Job Discussion Forums

MsDelightful · Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 3 Location: London

hello,

I'm going to shanghai to work for a year around december and want to learn chinese at the same time. I know in Taiwan there are specialist mandarin for foreigners type colleges, is there an equivalent in Shanghai? Do you know where I can go about looking for info? I would just search on google but want to avoid scammers/extortionate fees. Hopefully there's a reputable one!

Also I need something during the weekend or evenings, that I can join in december, and that's intermediate level. And not too expensive. Anyone know of somewhere decent?

Thanks

MrBeijingles · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 67 Location: Shanghai

There are plenty advertised in That's Shanghai magazine. I don't know how much they charge, but it has to be a good amount of money. Why not try a language exchange with a coworker or someone else? They have many personal ads in the English publications looking for language exchange partners.

Drizzt · Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Posts: 229 Location: Kyuushuu, Japan

Try East China Normal University (Hua dong shi fan da xue), the International Studies University (?) or Fudan University (Fudan da xue). All of these offer Mandarin courses for foreigners.

Be aware that although all Shanghaiese speak Mandarin, the communicate amongst themselves in Shanghaiese.

Hope this helps.

jg · Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 9:03 pm Post subject:

If you are looking for an evening program in Shanghai, try Donghua Uni. I took their evening program last year, and it was good. 3 hours a night, 3 nights a week, 5500 RMB total. Two teachers, two different books (both of them pretty good) and they gave and checked homework. They offered basic, intermediate, and advanced level courses. After the first third of class fewer and fewer students came, giving the remainder a better chance to speak/interact.

Donghua is on West Yunnan road, near where Tianshan road dead ends. Take line three to the West Yunnan road stop, I think... from there its a two block walk.

Best of all most of the students are Asians who have familiarity with a lot of the characters already, so you will need to hustle to keep up. Most of the students were working professionals, so you didn't get too many party hounds like you sometimes do in the morning courses.

2 over lee · Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 10:34 pm Post subject:

That sounds interesting jg, I wonder if they have a Pudong campus - what time of night did the evening courses start?

jg · Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 7:45 pm Post subject:

Classes started at 6:30, usually there was a 10 minute break halfway through. There were many classes were there were only four or five students, and the teacher was pretty cheesed about the sparse attendance but she would just pour her energies into those who were there. I felt so pressured to not make a fool of myself (again) that I studied really hard and made a lot of progress, and even a year later I still open my books on a regular basis to go over the lessons and review the vocab.

I don't know of any schools in Pudong besides Shanghai Maritime Uni, last time I checked they didn't offer Chinese classes for foreigners but the info may not have been accurate.