AIM

At Real World Chinese, we have one main goal: we want your language education to be more than what you learn from a textbook. We want you to learn real Chinese, not just the words you are taught in a classroom every day. We want you to come away from China with the ability to remember running your fingers over the rough surface of the clay bricks of the Great Wall, and remember the words you used to describe that moment, in Chinese.

Imagine yourself in a classroom. In front of you lies a textbook which you have been reading from for the past hour. You have memorized the necessary vocabulary and feel quite certain that you have understood the essential grammar. The class is dismissed, and instead of closing your textbook and filing your new knowledge into the back of your mind where it may lie dormant for weeks or even months, you are guided to a nearby site, where you immediately begin to use the knowledge you have learned. All around you the air is buzzing with words, most of them new - but after a few moments you begin to recognize them. Suddenly you find your mind alive, engaged in the vigorous activity of using what you have just learned and discovering more words, noticing the subtleties of intonation and observing the impact of gestures. You shift your backpack and feel the textbook inside – the textbook that was your foundation of knowledge. But here, at the site, with people around you, this is where your mansion is built, and your main course is served, for there is nothing more alive, more memorable than the experience of life itself.

LEARN BY EXPERIENCING

You begin your day at the most celebrated and internationally recognized university of the city, either in Beijing, Shanghai or Xi’an, where experienced native teachers and professors focus on the essential language-learning components - reading, writing, and speaking – through the key building blocks: phonetics, vocabulary, and grammar. Your teachers will use a variety of educational tools to facilitate your language education, from listening exercises, to real life role playing, to the practicing of your brush stroke. The classes are small, with a maximum of twenty students, so you have the opportunity to ask questions and receive help when needed.

We want you to not only learn Chinese, but also to experience China. How do we do that? We combine the knowledge you have learned in a classroom – regardless of your level of understanding Chinese – with a phenomenal immersion program, consisting of after school tutoring, electives, and “study adventures”:  interactive events and guided tours to some of the most popular destinations in the area.

At the end of your day, you will have yet more options. If you are exhausted from your adventures, you can return to your lodging – which we take great care to match with your living style – and collapse into bed, read a book, or perhaps correspond with those who are far away from you. Or you can attend one of the social events that we will have organized – perhaps it will be playing basketball, learning to sing karaoke, watching a Chinese movie, or attending a local festival. Regardless of your decision, we will take care of you and ensure that you do not feel alone in a foreign country.

We want you to use the knowledge you have learned, so after class, you have a choice. Depending on the day, you can attend after school tutoring where you can receive individual help and meet other students at the university. Or, you can join one of the many unforgettable study adventures and explore a site such as the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, the Lama Temple, Tian'anmen Square, or the Forbidden City. You won’t have to be bogged down with the details of finding money for entrance tickets, or registering to see a show; we will take care of all that for you. If you are registered for the business program, you will visit a local corporation like IBM, Nokia or Sony and experience the various types of work environments in China.

STRUCTURE AND SCHEDULE

At Real World Chinese we want you to have a complete educational experience. We have created our language programs based on the experiential educational philosophies of David A. Kolb and Peter Jarvis, both of whom founded the theory that learning occurs best once a person has direct contact with a situation that involves all of the senses.

We have divided the program into five sections:

Ø      Core Courses

Ø      Tutoring

Ø      Partnered Language Exchange

Ø      Electives

Ø      Social Activities

These sections do not exist as independent entities; rather, they work together to create a complete, thorough education experience. By participating in the four extra components (electives, tutoring, partnered language exchange, and social activities) you are transferring and reinforcing knowledge and skills learned from the core courses.

CLASSES: CORE COURSES

There are two types of programs available to learn Mandarin Chinese: standard and intensive.

PROGRAM                  HOURS                                                   HOURS PER DAY

Standard                 Monday - Friday (20hrs/week)                                  4
Intensive                Monday - Friday (30hrs/week)                                   6

Classes are scheduled for the morning, five days a week. Each day you will have four classes, each fifty minutes long, with a ten minute break in between. The Intensive Program will follow the above schedule, with an additional daily two hours of one-on-one tutoring, totalling six hours per day.

Levels

Upon your arrival at your selected destination, you will be given a brief written and oral test in order to determine your proficiency of Mandarin Chinese, and to ensure that you are in a comfortable education environment. Whether you only know how to say Happy New Year  or could argue your way out of a speeding ticket in court, there is a class that can accommodate you. The six levels of proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking are as follows:

In order to ensure your Mandarin skills are developed in the best possible way, the classes have been divided into the five key language developing areas: reading, writing, listening, speaking (oral), and grammar.

Reading: Classes will focus on building vocabulary and strengthening reading comprehension, with a focus on accuracy and speed.

Writing: Classes will introduce and develop the composition of characters and stroke orders of radicals, or bushou.

Listening: Classes will focus on improving listening comprehension of spoken Mandarin at regular speed. At the beginner level the primary focus will be understanding basic facts; at the advanced level the primary focus will be developing implicit comprehension and drawing inferences from complicated passages.

Speaking (Oral): Classes will facilitate the development of proper pronunciation and intonation, and will help students recognize common stress patterns in Mandarin.

Grammar: Classes will introduce and develop proper sentence structure, word order, spelling and colloquial expressions.

AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORING

We understand that learning a new language can be overwhelming and confusing. Mandarin is not the same as English, in its structure or in its usage of Romanized lettering. We therefore have after school tutoring available, where we have hand-picked English speaking tutors to help you with your studies. You have the option of one-on-one tutoring or group tutoring; in either setting you will be able to ask questions about the daily topics, have an extra lesson if you were ill and unable to attend the morning’s class, or practice, practice, practice.

