Who's going to BNU for 07/2006?

[LittleShiro]

hi... i also a new student here.... i've never learned chinese before so a bit strugling now.

nice to know you here guys.... cheerss

[adrianlondon]

I'm guessing that means you're in class 100, right? After the first couple of weeks (i.e. now!), having got over the shock of being in Beijing and at a university where there isn't much English language information, you should be finding it easier.

If you want help writing the characters, every Tuesday evening there are free writing classes for beginners. I think it's in the xinsong building or whatever it's called. Ask around.

Also, if you want practice speaking, then you can ask a teacher to help you find a language exchange partner. And you have next week (which is a holiday if you didn't know) to catch up on things, such as revision, sleeping, going out.

[joshtin]

Hi there

I guess I shouldn't strictly be on this since I'm not a student at the uni - I'm teaching at a school in Xuanwu district. Have been looking for some football though, so if you guys are playing I'd be up for joining in. Could possibly get 2 or 3 more guys to join in too, we're all 22-3 just wanting a bit of a kickabout. If you want a game on a weekday evening or aft would be cool, sundays also good though. Anyway, let me know, I'd appreciate it...

Josh

[KungFoo]

Hi Josh,

We play on wednesday and sunday afternoons (I dont go on wednesdays). Its usually about 4pm on the BNU west playground. But your coming from Xuanwu district which is on the other side of the city! I am sure there are other casual games to be had closer to you. In China anyone can join any game, thats why you get 20 a side on a 5 a side pitch. If your in the area, you are more than welcome to join us. Look for the game with lots of Koreans, Indonesians, Americans, and Brits.

[wizwan]

Hi BNUers!

I'm in Liverpool doing the final year of my International business and Chinese degree...

been really interested in all the comments in this thread as I am considering BNU to refine my chinese after I graduate...

I'm guessing most of you on here have settled into crazy Beijing now (I studied there in Chaoyang last year for a full year) I'd really like to hear more about your experiences in the classroom...how is the teaching and materials for you? Whats the student community like? Are local students and international students completely segregated?

Also what kind of optional classes do you have at BNU? e.g. business chinese?

Thank you!

[adrianlondon]

It's midnight here and I have homework to do, so this'll be brief. I'm also conscious of the fact that most of the waffle in this thread is from me; I keep bumping into people who say "are you Adrianlondon from chinese forums? Oh, hi! I came to BNU because of what you wrote" ...

Anyhoo ... the student community here is what you make it. I'm loving it. The international and chinese students are kept separated (to be fair, most foreigners here won't want to live in a room which you share with 3 other people, with no heating, and with hot water only on for an hour or two each day) as far as accommodation and classes are concerned, but you can mix with them as you see fit. Playing sports or eating in the canteen are the best ways. I've made a few friends just by getting to talk with people as I wander aimlessly around campus, or eat in the canteen.

The teachers can set you up with language exchange people if you wish.

There isn't much in the way of organised extra-curricular activity. I'm doing calligraphy and I love it. Others do wushu or some other poncy wave-your-arms-around-while-shouting thing. As you can tell, they're not for me But ... some martial-arts stuff and calligraphy aside, there's nothing else.

The teaching material is good. I like the subjects and the books are well laid out. The teaching is pretty good, too. It's rather regimented, but the only comparison is BLCU where the students and teachers pretty much give up after a few weeks and you just piss away the hours pretending to study, waiting to hit the bars.

I'm severely generalising, but that's what I do.

[wizwan]

Adrian,

Thanks a million for your reply, really appreciate it!

Btw, I don't know if you know already but I'd really like to share a really useful tool for helping you learn chinese...listen to the podcasts on www.chinesepod.com, even if you don't have an ipod you can still listen to the lessons which cater for every level from your PC. I am a huge fan of this website as it really helps my pronounciation and listening skills especially as I'm out of the chinese environment now. Its free to download the lessons too...

Hope you find it helpful!

[adrianlondon]

Thanks for that Wizwan; the chinesepod website is often talked about on these forums so I was already aware. I think it's something I'll use back in London rather than here though. Unlike many people, I don't really have any goals to reach with my language skills; I'm here just for fun and to spend half a year of my life doing something other than IT (SAP) administration ;) I find my weekly classes, plus homework, is enough for me.

Relatively cheaply, you can hire someone to give you private tuition. If you're serious about learning, I recommend this. If you just want to make friends, then pick the "language exchange" route.

I've found it easy to make chinese friends here, so I try to learn from them. Many Chinese are very (very very) unused to dealing with foreigners so it takes me a while to "teach" them how to help me with my language skills.

I think the BNU books are very good, although this could be because in London I tried to learn from the old version of BLCU's Practical Chinese Reader. For between 100 and 200y you can pick up the whole set for a particular level. You have to buy these on campus, but they don't seem to check ID, so I assume anyone could buy them.

I am in what they call level "101". I've not had formal language education before but had attempted self-study in London. The beginner level is 100. I have bought the 100 books (as although it starts off very simply, I didn't know a lot of the vocabulary for that level, so struggled initially not knowing simple words like "if" then" "homework" "page" etc.). I've also bought the 102 books with the hope of continuing my studies myself back in the UK.

[wizwan]

Hello again Adrian,

Thanks again!

Ianguage exchange is a very good idea, I tried it when I was in Beijing and learnt lots of swearwords and slang!

Back in liverpool though, its proving difficult to find someone even though there are loads of chinese people here! I even set up a facebook group targeting those wanting to meet chinese friends for language exchange and for the international chinese who may want to meet British friends...I thought it'd make meeting language partners easier but no one seems interested or bothered, not even students of chinese on my course! I even poach chinese students when I'm walking about...I get their email address but very few will stay in touch! I'm thinking I must be doing or saying something wrong!

We were given those awful green practical readers when I was in 2nd year - I'm so glad they've got rid of it now and replaced them with more practical textbooks!

Just out of interest, why are you learning chinese and what keeps you motivated to do it?

I find a lot of students including myself at one point lose interest and motivation when they find it too difficult. After my year in Beijing I am still buzzing off it! Wish I could help others feel the same way...

[adrianlondon]

why are you learning chinese

It impresses the hell out of my Chinese friends back in London.

and what keeps you motivated to do it?

See above ;)

Longer version : I started attempting to write some Chinese characters one day a few years ago when very bored at work, and I kind of stuck at it. I got half way through the 2nd (old) Practical Chinese Reader before I got sick of reading about Gubo trying to shag his girlfriend's best friend. After deciding that Gubo and Palanka were from Albania and would spend their entire time in Beijing going "wow!" and "I got on the wrong bus, what a dope!", my motivation ended.

However, I then thought that I could either write-off my time spent learning the language and slowly forget it all, or attempt to continue my studies properly. Combined with a wish to see a country I hadnt visited before and to take a small career break, here I am! I'm loving it here. I'm sure I'll be back somewhere in China over the next few years, continuing my studies.

As an aside, my boyfriend is Taiwanese, which also subtly adds to my enjoyment of learning Mandarin.

[Nivea]

oh my god the last post was in dec 2006.

anyway any of you guys football / soccer player still here playing? im new here, just arrived 2 weeks ago, and been trying to find people to play soccer with.