Good Intensive Courses in Shanghai?

[Benjie]

Hi there,

I was wondering if there are recommendable Chinese Intensive courses at universities /schools in Shanghai. So far the only programs I found with 30 hours/week are in Beijing (BCLU, Beida etc.). I did find some offers at Jiao Tong and other unis but they do not seem as structured and intensive as the Beijing ones. Any input is appreciated!

[karmakid]

Is it mandarin you would like to learn?Because in shanghai they dont speak the same dialect as in beijing for example. Thats why theres a lot of foreigners studying there.

If u study in shanghai u wont be able to use the language anywhere else.

[Benjie]

I would like to study Mandarin not the Shanghainese dialect. Jiao Tong and other Shanghainese universities do offer Mandarin courses, just not the intensive modes as in Beijing.

[Harvey]

Is Fudan intensive?

www.fudan.edu.cn

[Shadowdh]

Can I just confirm what Karmakid is saying is right... if you learn Mandarin in Shanghai you wont be able to use it elsewhere...???

[aeon]

Can I just confirm what Karmakid is saying is right... if you learn Mandarin in Shanghai you wont be able to use it elsewhere...??

I think he means if you learn to speak Mandarin in Shanghai, you'll only be able to practice the language in the classroom, because everyone else in the city speaks the local dialect. In Beijing everyone speaks Mandarin, so you can practise outside of the classroom by inflicting yourself on the locals.

Though I have to say, when we visited Shanghai we found no shortage of Mandarin speakers.

[currahee]

now most shanghainese that under 40 years old can speak very good mandarin thanks to the promotion of mandarin since 1970s, and they often speak it becoz huge waves of non locals have poured there to find jobs( and get jobs) and reside there......so i'd say there's no problem at all finding people skeaking mandarin there. actually even in Guangzhou, mandarin is becomming more and more commonly used.

[Shadowdh]

Thanks for the replies chaps... good to know as its one place on my list to go to study next year... cheers

[woliveri]

This is the school I'm planning to attend.

http://www.shisu.edu.cn/dep/guojiao/en_liuxue.htm

The price is less than most all other schools I've researched and I've also heard it's a good school.

If anyone can offer additional feedback or comments it would welcome.

Also, I completely agree with currahee. There are plenty of Mandarin speakers in Shanghai.

Bill

[youpii]

the universities that seem to have a good reputation for teaching languages to foreigners in Shanghai are:

复旦大学

交通大学

同济大学

外国语大学

华东师范大学

so 外国语大学 is a good choice, and they are next to a lightrail station (note: the lightrail cease operations earlier in the evening, around 9:30, subway continues until 11:00)

交通大学 is the only one really downtown

复旦大学 is the farthest from downtown, without nearby subway/lightrail, and has the most foreign students (more than 2 000 for chinese language)

同济大学 is also a bit far, although less than 复旦大学 and quite also big

华东师范大学 is probably the prettiest, with a small river

[Benjie]

Many thanks youpii!

[dalaowai]

I'm currently studying at JiaoTong Da Xue and I'm quite content with the courses. They teach us PuTongHua and also give us the variant spoken Chinese used in South-Eastern parts of China. (i.e. zai nar, zai nali)

If you do want to learn Shanghainese dialect as well, they offer additional courses.

I don't really see the difference between studying Chinese in Shanghai or Beijing, as all University teachers are well qualified to teach standard Chinese. I've yet to meet a single Shanghainese that couldn't speak Mandarin (young and old). Sure the elderly people have a bit of a weird accent, but it's not that hard to understand.

[Harvey]

I don't really see the difference between studying Chinese in Shanghai or Beijing, as all University teachers are well qualified to teach standard Chinese. I've yet to meet a single Shanghainese that couldn't speak Mandarin (young and old).

I hear this a lot, but isn't just the fact that most of the side conversations you'll hear on the train, in cafe's, or amongst your friends if you go out with more than 3 native Shanghanese at a time enough to make studying in a place where Mandarin is more widely used more appealing?

I'm sure when you speak one on one with people they will adjust to you and speak Mandarin, but what about when you're with large groups? I wouldn't expect that everyone would switch to 100% manadrin just for the foreigner... isn't that confusing?

[dalaowai]

Hi Harvey,

I've lived in quite a few different places in China and most places have their own dialect/language. The one thing that I found in any city is once a foreigner enters a group of conversation, if the group is Shanghainese, they will switch to English (or try to). I even lived on a remote island and most young people would try speaking English.

I found this very frustrating when I first arrived in China, as I wanted to be exposed to their language.

As my long-term goal is to stay in China until 2012 doing business, I believe that I will have an advantage being able to understand Shanghainese dialect. My Mandarin is pretty good and I've met Chinese from all over mainland, with nobody complaining that they couldn't understand me.

Also being in Shanghai, there are various languages and dialects being spoken by many people. Since living here, I can recognize area dialects and languages, which I think will benefit me business-wise in the long-run. I look forward to hearing side-conversations in cafes, on the train, etc. I can then try guessing where they're from.

I was born in a trilingual environment, so having to differentiate between language doesn't bother or confuse me. I do agree with you on it being confusing though. I have friends who are from mono-lingual families, and they don't even notice whether Chinese people are speaking Mandarin or Shanghainese dialect.

[Harvey]

Until 2012 that's pretty hardcore! What kind of business do you do?

[dalaowai]

The sky is the limit. I'm starting an interpretation/live translation company in 2008. As for now, I'm going to perfect my Mandarin and do smaller projects exporting goods to Japan/Korea.

China is the place to be!

[Harvey]

Innnnteresting.... what kind goods are you going be moving around?

I'm in Japan! I speak Japanese fluently! Hire me! I'll speak Chinese fluently too in 3 years!

[dalaowai]

I'm working on Machinery. I've got a friend in Japan right now waiting on me. Thanks for the offer though. You'll have no problems setting something up speaking English, Japanese and Chinese. Who know, you might be fluent in other languages. Languages are so powerful, it's a shame not many people make the effort.

[Koh-i-Noor]

Hi Woliveri,

I am also planning to study Chinese at SISU!! I am going next semester in February and you? Anyone else here who has plans to study in Shanghai in the beginning of 2006??

Noor

[woliveri]

Hi Koh-i-Noor,

Yes, I'm going to be there in Feburary.