Class Size: 1 - 8 people
Category: Language Schools
Specialty: Chinese
Season: January - December
Course Level: All levels

Our School was opened in September 2005. We are committed to creating new opportunities for young talented students by providing tailor made Chinese language programs in the authentic atmosphere of a traditional Chinese courtyard in Beijing.

Through our programs, we aim to enhance our student’s understanding and knowledge about Chinese language and Chinese culture. The location of our school in a traditional courtyard in the old center of Beijing shows the importance we attach to an authentic Chinese atmosphere. At the same time, our students live in modern apartments in genuine Chinese neighborhoods, giving them the chance to discover the heart of Beijing, rather than living on a campus on the outskirts of town.

Our language course: Our School uses teaching materials developed by Mr. Pr. Zhang Pengpeng. Based on his experiences with non-native speakers, Mr. Pr. Zhang, developed his own method separating spoken Chinese on the one hand and character recognition/writing on the other hand. Mr. Pr. Zhang pays more attention to explaining the form and structure of characters and the radical-phonetic system. In addition, Mr. Zhang focuses more on character recognition in the beginning and incorporates writing characters only in a later phase.

The course books for the Beginner and Intermediate levels are the following three books of the “New Approaches to Learning Chinese” by Mr. Pr. Zhang Pengpeng:

* Intensive Spoken Chinese, for the Speaking class: The students will learn how to introduce themselves in Chinese, greet people, order food and drinks, buy things, talk about their families, etc. The focus will be on basic Chinese vocabulary which can be immediately used in common daily situations.

* Rapid Literacy in Chinese, for the Reading and Writing class: For absolute beginners, the focus will mostly be on reading and recognizing the most commonly used 300 characters.

* The Most Common Chinese Radicals: Will be used mostly as a reference book for students to improve their understanding of Chinese characters and the radical-phonetic system. At our school we regularly organize lectures about various topics related to China. Depending on the topic of the lecture, a businessman, journalist, diplomat or scholar will share his/her personal insights and experiences from a certain specific angle.

Our lectures: In addition to language courses, our School also offers regular lectures on different topics relevant to Chinese culture, business etc. Our lectures have a double goal:

* Offer our students a wide variety of opinions and topics related to China to stimulate critical thinking and enrich their China experience.

* Offer our students extra networking possibilities since these lectures are open to the public and attract a very diverse audience, consisting of both Chinese and foreign people from all walks of life.

Our school lectures are usually held in the northern building of the school courtyard, which has a capacity of about 70 seats. Our lectures are usually preceded and followed by some social networking, including some drinks and snacks. The entrance for school interns and students is free.

Faculty Information:

The author of the teaching materials used at our school is Mr. Pr. Zhang Pengpeng. He is an associate professor at Beijing Language and Culture University and has taught Chinese to non-native speakers since 1975 in Beijing as well as at universities in France, Switzerland and Germany.

Other Activities:

Besides our lectures, our school also organizes frequent cultural activities to enrich the lives of our students. Through these activities, we aim at:

* Improving students' knowledge about Chinese culture

* Enhancing the community spirit among our school students

* Making new friends in Beijing: for some of the activities, we will invite some Chinese people to teach certain aspects of Chinese culture. In addition, students are also welcome to invite their own friends to join these activities.

Facility Information:

Unlike other schools, we accommodate our students in authentic Beijing neighborhood apartments in the city-center, rather than a campus dorm on the outskirts of town. Our apartments have 2 to 4 bedrooms and are all equipped with standard furniture and kitchen equipment, TV, DVD-player, telephone, internet connection, and 24-hour hot water. Students will be accommodated in single or double rooms (depending on the chosen program), while sharing bathroom, kitchen, living room etc.

Our apartments are conveniently located in Jiaodaokou, Dongzhimen, Andingmen and Dongsishitiao, all within biking distance (10-15 minutes) from our school. The areas around the apartments are very lively and characterized by lots of small shops, authentic Chinese restaurants (especially in the 'Lantern Street' or Guijie) and cozy chill-out bars, especially around the lake of Houhai.

Notes:

- The fee for the whole stay has to be paid 10 days after the start of the program (=arrival at our School).
- Payment can be made in US Dollar, British Pound, Euro or RMB.
- Payment can be made via bank-transfer or in cash.

Cost Includes:

* Accommodation (including fees for gas, water, electricity, ADSL Internet, heating, telephone, except of long distance calls)
* Chinese classes (20 group hours/week)
* All teaching materials
* Cultural activities and lectures (for excursions transport fees and entrance tickets are not included)
* Airport Pick-up
* Additional services such as assistance with Chinese visa application, registration in Beijing, networking support, travel inquiries, ticket booking, etc.

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