Has anyone ever studied at Guoyu Ribao on Roosevelt, close to the Guting station? I hear that they have adult classes from 8:00 am to 8:50, or some funky time. It would fit into my schedule perfectly. If anyone is in the know, write down your opinions of the place - I’d love to find out more…
I studied there for 3 months 13 years ago, so my info isn’t up to date. I ditched the Maniland retroflex r pronunciation for the Taiwan Guoyv that I learned from talking to real Taiwan people (not too heavy a Taiwanese accent). Also, some of the textbooks at the time taught some grammar patterns I never heard in Taiwan, but are probably considered standard Mandarin. As long as you can find people to talk Chinese to, you don’t need Chinese classes except to learn how to write nice Chinese characters. Most immigrants to the US learn through talking to people, not in a formal class setting.
I never studied there but have heard alot of good things about it (and other people I talk to have heard good things about it too!) Two of my co-workers just started classes there on Friday. You can always try it out for a month or so?
(I just started studying at CLD on Wuchang by the Taipei Main Station…it seems pretty good!)
GOOD LUCK!
I just checked it out yesterday. Their classes and times are much the same as TLI, CLD etc. It’s two hour classes, the first being 8:00AM-9:50. They don’t seem too flexible though. They wouldn’t let us study two hours a week (one night). They said minimun 2 nights. Their textbooks looked pretty bad, but it seems that you can also use the Shida books. For our purposes, TLI seemed better.
Bri
Just curious.
How much do they charge per hour?
Tution fees depend on what kind of classes you are looking for…
Private: $350/class
Group (2): $220/class
Group (3+): $150
BUT…one class is one hour - but the blocks of time are TWO classes (so just double the above amount…)
(just for comparison…) At CLD, it costs $8,700 for three months (a promotion where you pay for two months and get a free month!) for 10 hours a week…if you want a group class, they ONLY offer 5 nights a week…this is what I’m doing…
privates here cost:
private: $350/hr
group (2): 250/hr
I hope that helps!
But CLD has too much freedom for new students. You never know who your classmates will be the next day. I went there for three months, it was okay in the beginning but then I started feeling the teacher was wasting time and wouldn’t let us repeat things to learn the pronunciation. I don’t know the situation as other schools, but I doubt I’d go back to CLD.
I have heard pretty good things about Guo Yu Ri Bao, but it’s more expensive.
Trying is the only way of knowing if how they teach is what you like.
Would someone like to start a Chinese class that meets less than 10 hours a week? I do not need a visa, but the schools say that most everyone needs a visa so the minimum is 10 hours a week. They tell me one on one if I want to attend class less time. I think it is an excuse so that they can make more money but maybe they are correct.
Anyone here want to study for less than 10 hours a week. I am up for anything between 2 and 8 hours a week.
We can look around and check with all of the schools and find the right teacher. I found one at the Chinese Cultural University that was excellent, not sure if she has the time or not.
It’s strange that I haven’t found about about this until now (I think). There is a childrens newspaper that’s sold at 7/11 (and I’m sure else where) that’s written in Chinese and includes zhuyin (buh puh muh). It seems like this would be a good tool for some people to use to stregthen their Chinese reading ability. It also has a comics section that’s pretty easy to read (about all can read right now). Judging from the name I guess it comes out daily and it’s 10NT a pop.
guoyu ribao also does classes (night classes with flexible hours). I don’t know much about them now, but I will be checking there later this week and will post again when I get the low down.
Anyone have anything else to add?
Checked out the classes at Guoyu ribao and didn’t like the look of them much. Materials seemd pretty shite.
Don’t like the paper much either.
Brian
Signed up for a month, no two I think. Anyway, only went to two classes. the “teacher” was boring, boring, snoring.
I’m not looking to be entertained but jeez, she never once got up off her tush. And lessons were verbatim from the Shida book.
What does the paper look like so I can see if I can find it at my corner 7-11?
It’s quite small and easily distinguishable by the zhuyin next to all the characters.
You didn’t have to go to all that trouble, but that was very nice of you, 'kid… thanks!
