Job Discussion Forums

[Sekhmet]

Has anyone heard of BLCA? It's a company that advertises Chinese language courses and internships. They state that you have to pay a fee o take part in their program, and it's a pretty hefty one! They also suggest that there is a possibility of a stipend for food and travel. I'm actually looking this up for a friend, so no flaming for being a newbie!! Personally, I don't trust them, but I'm hoping for a more expert opinion...
Cheers,
Sekhmet

[tw]

Just exactly what is the cost? You have to realize that if this is one of those see-China-learn-Chinese programs then naturally it won't be cheap with visa, airfare, local transportation, accomodation, sigtseeing trips, food, and of course Chinese lessons.

[chengdude]

I believe your friend is considering WorldLink, the 800 lb. gorilla of private, Chinese language-learning mills in Beijing:

http://www.worldlinkedu.com/

See here for an intelligent, detailed review of their program:

http://imagethief.com/china/archive/2004/10/02/231.aspx

Also, search through this forum and read the "Definitive Guide" sticky at the top:

Universities & Schools @ Chinese Language & Culture Forums

[burnsie]

To be honest I think BLCA is a waste of money. Maybe some other people would say different who has been there but I think you can learn chinese alot cheaper.

The costs are around $1,200 per term plus an extra few thousand for accommodation.

I went to another university that did similar courses as BLCA and paid 8000 RMB for the term (4 months). I learnt alot to be honest.

I then went to a small private school and paid 500 RMB a month and got similar quality teachers and I probably learnt more also.

I comparison I could have spent another 1 1/2 years studying at this other school for the same amount of money.

If your friend is a bit more adventureous i would tell him to find other private schools here in Beijing and contact them directly or just turn up in Beijing and go to a number of schools for test lessons and pick the one you like. the school then can help with visa, accommodation etc if you stay for a while.

[Sekhmet]

Thanks guys,
I'm going to go with Burnsie - it does look somewhat of a ripoff compared to what you get. Even though it is not as expensive as I was expecting, their claim of normal salaries between 2000 - 3500 RMB per month really doesn't tie in with what I've read!! Plus, I think the guy is interested in learning Chinese - 1 lesson a week doesn't seem that intensive. Plus, they want 40 hours with 25-30 contact hours a week. Isn't that a bit much???
If anyone has any personal experiences of this place, I'd be grateful for hearing them...
Thanks again,
Sekhmet

[burnsie]

Sorry I am confused. Are you talking about teaching at BLCA or learning Chinese? I thought you were talking about learning Chinese.

25-30 hours teaching a week is very difficult to maintain over a course of a year. I did it for about 4 months and was ready for a holiday. The quality of your teaching goes down alot because of less preparation etc.

[Sekhmet]

Hey, thanks Burnsie - yes that was somewhat confusing!

Originally, he told me he was interested in learning chinese with the place, and now he is telling me he wants to go teach with them (on their website, they have a section about teaching in China).

The ballpark salary figure he has been offered is in the region of 3000 RMB per month, and I have told him that this is way too low, especially for this number of hours. He would be expected to work 40 hours per week, with 25-30 being contact hours!! Now, I'm an experienced teacher (over 3 years in the field), and that's too much for me to sustain for any length of time, so I can imagine him (as a newbie) would find it that much harder!

I have passed on suggestions about checking out schools in the local area, to see if he can get a better deal. He is interested in studying martial arts while he is there, if anyone can tell me of any good schools that are close to training centres (I know, there's lots of them!)

Thanks again,
Sekhmet