Take part in a course in Shanghai or
Yantai and learn Mandarin Chinese, the language spoken by one fifth of
the world's population.
You can learn for any amount of time, at any level,
in either of two very different Chinese Cities. The best way to learn a language is to
live, eat and breathe it... Here you can do just that! If you want to combine
your learning with a voluntary project, you can. Or, if you want to
submerge yourself entirely in the language every day we can cater for
you too.
You can
do any of our courses
even if you are a complete beginner with no knowledge of Mandarin. If you are
advanced level, or have a little Mandarin.
COURSES IN SHANGHAI: Your language course will take
place in a language centre in the centre of Shanghai, right in the
centre of the city. Courses in Shanghai can be taken on their own as
a main placement, or as a supplemental option alongside your
main project. Read more about the courses in Shanghai below.
COURSES IN YANTAI:
We also have courses are
based in
Yantai, a peninsula in the east of Shandong Province between the Yellow
Sea and Bohai Sea, overlooking Korea and Japan.
Yantai is a large and busy port, and the fact that it is
seldom visited by foreign tourists makes it an absolutely wonderful place in
which to live and study.
Our Yantai course is run in association with Yantai University, and
is the one for you if you're looking to gain a qualification or University
points while studying and living in "real China". Read more about the courses in Yantai below.
Learning Mandarin will be of benefit
to you both during your life in China and afterwards. Within the country,
very few people outside the education system speak English, and while
travelling around China there are frequent opportunities to strike up
conversations with people who are as curious about you as you are about
them! Learning Mandarin will enable to you speak with these people, thus
enriching your time here immeasurably, as you find out things about the
culture and the way of life that someone without language skills simply
would not have access to.
On a larger scale, Mandarin is one
of the 5 major UN Languages, and is the most widely spoken language in the
world. One out of five people in the world speaks Chinese as their native
language! China is changing faster than just about any other place on Earth;
even a short stay here will demonstrate this fact. The recent entry into
the WTO has only accelerated this trend.
In 1997, as the rest of Asia slid
into depression, China was forging a path forwards and has continued to
develop steadily, embracing world trade in a way that few had predicted. As
a result of all this change, it is predicted that China will continue to
grow and become a major player in world affairs and business in the coming
few years. The ability to speak Mandarin will be of great benefit to anyone
hoping to participate in affairs of business or culture on the world
stage...
It's also a really fun language
to learn, and even more fun to master, as it's so very different to so
many Western languages. With Mandarin, not only will you be able to impress
the people of China, but probably your family and friends back home too.
Whatever your circumstances, the
opportunity to learn more about this ancient and fascinating culture from an
insider’s perspective is one not to be missed!
COURSES IN SHANGHAI - Language Schools
Your language course will take
place in a language centre in the centre of Shanghai, right in the
centre of the city. Courses in Shanghai can be taken on their own as
a main placement, or as a supplemental option alongside your
main project.
The centre is experienced in
providing courses for foreigners in Shanghai – from specialised
children’s classes, business classes, culture classes and standard
classes for every level. The centre is run by friendly staff, and if
you’re taking a longer course of lessons you’ll feel as though you’re
becoming a part of a family.
Your course will last for as
long as you require. There are three levels of intensity: 5 hours per
week, 10 hours per week or 15 hours per week. If you are only
studying Mandarin while in Shanghai, we suggest that you take a 15 hour
per week course in order to make the most out of your time. If you are
working on another project too, you will need to take a course that can
fit around the schedule of your main placement.
The centre can be very flexible
with lesson times, so it is usually possible to schedule your lessons
around any other project commitments.
You’ll learn with one teacher
who will be assigned to you at the beginning of the course and who you
will remain with throughout your time in Shanghai. The course is usually
taught in English but lessons in other European languages can sometimes
be arranged. It doesn’t matter which level of Mandarin you already have
– the teachers can cater for you regardless of whether you’ve done a
little, a lot or none at all.
The course will not give you an
official qualification or certification. The idea is to teach practical
things which will be of use to you in daily life in China. You’ll learn
conversation through speaking, writing and reading. You won’t usually
learn any Chinese characters (unless you are already of a reasonably
high level), you’ll work in pinyin, which is a system of writing the
Chinese language using the Roman alphabet.
You’ll take the course either on
your own or with any other volunteers doing the course at the same time
who are of the same level of you.
Why Choose Shanghai?
If you'd like to live and
learn in one of the world's most dynamic, up and coming cities where
you'll never be bored between lessons
If you'd like to combine
language learning with volunteering at one of our other projects, or
with cultural courses such as
martial arts
If you need flexible start
dates and hours
COURSES IN YANTAI, SHANDONG PROVINCE -
University Courses
We also have courses are
based in
Yantai, a peninsula in the east of Shandong Province between the Yellow
Sea and Bohai Sea, overlooking Korea and Japan.
Yantai is a large and busy port, and the fact that it is
seldom visited by foreign tourists makes it an absolutely wonderful place in
which to live and study.
Our Yantai course is run in association with Yantai University, and
is the one for you if you're looking to gain a qualification or University
points while studying and living in "real China"
Yantai University, where the course is
based, is located 10 minutes from the city centre by
bus. The University area is a vibrant and buzzing part of town, as it is home to
a great many students, both Chinese and from elsewhere in the world. The
building itself faces long stretches of beach on one side and Shandong’s
stunning mountainous landscapes on the other. There are many small shops and street stalls, a
busy market and a selection of Chinese and Korean restaurants running along the
coast. You will live on Yantai University campus and
mixing with thousands of Chinese students, as well as students from other parts
of the world.
