

[Ah-Bin]

Actually, in a language law passed in January 2000 it was stated that "Chinese language classes for foreigners should be in standard Chinese and standard characters (i.e.simplified forms). You could find the details of the law on the Chinese Peoples' Daily site back in 2002.

I think it's probably one of those laws that is only enforced under certain circumstances...

[HashiriKata]

I think it's probably one of those laws that is only enforced under certain circumstances...

Ah-Bin,

From your post, it looks like you've misinterpreted something (or maybe I've misinterpreted your post! ), as I don't think there is any law in China forbidding the teaching of Chinese dialects. It just doesn't sound right.

(PS: I think the bit of your quote refers only to the teaching of Putonghua)

Cheers,

[Ah-Bin]

第二十条　对外汉语教学应当教授普通话和规范汉字。

So the law says "ought to" teach putonghua. Here is the whole language law, plucked straight from that bastion of the GGC CCP, the People's Daily, which has a search function. So if you read simplified Chinese you can type in anyhting and find out what the GGC CCP thinks on any particular issue.

中华人民共和国国家通用语言文字法

（2000年10月31日第九届全国人民代表大会常务委员会第十八次会议通过）

　　中华人民共和国主席令

　　（第三十七号）

　　《中华人民共和国国家通用语言文字法》已由中华人民共和国第九届全国人民代表大会常务委员会第十八次会议于2000年10月31日通过，现予公布，自2001年1月1日起施行。

　　中华人民共和国主席 江泽民

2000年10月31日

　　目录

　　第一章　总则

　　第二章　国家通用语言文字的使用

　　第三章　管理和监督

　　第四章　附则

　　第一章　总则

　　第一条　为推动国家通用语言文字的规范化、标准化及其健康发展，使国家通用语言文字在社会生活中更好地发挥作用，促进各民族、各地区经济文化交流，根据宪法，制定本法。

　　第二条　本法所称的国家通用语言文字是普通话和规范汉字。

　　第三条　国家推广普通话，推行规范汉字。

　　第四条　公民有学习和使用国家通用语言文字的权利。

　　国家为公民学习和使用国家通用语言文字提供条件。

　　地方各级人民政府及其有关部门应当采取措施，推广普通话和推行规范汉字。

　　第五条　国家通用语言文字的使用应当有利于维护国家主权和民族尊严，有利于国家统一和民族团结，有利于社会主义物质文明建设和精神文明建设。

　　第六条　国家颁布国家通用语言文字的规范和标准，管理国家通用语言文字的社会应用，支持国家通用语言文字的教学和科学研究，促进国家通用语言文字的规范、丰富和发展。

　　第七条　国家奖励为国家通用语言文字事业做出突出贡献的组织和个人。

　　第八条　各民族都有使用和发展自己的语言文字的自由。

　　少数民族语言文字的使用依据宪法、民族区域自治法及其他法律的有关规定。

　　第二章　国家通用语言文字的使用

　　第九条　国家机关以普通话和规范汉字为公务用语用字。法律另有规定的除外。

　　第十条　学校及其他教育机构以普通话和规范汉字为基本的教育教学用语用字。法律另有规定的除外。

　　学校及其他教育机构通过汉语文课程教授普通话和规范汉字。使用的汉语文教材，应当符合国家通用语言文字的规范和标准。

　　第十一条　汉语文出版物应当符合国家通用语言文字的规范和标准。

　　汉语文出版物中需要使用外国语言文字的，应当用国家通用语言文字作必要的注释。

　　第十二条　广播电台、电视台以普通话为基本的播音用语。

　　需要使用外国语言为播音用语的，须经国务院广播电视部门批准。

　　第十三条　公共服务行业以规范汉字为基本的服务用字。因公共服务需要，招牌、广告、告示、标志牌等使用外国文字并同时使用中文的，应当使用规范汉字。

　　提倡公共服务行业以普通话为服务用语。

　　第十四条　下列情形，应当以国家通用语言文字为基本的用语用字：

　　（一）广播、电影、电视用语用字；

　　（二）公共场所的设施用字；

　　（三）招牌、广告用字；

　　（四）企业事业组织名称；

　　（五）在境内销售的商品的包装、说明。

　　第十五条　信息处理和信息技术产品中使用的国家通用语言文字应当符合国家的规范和标准。

　　第十六条　本章有关规定中，有下列情形的，可以使用方言：

　　（一）国家机关的工作人员执行公务时确需使用的；

　　（二）经国务院广播电视部门或省级广播电视部门批准的播音用语；

　　（三）戏曲、影视等艺术形式中需要使用的；

　　（四）出版、教学、研究中确需使用的。

　　第十七条　本章有关规定中，有下列情形的，可以保留或使用繁体字、异体字：

　　（一）文物古迹；

　　（二）姓氏中的异体字；

　　（三）书法、篆刻等艺术作品；

　　（四）题词和招牌的手书字；

　　（五）出版、教学、研究中需要使用的；

　　（六）经国务院有关部门批准的特殊情况。

　　第十八条　国家通用语言文字以《汉语拼音方案》作为拼写和注音工具。

　　《汉语拼音方案》是中国人名、地名和中文文献罗马字母拼写法的统一规范，并用于汉字不便或不能使用的领域。

　　初等教育应当进行汉语拼音教学。

　　第十九条　凡以普通话作为工作语言的岗位，其工作人员应当具备说普通话的能力。

　　以普通话作为工作语言的播音员、节目主持人和影视话剧演员、教师、国家机关工作人员的普通话水平，应当分别达到国家规定的等级标准；对尚未达到国家规定的普通话等级标准的，分别情况进行培训。