PARTNERED LANGUAGE EXCHANGE

What better way to get to know all the secret parts of China and to polish your Mandarin than to connect with a local Chinese student? This program is very simple – you have the opportunity to practice your Mandarin in a conversational manner, eat real Chinese food and get to see some local sights that are off the beaten path. In exchange, you help your partner with his or her English, and share a little bit of your culture. You create your own schedule of where and when to meet… and who knows? You may just find a friend for life.

ELECTIVES

We want you to have the best experience learning Mandarin, and we want you to capitalize on the richest resource you have at your hands: the fact that you are in China, not at home with only a book in front of you. To help your Mandarin skills grow, and to combine a little of Chinese culture with education, we offer a series of free after school electives.

The electives are divided into two categories: language and non-language, although truthfully, even the non-language classes will help improve your Mandarin skills. The electives are held daily, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

Language: Chinese Character Writing and Chinese Song Classes

Chinese Character Writing: A supplementary class to writing classes. Focus is on further development of characters and the radical system.

Chinese Song Classes: An introduction to both traditional folk and modern (pop) Chinese songs. Lyrics are written in both pinyin (Romanized letters) and hanzi (Chinese characters) in order to further strengthen reading and speaking skills.

Non-Language: Chinese Painting, Calligraphy, Traditional Chinese Massage and Medicine, and Taiji Quan (Tai Chi)

Chinese Painting: An introduction to one of the most popular traditional Chinese painting techniques -  water colour painting. Taught by a professional artist.

Calligraphy: An introduction to the ancient and sublime art form of Chinese calligraphy. Learn the eight styles, how to hold the brush, and the proper order of strokes. Students will select one style and develop their skills.

Traditional Chinese Massage and Medicine: An introduction to the ancient Chinese view of the human body and the causes of illness. Remedial techniques will include herbal medicine and massage.

Taiji Quan (Tai Chi): An introduction to the softer and more fluid of the martial arts, with a focus on internal power to improve health and wellness, both physically and mentally.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

To keep you entertained and connected, we offer a range of social activities. Here is a chance for you to meet other English-speaking students like yourself who are learning Mandarin, and immerse yourself in a variety of activities that are designed to keep your blood flowing and your language skills developing. Try your hand at the Asian phenomenon of singing karaoke in a real karaoke bar, complete with costumes, choreography, and flashing lights. Your first social activity will be the Welcome Lunch, followed closely by any of those listed below:

Ø      The Peking Duck Feast

Ø      Bowling nights

Ø      Karaoke nights

Ø      Movie nights

Ø      Friday Bar and Club nights

Ø      Bowling

Ø      Paintball

Ø      Snowboarding trips

Once a month Real Life Chinese will also host a dinner and social evening where you will have the opportunity to share your experiences and stuff yourself silly with all the rice, soup and eclectic assortment of Chinese dishes you can imagine.

ADADEMIC ADVISORS

We have been in your shoes. We know what it’s like to enter a new country and feel alone, and look around the classroom and feel like you don’t know anyone. To help you feel more at home, we provide you with a personal academic advisor, who is there to help guide you through your academic experience in China. Whether you are lost in the building, desire advice on your course selections, or want to find a group of similar students who share your interests, your advisor will be there to help you, any time you need it.

CITIES AND UNIVERSITIES

The following schools offer core courses for this unique program.

Beijing

Beijing Language and Culture University (Logo, click in)

China College of Mandarin Study (Logo, click in)

Peking University (Logo, click in)

Remin University of China (Logo, click in)

Tsinghua University (Logo, click in)

Shanghai

Fudan University (Logo, click in)

Shanghai Jiaotong University (Logo, click in)

ACCOMODATION

We understand what it’s like to travel to a foreign place, and we want to eliminate the worry, anxiety and stress. That’s why we will provide your accommodation based on your needs – whether that is staying with a host family, having your own private hotel room, staying on campus at the university, or sharing an apartment.

For further information on accommodation, click here

PROGRAM DATES AND FEES

For each university’s program starting dates and fees information, click here

VISA

You should apply for an F-class Visa. F-class visas are usually issued for 1, 3 or 6 months depending on the duration of the course. If the study duration is not covered by the initial visa approval, an extension will be made by the host institution and RWC on arrival. Some embassies and consulates may issue an L-class visa regardless of the purpose for entering China. In these cases the visa can also be converted on arrival. You may need an Invitation Letter and Admission Confirmation to obtain a visa. These documents are provided by WLE when enrolment has been completed and Total Program Fees paid.

EMERGENCY AND MEDICAL INSURANCE

Our Real World Chinese include Emergency Travel and Medical Insurance, which covers emergency medical and dental treatment, pro-rata return of program fee in case of curtailment, personal liability and more.

For further information on Insurance, click here

REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must be:

l        18 to 60 years old (with exceptions)

l        In good health

l        A high school graduate

GETTING HERE

Free transport from the airport in city you choose to your accommodation is provided. The following important pieces of information are required at least 10 business days before your arrival:

Arrival date, Arrival time, Arrival place, Bus/Train/Flight Number, Airline/Bus company, Place of departure Participants are met at their arrival point and accompanied to their accommodation.

APPLICATIONS

For On-line Application, click here

For Application Guide, click here

For Application Form, click here

To learn more about cities available, click here

To take a look at our other programs, click here

To request more information, click here

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