Job Discussion Forums

[kdynamic]

I was recently offered a job teaching at a University in Chengdu, which I am seriously considering accepting. I enjoy teaching college-age people English, so I am looking forward to that part of course, but I also want to use this opportunity to study Chinese.

I currently know virtually zero Chinese. So I am thinking that if I spent, say, six months at an intensive language program in China first, it would give me a good base for self study once I start the job (in 2007 most likely). I have the time and I think enough funds to do this.

I have been researching schools, but it's tough to tell what's good over the internet. I am really hoping someone here will be in the know and can point me in the right direction. Here are my criteria:

- I want a very intensive program. I really want it to be hardcore.
- A school in Chengdu would be ideal, but I am open to to any Mandarin speaking area
- I don't want to do a homestay
- I need a program that can handle my language situation, which is that from knowing Japanese I can already read and write a fair amount, but I know zero grammar or pronunciation.

I am also open to opinions from you all about this plan of action. Is six months a realistic amount of time to form a good foundation?

Thanks so much!

[shuize]

Keep us posted, kdynamic. As someone with solid Japanese myself, I'd be interested in hearing how the transition to Chinese goes. I've posted the question here on Dave's as to whether knowledge of kanji is helpful or just more confusing but have yet to hear an answer.

[Roger]

How about one-on-one in Yangshuo (you might be lucky in finding partners to gang up with), using a text book specially designed for Westerners that focues on all 4 skills and is in use in secondary schools in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and elsehwere?
The book's title is HANYU: Beginner/Intermediate and Advanced, was compiled by 3 Chinese-Australians and published by LONGMAN-Pearson.
Accommodation in Yangshuo is cheap, beginning at 300 forr a cheap flat, or a special monthly rate at a guesthouse.

[voodikon]

from another poster to these fora, i've gleaned that knowing japanese can be quite helpful in character recognition/writing, especially at the very beginning. but all in all, it doesn't seem to give any advantage in daily communication.

[dajiang]

Beijing Language and Culture university is okay.
People have complained that there's mostly foreigners there, and you'll be speaking English most of the time, but I say it's just how you deal with it yourself.

I haven't studied there myself (just lived there as a visitor) but I found that even without classes I picked up Mandarin fiairly quick by asking the foreigners how to say certain things, and there are plenty of people to practise it with on the campus and the rest of the city.

I imagine that doing a course there for a couple of months would do worlds of good. And you'll have a good time in the process.
Check out the BLCU on google and other forums.
a link:
http://www.eyesonchina.com/confucius/e_home.htm

I wouldn't recommend a language partner or one-on-one though. There's the probability that you'd be talking English more than Chinese with a language partner, so it's better to get one later when you're already familiar with the language. One-on-one can be done of course, but you'd need to find a good teacher which takes time, plus in Yangshuo people just use English everywhere. Better to go to some backwater city where you'd be forced to adapt (if you like hardcore).

g'luck with your choice,
Dajiang