What Are the Requirements?
No prior Mandarin experience is necessary. All levels are welcome. People of all ages are accepted.
When Can I Start?
Classes start the first Monday of each month. See here for dates.
What Kind of Visa do I Apply for?
If you are coming for 6 months or less, you will be applying for a tourist visa of 30, 60 or 90 days. We can arrange any necessary visa renewal if needed when you are in China. If you intend to come to China for longer than 6 months you will need to apply for an “F” Visa. We will supply the necessary supporting documents for you to apply in your home country.
What Happens When I Arrive in China?
Our staff will pick you up from the airport and take you to your accommodation. You will then be introduced to fellow students and staff and taken for a welcome meal. We will give an orientation to help familiarize you with China and you will be taken to view some local tourist spots and markets. On your first day of Mandarin classes a member of staff will accompany you to your school.
What Cultural Activities or Travel Options Can I do?
There are so many activities to do. Look at the available cultural activities and travel options. If there is something not listed that you would like to do, we are happy to help you out!
What Are the Other Students' Nationalities?
Our students come from all over the world including USA, Mexico, Europe, South America, Asia, Australia and NZ.
Do I Need Special Insurance?
You definitely need special insurance to cover personal liability, emergency, medical and repatriation expenses, loss and theft of luggage and valuables. We also advise you to be covered for cancellation of trip and inability to continue your course.
How Can I Pay?
Full tuition as well as 1 month’s deposit for accommodation must be paid no later than 4 weeks before your course starts. Your fees can be paid via bank transfer, credit card, PayPal or cash.
What Currency is Used in China?
The Chinese currency is the “RenMenBi” – abbreviated to “RMB” - but Chinese people also use ‘yuan' or “kuai” in spoken language. You can say 10 Yuan or 10 kuai. 8 RMB is approximately 1 €uro or 7 RMB is worth around 1 $US to give you an indication of the conversion.
What Other Types of Expenses Should I plan for While in China?
Entertainment in China is generally inexpensive. Transportation options include the public bus (which costs less than 1 RMB per ride) and subway (as low as 2 RMB per ride), as well as taxi services which costs as cheap as 10 RMB for short distances and up to 30 RMB to go across town or downtown. Many students also opt to buy bicycles while they are in China. Bicycles are a prevalent mode of transport as they are ideal for short distances and are convenient. New bicycles can be purchased for around 200-600 RMB.
Do You Offer Courses for All Levels?
We have courses for beginners to advanced levels.
When Can I Start?
Classes start the first Monday of each month.
What Kinds of Courses Are Available?
We provide Conversational Chinese, Business Chinese, Chinese Culture, Children’s Chinese and other courses. The most popular course of Conversational Chinese includes beginners (150 hours), intermediate (180 hours) and advanced (120 hours), totaling 450 hours.
Which Course Corresponds to My Level?
You will be given a placement test on your first day at your school, with the result giving an indication of your level of knowledge and to help place you into the appropriate class. You also can get an idea of your level by doing the test online preliminarily by yourself.
How do I Pick the Course? How Much Time do I Need to Commit?
It really depends on your study goals. If you are after basic communication skills with a vocabulary of about 1000 words, 80 simple sentences and grammars, this usually takes 150 class hours to reach the level of Conversational Beginner. If you want to compose complex sentences and paragraphs expressing personal opinion with a vocabulary of about 3000 words, 150 sentences and grammar, this usually takes 330 class hours to reach the level of Conversational Intermediate. If you want to be fluent like a native-speaker, it usually takes 450 class hours to reach the level of Conversational Advanced.
How Quickly Will I Progress?
Your progression will depend on:
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Your current level of Chinese/Mandarin
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The length of time (and how long ago) you have studied Chinese
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The duration of your course
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Your learning ability
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Whether or not you speak or have studied other languages
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Your personal motivation and interest in Chinese culture
Must I Learn Chinese Characters?
It isn’t compulsory. However, the written Chinese language is in characters not Pin Yin (the Romanized form), so it will be difficult to study Chinese above intermediate level if you do not study characters.
Where Will the Mandarin Classes be Held?
Your classes will be held at a world class language school that is internationally recognised and has won numerous awards. The schools have been especially setup for foreigners learning Mandarin. The teachers are experienced, extremely patient and use interactive learning and teaching methods.
How do I Choose the Study Location?
The campuses are located at the center of all the cities with modern, comfortable facilities and convenient public transport. Many restaurants and shopping centres are in the surrounding areas of all schools. Beijing and Dalian are in North China and colder in winter, whilst Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are in South China and hotter in summer.
How do I Get to the School?
Public transport is located closely. We will accompany you on your first day of classes to the school and show you how to get there on your own.
What Are Your Teachers’ Qualifications?
We have over 200 native Chinese teachers with over 2-3 years of experience in teaching Mandarin to foreigners. Most of them graduated with a major of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.
What is Your Teaching Methodology?
Our teaching style is very interactive as this proves to be the most effective way of learning Mandarin. There will be numerous activities such as scene imitation, role play, Q&A, audio visual material, storytelling and more.
