Learn mandarin in china?

Question

Hi, have any of you been to China to learn Chinese??? I'm planning to go to China this summer to learn Mandarin (10 weeks)... But I have no idea about the country and stuff. I only speak little Chinese = ). I think I would go to Beijing bcos they speak pure Mandarin there. Which university should I go to? And any idea about the accomodation? I prefer to stay in a student dormitory, but apartments (preferably the cheap ones) will do...please give suggestions and (if possible) the rates.

And what kind of class do they offer?? Do the teachers there speak English? What about the classmates -local or international students- ?

yeah, a lot of questions..lol.

Any advice/suggestion would be very appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

I am Chinese and have lived there for most of my life. I speak Mandarins and I can tell you that most Beijing people don't speak Mandarin. They speak with a northern dialogue. It's a little different than mandarin.

I personally favor Shanghai over Beijing. It's a very international city, maybe even better than New York. You'll meet many international people and institutions/companies. The city is breath-taking and much cleaner than Beijing. The people are more civilized and most speak English. There are opportunities are everywhere. It's the best city for singletons and youngsters such as ourselves. Although it's not the capital, you'll still get the experience you want.

Beijing is a very traditional city still. The pollution is very heavy and there are a lot sand/dust storms in the summer. Not everyone speaks English. The traffic is horrible. The main diet is mostly bread-and-noodles-based, like most northern cities. IDK, maybe you'll like it better than I did.

Answer 2

You can ask your questions from this forum, where a lot of foreigners discussing this kind of questions:

http://www.chinese-forums.com/

Answer 3

Beijing and Shanghai would not be good cities to learn Mandarin for a few reasons. As one previous poster said, Beijing and Shanghai are international cities. There are people from all over the world and China living there. As a result you have several languages spoken and different dialects of the same language. This is not a good combination if you want to learn through immersion. Check ou the northern city of Harbin. It has a temperate climate and it is known for its "pure" Mandarin if you want to call it that. This city is a lot cheaper than Beijing, Shanghai, and of course Singapore. The rates I have no idea, but you could send an e mail to the school if you want further info. There are quite a few international students from Korea, Russia, and India that study in Harbin. The teachers are probably not the best English speakers, so if that is a big issue Harbin might not be the best city for you.

Answer 4

I think that Beijing and Shanghai would be fine cities to learn Chinese in. I've been to Shanghai and everyone (except for maybe people in their late 70s +) speak mandarin well. Shanghai may be an international city, but Mandarin Chinese is still widely spoken by At Least 90 percent of the population. Some Shanghairen also speak a shanghai dialect that sounds really cool----maybe you can get aquainted with it if you decide to go there.

As for Beijing, I have some friends who have parents that are Beijingren, and they speak the clearest Mandarin I've ever heard.

So yes, Beijing and Shanghai would be wonderful places to learn Mandarin.

I wouldn't know much about what kind of universities and classes they have..but I'm sure they have some teachers that speak English....but you'd be better off knowing more Chinese.

Answer 5

upon learning mandarin in china, you can find helpful informations, all of which you're wondering, at www.mystudyinchina.com