With the Fall quarter approaching, I’m contemplating doing a Chinese course at either Chung Hsing, Feng Jia or National Taichung University of Education. All of the courses seem to be under 25,000 for the 3 months and all have various differences. I’m not interested in going to Tung Hai or Providence Universities as they are too far away from where I live in Taichung.
I’m interested in what others thought about each university’s course. From what I gather:
Feng Jia - well established, morning and afternoon courses, 10 students per class 8+ levels of ability, 14 hours per week.
Chung Hsing - 2006 est. morning courses only, 15 hours per week, 5 students per class, 8 levels of ability
National Taichung University of Education - 15 hours per week, 5-8 students per class.
Any experiences shared with any of these courses would be really appreciated.
I am male, studied for around 1000 hours mandarin in a course for adults, with TOCFL level A1 (listening & reading), speak 5 European languages (no Asian). I mainly want to improve my conversation skills (listening & speaking) while being immersed in a mandarin environment, but am not interested in a grade.
From end December 2014 to end March 2015 I want to study 3 months Mandarin (3hr/day) in Taichung (or eventually Tainan).
My preference is to study in Taichung, where Tunghai (Donghai 東海) and Fengchia (Fengjia 甲) are probably the best alternatives.
Hereby some questions:
Would you recommend Tunghai or FengJia given above wishes and my background?
Tunghai is somehow far from city centre.
a. If I want to stay in the area, where around Tunghai university is the best area to stay (pleasant, restaurants/shops/animation,…)?
b. Is it easy to find in the Tunghai area short term lodging (i.e. a single room for only 3 months)?
For lodging, would you prefer the Tunghai or Fengchia area? (because I want to stay off campus nearby the university)
Does anyone have recent experience in Providence University ?
Should I consider other options (TLI – private, NTCU, or NCHU – where language program seems irregular available, …)?
Both language centers will teach you some conversation skills, but there will also be a heavy emphasis in both on reading and writing. There will also be frequent tests that require reading and writing.
Yes, Tunghai is further away from the main city center than FengJia.
a. Tunghai has its own community near the university which cheap housing, night market etc.
b. It should be easy to get short term lodging as there are other students like yourself who come into town for the same purpose. Best would be to contact the language center itself for recommendations, or you can try searching for rentable apartments at www.591.com.tw (Chinese interface).
Fengchia has a similar community of cheaper housing around the university with a bigger night market. If you also plan to do visit other sites within the city (bigger shopping malls and such), then the Fengchia location is preferable.
Providence has an equivalent language center, but its location is even farther away from the city. Outside campus lodging might be more limited than Tunghai / Fengchia. This would be a good choice if you’re not a city person and prefer the fresher air / quietness of the suburbs.
TLI would probably be more expensive, but you then have the option to get a one on one tutor who can tailor the program for you. Eg. If you didn’t want to learn reading / writing or have any sort of formal testing, then this could be an option.
FYI, I offer my own self study courses, as well as online resources that supplement the teaching in the above language centers. PM me for more info.