Guoyu ribao is an excellent resource–it helps you do more reading and spend less time looking up characters. The Mandarin Daily News also publishes an extensive series of other annotated books. They used to have a series of annotated classical texts that were really quite good. These may be a little hard to find now.
People have always complained that the classes are poorly taught. Like their counterparts at Shida many of the teachers seem to think that teach you to read and write Chinese is the same as teaching you Chinese. Still, the classes are (were ??) cheap and I’m sure that a sufficiently motivated person could get something out of them.
I used it, actually paid for it delivered at my doorstep for 3 months - liked it a lot, but it didn’t help me that much.
The content is mainly geared toward kids.
Of all the language schools I checked out (besides shida), this one seems to be the best. I can’t say anything about the class since I don’t start until next month, but everything else looks and feels better then the other language schools. Here’s all the vital info:
They use zhuyin for class.
Teaching materials:
a. Elementry: Basic Conversation, Mandarin Phonetic Sysmbols, Elementary Chinese Conversation, Beginner’s Conversation, Practical Audio-Visual Chinese I and Chinese Reader (I-III).
b. Intermediate: Intermediate Chinese Conversation, Practical Audio-Visual Chinese II, Chinese Reader (IV-VI), Chinese Moral Tales, Chinese Customs and Traditions, Stories from Chinese History, and Mandarin Daily News readings, etc.
c. Advanced: Modern Prose, Readings from Novels, Readings in Chinese Classics, Radio Plays, and Newspapers, etc.
d. Optional: Modern and Classical Chinese Literature, Chinese History and Culture, Calligraphy, Writing, etc.
Class times
12 terms/year. Each term is one month. Daily Monday-Friday. 2 50 minute periods.
8:10-10:00, 10:10-12:00, 1:00-2:50, 3:00-4:50, 5:00-6:50, 7:00-8:50
For any of the times listed you can choose to meet 5 times per week, 3 times per week or 2 time per week.
Cost
1 on 1 = 350NT/hour
1 on 2 = 220NT/hour
1 on 3 = 150NT/hour
The person I met with here was the nicest of all the places I visited (shida included). She only spoke with me using my crap Chinese (free lesson 
). She tested me right there using the different text books they use in class and tried to find a group that was at my level.
It seems to me like this is a place worth checking out for people interested in learning Chinese. If you alredy have a small groups of friends/people that are at your level it would be really easy to setup and class time that would be convenient for all of you.
And it’s conveniently located at exit 7 (the Mandarin Daily News exit) of kuting. It’s on the street map. It’s English name is Mandarin Daily News.
Hmmm. I got the opposite impression both in terms of service and the feeling I got from their materials. I also think there might have been some bad experiences posted here (more likely back on Oriented). There’s been at least two previous threads about Guoyu Ribao classes. TLI seemed better, and I (although it varies) had a great time at CLD. There’s also Pioneer.
Brian
Well, I started my first week of class at the Mandarin Daily. I think I fell into a class that is a little bit past my current level. The class is all in Chinese. There’s me and 4 other students. Three of the students are very fluent (well compared to me), one is so-so and I can barely order food at Mc Donalds 
. The first day (Monday) felt like it was going to be very impossible to participate in this class. But I studied really hard and prepared for Friday (Wensday was a holiday) and Friday’s class went rather smoothly.
I’m way behind in terms of speaking, but my reading comprehension isn’t too bad. Up until now I’ve mainly been doing self-study and rarely practiced speaking with anyone. Now I plan on splitting my efforts almost 50/50 in terms of reading and speaking.
I’m not sure where the reading level is, but I’m guessing it’s hanging out somewhere around the end of Shida’s Book 2.
I like the teacher and I can tell from the 2 classes that I’ve had that I’ll like the class. If I can find some people that are around the same level as me, we could try to setup a class of our choice next month.
But, so far so good.
Ah, guoyu ribao!! Oh, my mother subscribed the newspaper for us kids when we were at grade schools. That was about xx years ago!! I remembered everyday I couldn’t wait to read the newspaper and, of course, comics on it. Now when I think about it, maybe the foundation I had from back then is part of the reason my Chinese level had been much better than the average local people around my age even years after I graduated from university. Ohhh, Mom! Thank you!!! 
But my Chinese level is not as good as it used to be anymore.