Good Chinese Schools...
hitokiri6993
June 08, 2008, 10:21 AM posted in General DiscussionHey guys! I really need your help. I've decided to take Mandarin for college. Do you guys know any good school in the US, Philippines, New Zealand, China, Taiwan & South Korea which offer Mandarin? I need it by now since I'm going to try to apply this June.
For Pinoys: I went to Ateneo,they only have AB Chinese Studies, but it's a minor degree.
Thanks guys. :D
alanchan
June 28, 2008, 07:45 AMHey Hitokiri,
During my years at DLSU-Manila not so long ago, I have met people who were in the Asian Studies Department (Japanese/Chinese).
My impression is that they are good in written skills but not as good in speaking, and that is understandable because the environment in Manila just does not offer that many opportunities to speak the language (be it Japanese or Chinese).
So, I think that in order to maximize your learning, you need to immerse yourself into the culture, and not just learn the words. Therefore, I think you should study abroad in a Chinese-speaking country.
hitokiri6993
June 08, 2008, 11:33 PMHi Auntie! Thanks for the greeting. It means a lot to me. :) I really appreciate it, thanks.:) BTW, ST is in Sydney? That's cool! When will he return in 星加坡？ Thanks again Auntie!
Ate: TY! Hope you treat me to a fancy restaurant one of these days. :P
RJ
June 09, 2008, 01:11 AMHitokiri,
Oberlin college is a well known high end liberal arts school famous for music but they also have one of the best Asian/Chinese programs in the US.
http://www.oberlin.edu/eas/Chinese/words.html
kind of far for you but worth a look.
auntie68
June 09, 2008, 01:51 AMHello again, hitokiri. Have you considered the National University of Singapore (NUS)'s Chinese Studies Department ?
http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/chs/
Okay, I can already hear a lot of people laughing. But although the standards of spoken "Mandarin" in Singapore are not high, this department does have a concentration on research on "Chinese in Southeast Asia" (*see the "research cluster" box on the left side of their home page). If you are interested in doing research on Chinoys, it sounds like a good place to be. Singapore Universities are anything but underfunded, and there are additional sources of financial support such as the ASEAN Scholarships.
I have to be honest and let you know that it will be virtually impossible to "immerse" yourself in Chinese in Singapore. However, the high level of funding available means that most undergraduates here will spend at least part of their studies doing research or attending classes in outside Singapore.
To get into NUS, though, you would have to have completed Pre-University (ie. the equivalent of 12th Grade). I think you have just turned 16, did you jump some grades? If you're actually a 10th-grader, one solution is to do your Pre-U studies here in Singapore; the top Junior Colleges (I think) are: Hwa Chong Junior College, Anglo-Chinese Junior College, or Raffles Junior College. But the differences in school systems may be hard to work around.
For what it's worth... if you study Chinese in Singapore, you'll be able to make frequent trips home for research and also to see your family. HTH!
auntie68
June 09, 2008, 01:59 AMP/s: Our educational system uses simplified characters. But your knowledge of Traditional Characters will be an asset when it comes to research, and it can even be a selling point during the admissions process. Still, you have to be comfortable with Simplified.
auntie68
June 08, 2008, 10:38 AMHappy birthday hitokiri, the Mandarin/ bopomofo/ Cantomaniac / Proud-to-be-Pinoy / family-values CPOD warrior! I'm so glad that your Ate let the world know. Thanks Alice, we've never really "spoken" before via CPOD, but you remind me of myself! My little nephew, the Stunt Toddler (b. June 29, 2005), is living it up in Sydney right now, on a nice holiday with his parents and even his Yaya and his Singapore Lola (my mother). I hear that S.T. is totally in love with the ferry from Darling Harbour to Central Quay!
Happy birthday once again, hitokiri, you always seems wise beyond your years. I wish you every blessing for your wish to get a good scholarship!
auntie68
June 09, 2008, 09:22 AMhitokiri, why don't you take a look at the NUS website that I gave you? So you did skip a few grades? Waa!
I think you would be the youngest applicant in history to an undergraduate programme at NUS if you were 15. Most of the people rushing to apply for places in "Bachelors" places at NUS, with their freshly-minted Pre-U qualifications (GCSE "A"- and "AO"-levels) would be at least 17!
hitokiri6993
June 09, 2008, 09:37 AMI'll check it out, Auntie! :) Thanks again.:)
crisgee
June 25, 2008, 11:31 PMHi hitokiri!
I'm graduated from the Ateneo. The AB Chinese Studies is a major program. The very first batch of students just started this year! What course did you take? I hope you still haven't decided!
There's also a minor program, which is only 15 units. It was the only thing available when i was still studying there. But now they've got the whole 4-year Bachelor's Degree curriculum.
I know the director of the program and he tells me that students will be spending a whole semester in China, most probably in The Beijing Center or Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou. The program itself has three tracks: humanities, business and social sciences.
I'm confident that the Ateneo has the best Chinese Language program here in the Philippines. It co-operates the Conficius Institute here in partnership with Sun Yat-sen University. Because of this partnership, you are assured that the most up-to-date and thorough methods are being used. They actually teach other schools in the Philippines how to teach Mandarin.
Check out their website at www.ateneoconfucius.com
and download the brochure.
Hope that helps!
chillosk
June 26, 2008, 12:06 AMYeah, Ateneo's the best school here in the Philippines, hands-down. ;)
Try Jiao Tong Da Xue in Shanghai, or Fudan U. :)
hitokiri6993
June 28, 2008, 12:27 AMThanks guys! I'll try considering Ateneo.:D
hitokiri6993
June 09, 2008, 08:51 AMRJ: Thanks for the link! When I migrate from PH to US, I'll try considering Ohio...:P
auntie: In the Philippines, 11th graders are considered seniors. We don't have any 12th grade. So, will Singapore still accept any applications below the 12th grade.
BTW, just turned 15. :D
alicechenxinyi1985
June 08, 2008, 10:30 AMHey! Happy b-day bro!