　　第二十条　对外汉语教学应当教授普通话和规范汉字。

　　第三章　管理和监督第

　　二十一条　国家通用语言文字工作由国务院语言文字工作部门负责规划指导、管理监督。

　　国务院有关部门管理本系统的国家通用语言文字的使用。

　　第二十二条　地方语言文字工作部门和其他有关部门，管理和监督本行政区域内的国家通用语言文字的使用。

　　第二十三条　县级以上各级人民政府工商行政管理部门依法对企业名称、商品名称以及广告的用语用字进行管理和监督。

　　第二十四条　国务院语言文字工作部门颁布普通话水平测试等级标准。

　　第二十五条　外国人名、地名等专有名词和科学技术术语译成国家通用语言文字，由国务院语言文字工作部门或者其他有关部门组织审定。

　　第二十六条　违反本法第二章有关规定，不按照国家通用语言文字的规范和标准使用语言文字的，公民可以提出批评和建议。

　　本法第十九条第二款规定的人员用语违反本法第二章有关规定的，有关单位应当对直接责任人员进行批评教育；拒不改正的，由有关单位作出处理。

　　城市公共场所的设施和招牌、广告用字违反本法第二章有关规定的，由有关行政管理部门责令改正；拒不改正的，予以警告，并督促其限期改正。

　　第二十七　条违反本法规定，干涉他人学习和使用国家通用语言文字的，由有关行政管理部门责令限期改正，并予以警告。

　　第四章　附则

　　第二十八条　本法自2001年1月1日起施行。

　　（新华社北京10月31日电）

《人民日报》 (2000年11月02日第五版)

[roddy]

That's for the teaching of 汉语 though, not Cantonese (unless of course Cantonese is merely a sub-dialect of 汉语 )

Roddy

PS Could we have links and selective quoting rather than mass copying and pasting when possible?

[Ah-Bin]

Ah yesm I see that "large chunks of text" are in the "don't post“ list, sorry about that.

I thought the whole thing would be would be better in context though, and also, there are other interesting things in there, like where and when traditional characters may be used.

Also the Communist party classifies any speech spoken by the Han nationality as 汉语 making Cantonese (in their eyes) a 方言 of 汉语. Agree with it or not, that's what they think.

[HashiriKata]

Also the Communist party classifies any speech spoken by the Han nationality as 汉语 making Cantonese (in their eyes) a 方言 of 汉语. Agree with it or not, that's what they think.

No, this is not a matter of "agree or not agree" but it's a matter of understanding what "汉语" can mean. "Dog" can mean "dog" regardless of sex in one context but in another, it can only specifically mean "male dog".

[Ah-Bin]

What I meant by that was "whether you agree with them or not, the CCP thinks that way" I certainly don't agree with the CCP on that issue.

The language law didn't say that Chinese people oughtn't to learn Cantonese, so I suppose there must be some school out there that teaches it. I bet the fees would be cheaper than those for foreigners learning Mandarin.

[Ncao]

I'm really surprised that there are dialect classes. The government is always promoting Mandarin, but allow dialect classes?

[UC_nostradamus]

But going back to the original question - where can one learn Cantonese in Beijing. I too am interested in picking up a little bit of Cantonese while I'm in Beijing (as crazy as that sounds). Currently at BLCU staying for a year.

Tried looking into Beida, Tsinghua, Beiwai, Beijing International Studies University - and university that might have the chance of having a Canto class. No luck.

Is the best thing to do just hunt down someone from Guangzhou province?

[bokane]

There are a few places offering Cantonese classes. I remember seeing a sign advertising 粤语培训 in a window at 华清嘉园, which is probably the closest thing to you if you're looking for something in the Haidian area. There's also the 华军恒 language school, off in Xicheng, which has a Cantonese class starting later this month. I'm planning on enrolling, assuming I can get the time off work.

Re: the "dialect / language" argument, note that Cantonese is being called 粤语 rather than 广东话 - I assume the classes are being targeted at people who want to do business in Hong Kong. I'm sure that if at any point Shanghainese people refuse to learn Mandarin, we'll see language schools offering 吴语 classes.

On a somewhat related topic, has anyone ever, ever seen language books here that come with CDs rather than tapes? I haven't got a tape player, and cheap as they may be, I can't really bring myself to buy one just for a language self-study course that will in all likelihood not be very good anyway.

[snarfer]

I had the same problem. I use the New Practical Chinese Reader now and everything is on CD. However, I noticed that Wang Fu Jing Books has CDs available for tons of other textbooks too. Or you could mail order them. I ripped the CDs to MP3 and now I can listen to them with my phone.