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Do free Chinese classes exist?
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Rooster_2006



Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 6:06 am    Post subject: Do free Chinese classes exist? Reply with quote
Recently I became aware that in Korea, the Korean government offers free Korean classes to foreigners who are living there. They even provide free textbooks. They call this the KIIP.

Does Taiwan have anything similar for Chinese?
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JZer



Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Are the free classes in Korea worthwhile?
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Rooster_2006



Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
JZer wrote:
Are the free classes in Korea worthwhile?
I'm not sure. Completely unaware that I could have had Level 1 and Level 2 Korean for free, I actually paid for those levels...

But to me, regardless of quality, any class would be worthwhile in terms of getting me off my butt, out of my house, and studying Chinese. Even if the classes are crap and we learn nothing in the actual classes, I still think it could be really helpful, just as a motivational tool.
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louis.p



Joined: 07 Oct 2007
Posts: 107
Location: Tainan, Taiwan
PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
There is a government scholarship that might put you through a language center for a year.

http://english.moe.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=11981&CtNode=10632&mp=2

The scholarship then funds your education at a Taiwanese graduate school.

--Louis
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Rooster_2006



Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
louis.p wrote:
There is a government scholarship that might put you through a language center for a year.

http://english.moe.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=11981&CtNode=10632&mp=2

The scholarship then funds your education at a Taiwanese graduate school.

--Louis
Nah, I was just thinking more along the lines of something fun and low pressure, maybe once or twice a week.

I did eight ten-week terms of intensive Korean study at Yonsei University KLI in Seoul, and intensive language study really burns me out.
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markcmc



Joined: 18 Jan 2010
Posts: 262
Location: Taiwan
PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 3:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've had hundreds of free Chinese conversation lessons from taxi drivers.
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dangerousapple



Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Posts: 292
PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 4:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've found it gets harder and harder to pretend you don't speak Chinese, after you learn it. When I get into a taxi now, I pretend that I'm talking on my phone, to avoid having THE CONVERSATON again (no, I'm not an American, yes, I'm married, yes, I'm used to Chinese food...). It's rare to get a taxi driver who wants to chat about anything else.
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markcmc



Joined: 18 Jan 2010
Posts: 262
Location: Taiwan
PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 4:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
dangerousapple wrote:
I've found it gets harder and harder to pretend you don't speak Chinese, after you learn it. When I get into a taxi now, I pretend that I'm talking on my phone, to avoid having THE CONVERSATON again (no, I'm not an American, yes, I'm married, yes, I'm used to Chinese food...). It's rare to get a taxi driver who wants to chat about anything else.


I know what you mean, but that only happens if you don't lead the conversation. If you want the free conversation lesson, you need to ask questions about different topics. Not all taxi drivers like to talk, but the ones who do are happy to give their opinions on every topic under sun - although I avoid politics at all costs.
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Rooster_2006



Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
dangerousapple wrote:
I've found it gets harder and harder to pretend you don't speak Chinese, after you learn it. When I get into a taxi now, I pretend that I'm talking on my phone, to avoid having THE CONVERSATON again (no, I'm not an American, yes, I'm married, yes, I'm used to Chinese food...). It's rare to get a taxi driver who wants to chat about anything else.
Unfortunately, my Chinese has already reached that point...

I had a bus driver once who disliked the Democratic Progressive Party and had been to Zhejiang...

Recent five-star conversation with the middle-aged taxi driver, whose name, according to his placard, is "Ma Qi-fa:"
Taxi driver: 你有結婚了嗎? ("Have you married?")
Me: 沒有。("I haven't.")
Taxi driver: 沒有結婚，沒有jiki-jiki! ("No marriage, no jiki-jiki!")

For the longest time, given the context, I thought "jiki jiki" was 太語 for "sex," but it turns out that "jiki-jiki" means something innocuous like "responsibility."

Anyways, I'm just sitting in front of my computer all day. On the rare occasion I study Chinese, it's using only Anki and Integrated Chinese, which is such a bore. I just want to get out of the house and do something that doesn't cost too much money.

Universities charge way too much. Maybe buxiban are more reasonable, not sure. I guess as soon as I make this post, I'll take a look, seeing as how there aren't any free Chinese classes available...

Specifically, I'm looking for a class designed for people who already know basic Chinese but want to take it to intermediate-low. Because I have studied SOME Chinese in college and middle school.
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creztor



Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 476
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
It's called get yourself a girl friend or boy friend. Yes, I am being serious. Doesn't matter if you are only here for a few more months. The downside I guess is that it really isn't "free", but you'll get other benefits. Living in the sticks I think you shouldn't have much problem finding girls who can't speak any English and would jump at the chance of meeting a foreigner who can speak Chinese.