The Mandarin Course for foreign students has been
running at Yantai University for 15 years. A typical class size is 25 students,
and the teaching staff are professors or lecturers who are accredited and
experienced in teaching Mandarin to foreign students. The course is designed to immerse international
students in the Chinese language and culture through compulsory classes,
conversation with native speakers and optional electives. All areas of the
language will be covered in your course: reading, writing, speaking,
listening, grammar, phonetics and vocabulary. These will be taught via a variety of topics
which will relate to aspects of Chinese culture, society and history. Each semester there are around 100 International
Students enrolled on the course at various levels. Many of these students are
from Korea and Japan, and there are also often students from the UK, France and
the USA. This project will give you the opportunity to meet people from a
variety of different cultures; not just from China, but from all over the world!
Some of the courses currently on offer include:
Spoken
Chinese, Chinese Comprehension (Pinyin, Grammar and Writing), Reading, Chinese
Listening Comprehension
You can choose to do a length of course that
suits you, i.e.:
4 weeks
8 weeks
the full course, which lasts for one semester. In China, a
semester will vary between 3 months and 4 and a half months in length.
The minimum course time
is 4 weeks. We will discuss your preferred course length with you on
application. There are two semesters
every year:
* September 1st until early January
* March 1st until early July
You can begin your course at
either of these times, regardless of how long you wish to stay. However,
the University can not be flexible with start dates - you must begin at either
of these times.
Levels of
study & course credits
Classes are available at various levels, so no
matter what your level of Mandarin is, there will be a
class to suit you. We can offer beginner, elementary, intermediate or
advanced classes. Around 50% of the students on the course are Beginners.
The University will assess
your level of competency in the language when you arrive and will allocate you
accordingly. Regardless of how long your course lasts, you
will obtain a certificate at the end of your study time.
Each semester you will also obtain around 20
credits, and these can often be credited to your university course in
your home country. [If you
wish to take advantage of this option, you must check that your university will
recognise this qualification before you leave, as it does vary between
institutions.
Daily
Schedule
The course takes place from
Monday to Friday, running from approximately 8am to 3:40pm. You will have
homework in the evenings, in much the same way as you would during a similar
course in most countries, and you will be expected to complete this to the
deadline set by your teachers. Your weekends will be free and this will allow
some time for relaxing, travelling and sightseeing
Why Choose Yantai?
If you want an intensive course
that will give you a real qualification and/or University points
If you want to live in "Real
China", out of the way of Western Influence
If you can commit to set start
and finish dates
If you'd like to live and mix
with students from around Asia and the world in a University environment
YOUR ACCOMMODATION & FOOD IN
SHANGHAI
On this project you'll live at a Travellers Flat in
Shanghai. The flat is typical Shanghai style and all the Work Experience
Volunteers live here together. The flat accommodates 5 people maximum.
The flat has two bedrooms, one of
which is also often used as a lounge room, depending on how many
volunteers are living in it at the time you're there.
Owing to the vast population and shortage of space
in towns and cities, it is common practice in China that flats and
houses have no one room dedicated to be used as a lounge, so one of the
bedrooms is frequently used as a place to gather.
The Travellers flat also has a
kitchen with washing facilities and a bathroom.
You will eat lunch and dinner at the
hotel, and be provided with a meal budget for breakfast. You can buy
breakfast from one of the many delicious restaurants around the flat, or
prepare it yourself in the flat's kitchen!
If you are taking your Mandarin Course as a supplemental
option, you will live at the accommodation provided by your main project. Please
see your main project page for more information.
YOUR ACCOMMODATION & FOOD IN
YANTAI
During your course, you will live at Yantai University Hostel with the other
students who are on the course.
Currently, the
hostel is a four storey building located on Yantai seafront,
but the University is in the process of building a second hostel and once this
is completed, you may stay in either location.
You
will share your room with another person, either a Travellers Volunteer or another
foreign
student who is on the course
at the same time as you. If you prefer privacy and would like a room to
yourself, we can arrange this for you, but there will be a supplementary cost
involved.
Each room has two beds, a bathroom
solely for the use of that room,
a table and chairs,
plus
a telephone and TV. The hostel is
a five-minute walk away from the
University building in which you will take your classes.
On
this project, your food is not included in the price of the placement.
This is in order to give you flexibility in where you choose to eat and also in
planning your budget regarding how many times you choose to eat out in
restaurants and how much you want to pay.
There are seven dining halls on campus that serve meals throughout the day and
most students choose to eat most of their meals on campus in one of these dining
halls. Meals are paid for in cash and are extremely cheap, particularly compared
to Western prices. For example, at time of writing (April 2005), a meals costs
between 2 and 5 RMB (currently there are approximately 15 RMB to £1 Sterling or
US$1.80).
There are also many restaurants and street stalls in the surrounding area,
serving a variety of delicious Chinese and Korean dishes.
One of the many pleasures of living in foreign countries is the opportunity to
try out different restaurants and the vast array of different types of food. A
good tip in any foreign country is to find out where the locals eat - the food
there is usually excellent and reasonably priced!
TRAVEL
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
VISAS:. We'll send you all the necessary forms and
information and make the process very easy for you.
If your course is in Shanghai or Yantai, you'll fly
into the city where
you'll be
met by our Organisers or one of their staff. From the
airport you'll be taken to your school and introduced to your
hosts.
To read about the extensiveSupport & Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
Shanghai Organiser Jessie with her niece
Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our
volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination
country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket,
of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get
a changeable ticket.
We can also arrange your flight
dates
to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a
fascinating and wondrous country!
"I just want to say what a
fantastic impression Jessie
[Travellers
Organiser in Shanghai] has made on me, even in these first few days. She's
so very enthusiastic and if there's anything you want, she'll do her
utmost to meet your need. She seems to reap a genuine delight from
helping, enlightening or amusing you." James Dodd on his teaching
placement in Shanghai
PRICES:
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in China, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation while on your project,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
.
+44 01903 502595