The teaching process can be divided into four phases:
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Comprehension: learning new words to build up your vocabulary.
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Recognition: learning how to write and recognize the words just taught.
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Practice: applying the newly acquired words and sentence structures.
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Repetition: practicing the newly acquired knowledge in and outside of class.
How Can I Trust Your Quality?
We regularly monitor your progress and adjust the teaching pace and methodology accordingly.
What is the Difference Between Your School & Other Centers?
The difference between our school and other Mandarin schools are:
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Our schools have been internationally recognized and are certified by the Education Ministry as a training school for teaching Mandarin.
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All year round classes from total Beginner to Advanced with new classes starting every month.
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Excellent locations in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen & Dalian. Each of our schools is located nearby public transportation in popular residential, business and commercial districts with modern and comfortable facilities.
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Small class sizes, with an average of 4-6 students and a maximum 8 students per group.
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Teaching materials have been designed in house, from total beginner to advanced levels.
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Varied after-class activities and excursions for free or nominal fees.
What Kinds of Accommodation do You Offer?
There are three types: single room in a shared apartment (subject to availability), private studio apartment and home stay.
How Much is Accommodation?
Pricing varies depending on the city you study in, your location, the standard of the accommodation, whether you are sharing with others and also the period of your stay. A longer period of stay, the closer you are to the city and a higher standard of accommodation will result in higher prices. Please refer to our guide for an idea of accommodation prices in China.
How About Meals?
There are restaurants and supermarkets near your accommodation and there may be some western-style food. For home stay students, your host family may prepare some meals.
Where Are the Host Families Located?
The majority of our host families are located in Beijing, with limited placements available in Shanghai and other cities. The host families will more than likely live in residential areas, however some may be located in or close to the city centre. You will have access to local transport and there will be amenities in the surrounding area.
How Will I Communicate With My Host Family?
The host families spoken English will vary, though they are required to have a basic understanding of the language. You will soon pick up everyday phrases in Chinese which can be used as a great communication tool and your family will encourage you to learn more and more Chinese throughout your stay. Our support staff are also a point of contact, if needed.
Why do People Choose to be Host Families?
The network of host families that we work with open their homes up to foreigners for different reasons. They will either want to improve their language skills, desire foreign exposure or want to teach their language and culture. Most host families will have children and will want them to be exposed to a western way of life, whilst teaching their own heritage. Often young professional couples may wish to improve their English communication skills and enjoy having a foreign friend.
Will I Live With a Family or an Individual?
Normally your host family will be a family with a child or a young professional couple. You can request which you prefer in the application process, though sometimes it is subject to availability.
Will I Get to Choose My Own Family?
When applying, you can give preference if you would like to stay with a family or in a home with no children. Home stays are also chosen on location; if you are partaking in an internship, we aim to find a host family in close proximity to make travelling to and from your placement convenient.
Are the Homes Safe?
All of our host families will have a security check and interview before they can qualify to be a potential home stay. We ensure that all hosts are equipped to facilitate the participants in their home.
Are Meals Included in the Home Stay?
The home stays will usually provide two meals a day, which includes breakfast and evening meals. You will be responsible for providing your own lunch, though the home will have facilities for you to cook this yourself. Some families will provide you with lunch, though bear in mind, they aren’t required to do so.
Will I Have My Own Bedroom?
All participants will be given the privacy of their own bedroom, including bed, closet and basic furniture. The standard and amount of furniture will vary dependant on the home stay, but will be clean and well kept.
What Facilities Will be Available in the Home Stay?
Chinese households are a lot different from western ones and it is advisable to be prepared for this, for example, most homes are located in apartment blocks and are a lot smaller than what foreigners are used to. Chinese homes generally have western facilities such as a T.V, computer, internet, washing machine, DVD player and a western toilet, but don’t be disappointed if all of those aren’t in the house - this is perfectly normal for a Chinese house and remember you are there for the experience!
Will I Have to Teach English?
You will be required to teach your host family 5 hours of conversational English a week. A big part of a host family accepting you into their home is because they are interested in foreign culture and want to learn more about it. Foreigners and local alike will benefit from the cultural exchange.
Do Host Families Cater for Vegetarians?
In China, being a vegetarian is not as common as in western countries though people are accepting of the fact and will try to cater for you. It is advisable that you state prior to coming to China that you are a vegetarian so your host family can prepare for this.
What Happens if I Have Special Dietary Needs?
Any dietary needs will need to be stated prior to coming to China so that we can make the necessary arrangements for you. If you require special foods or supplements we will need to ensure this can be provided. If you have food allergies it is essential that you inform us so we can ensure the host family can cater for this, for example dishes in China are sometimes cooked using peanut oil, so the host family will need to be informed. Our staff members can translate into Chinese and write things down if you have particular allergies, making eating out at restaurants hassel free.
What Happens if I Have Pet Allergies?
Some of our home stay families may have animals, if you suffer from allergies it is advised you inform us prior to coming to China so we can make necessary arrangements.
