Learning Chinese, suggestions please

Hi AnewWorld-DDS!

Maybe you should try to post an advert in the classes section of Beijing classifieds.

Regards
Armand

Yes, find someone who will tutor you or look into a school with a flexible sched. I don't know where you live in Beijing, but there's a great school, Global Village, that is in Wudaokou. It's very close to the subway station. They ahve classes you can join anytime and are at different times throughout the day.

Hi jsbmeb,

I already have someone who will be tutoring my husband and i...this is for only another 100 hours.
Afterwards or during i was also hoping to get out the house more and meet people.
I live near Chaoyang Park... and it seems most of what i intend to do is up in that area. So, i will travel. Unless anyone knows of somewhere closer?

Thank you for the advice, i will look into the place you mentioned...

[Moderated: please post in Beijing classifieds]

HI,AnewWorld-DDS

I'm a Chinese teacher in Beijing, if you like, you can give me a phone call, I gave my phone number to you. Check your message~~

Enjoy your life in Beijing, wish you well!

Live near Chaoyang Park...South Gate? West Gate?...hmmm tons of Chinesse Language schools within a ten minute or so drive from you and many of the schools will offer to send a teacher to you.

From the top or my head out to the Lido area and you will find two or three schools, go towards the American Embassy and you will find a couple of schools there, go towards 3rd Ring Road (Tuanjie Hou) a school there, one (maybe more) in Sanlitun Soho, Dongzhimen three or four schools, a tad further eTower (Guanghua Lu) has I think three schools, Sunshine 100 has one (maybe more) school.and I am sure there are some that I have forgotten

BICC wrote:

I cannot say its the best school in Beijing

I will not argue with that statement.

Most (maybe all) the Language Schools can help with obtaining Visas.

I have been in Beijing 1 month now. But I am a Chinese:-) I think maybe I can help you to improve your Chinese, and I am seeking for someone who helps on my English. By interesting pls mail to [email protected], thanks.

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In answer to the original question at the beginning of this thread:

It may be difficult to find a school with well-trained language teachers. Most teaching here is text oriented, even for students who are primarily interested in verbal communication. Techniques like simulation, role-play and 'drama' are apparently little used.

I went to a school for a few months. Some of the teachers were good, some bad. Some prepared for the lesson, some didn't. One of the problems is that schools may not pass much of your money onto the teacher, so the latter may not have much incentive to make an effort.

Paying a teacher directly for private lessons would be a step forward  if you know the contact detail for a good teacher.

Maybe someone can explain why its so important for a foreigner to be able to speak Chinese fluently?

BTW, im considering a job offer in Beijing. I lived in Vietnam for 5+ years and my Vietnamese vocabulary was maybe 25 words, maybe more but most vietnamese couldnt understand my accent. But I got along just fine in work and living their. As their was usually always someone (vietnamese) around that could translate. If I was going to any area that I felt I would be lucky if anyone their that could understand any english I would bring a translator.

I found that a trusted translator usually worked out much better than my broken vietnamese anyday.

Right. If you are coming to Beijing as the ambassador for your country, or the boss of a multinational company then you will not need Chinese. You will have interpreters, translators, English-speaking drivers etc. I recently had dinner with a recently arrived boss who boasted that she couldn't speak one word of Chinese and never intended to!

The rest of us speak Chinese in daily life. Some speak well, Some speak badly. If you speak well, things are easier for you, so that motivates people in trying to learn. Beijing is more like Japan than southeast Asia. Few people can speak English to any degree of competence. Even interpreters and translators have a far lower level of competence than in, say, Hong Kong or Singapore.