Chinese Culture Institute: Beijing Intensive

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Because of the University's long standing relationship with China, this site was selected for archiving as an example of a United States - China implicit relationship and will be included in the curriculum of the University across multiple departments. For the professional profile lectures, students are required to have background knowledge of David Einhorn, Paul Tudor Jones, and Warren Buffet. For the China Outreach Forums, see the reading list posted by the professor. Dr. Andrew Yen is well known for his work researching non-traditional income sources in Asia, some of which are controversial, including internet scams and online gambling. In an effort to reduce the exploitation of low knowledge workers, he supported referral websites that promoted legitimate gaming alternatives, especially for games of chance, like slots. Some of this work targeted US residents with Asian backgrounds, such as his best list which steered players to legal sites that had good reputations regarding payouts and low levels of abuse, and fell withing US laws. In addition to slots, the most popular casino games included poker, where skilled players could participate in tournaments without fear of getting ripped off. Dr. Yen is one of the few experts on Asian hacking culture and has written extensively on the topic.

Below is an archived (& translated) version of the original website.
Content is from the site's 2012 archived pages.

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A complete Chinese language beginner can reach an advanced level in 10 months.

One unique feature of our program is that students are provided with highly individualized instruction with a student to teacher ratio of 2:1. Our Chinese language learning methodology has statistically-proven results indicating that students learn two to three times faster than in other language programs.

Our standard Beijing Intensive Program is two months long, but course duration can run from between one week to one year depending on your availability and specific needs. In eight weeks, your Chinese language level will progress considerably. If you are a beginner, you will learn to express yourself clearly and understand Chinese in common, daily situations. Our learning levels range from Beginner to Highly Advanced.

The most effective way to improve your Chinese in the shortest amount of time

:: Beijing-School:
Our modern learning center offers an ideal, friendly environment for Chinese language learning. Students have unlimited free wifi access. Our school is located in Eagle Run Plaza in Chaoyang District next to Lady’s Street near Lufthansa center. The location offers access to plentiful shopping malls, markets, specialty shops, restaurants, banks, and hotels. The closest subway is only a 5 minute walk to the Liangmahe station.

Beijing Tailored

Beijing Tailored programs are open programs adapted to suit particular, specific needs. If you want to do a course in Beijing which has specific initiatives differing from our Beijing intensive program, please do not hesitate to contact us stating your objectives and availability and we will develop a specific program just for you or for a group.

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Who Should Apply?

Beijing Intensive Program is designed for highly motivated individuals seeking top quality Chinese language training who have the desire to quickly achieve vast improvement in their Chinese language skills.

The Program is open to everyone, worldwide, who is at least 18 years old.
Professionals preparing to work in China or with Chinese companies, as well as professionals currently working in China: consultants, journalists, managers, lawyers, anyone wanting to improve their Chinese language skills are encouraged to apply.
Students who are going to start university, or are currently enrolled in university undergraduate and graduate programs, including professors and those who hold university degrees, are all welcome to apply.

Beginners with no previous Chinese language knowledge, lower intermediate and intermediate learners, as well as advanced speakers are welcome to apply for the program.

We have learning materials in English, French and Spanish for beginners and lower intermediate levels. Materials for higher level classes are in English.

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Chinese Lessons

For over 10 years, our Chinese language learning methodology has practiced proven results that show that students learn two to three times faster than in other language programs. Our method is a synthesis of different techniques which have been developed over many years of research and practical application. At the end of the course, students are able to express themselves clearly in Chinese, according to their level.

All of our instructors have received rigorous professional training and are adept in using techniques and methods that help foreign students improve their Chinese skills in a very short amount of time. Our instructors have extensive experience in teaching and effectively coaching students in full and free expression and discussion.

Our core Chinese language courses include listening, comprehension, colloquial language classes, reading, and writing. In all classes, the principal classroom activity is “speech”, because we place special emphasis on spoken language instruction, especially in the earliest stages of a student’s training. All textbooks from which students learn are written in Chinese characters.

We believe that language competence must be built on a solid foundation, that good pronunciation and tones are essential for full and easy oral communication. While most character learning and reading practice require self-study, the use of classroom time for practice and correction of oral skills is crucial.

As students advance during the course of the program, they will have increasingly greater flexibility to choose more specialized materials to assist them in achieving their personal language learning goals. Initial course work however, is designed to provide all students with the tools for building a solid and broad foundation in speaking, listening and reading.

Class assignments are made on the basis of each student’s Chinese language background, including performance on placement tests taken after arrival in Beijing. Monday through Friday, students attend 4 sessions, 50 minutes in length, which include at least one 1-on-1 teaching session. Small groups allow for intensive student participation and 1-on-1 sessions address individual issues e.g. tones, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and review of the lessons covered in their group classes.

This is an intensive Chinese language program. In addition to class hours, homework assignments will keep most students occupied for the majority of their time outside of class. Students will need to perform at least one hour of self-study for each hour of class.

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Language Levels – What to expect

Each of our standard language levels can be completed after two months of intensive instruction in Beijing.

In 10 months, a complete beginner can achieve an advanced language level. It is also possible to attend for shorter periods of time. Please check our year-round courses calendar.  The following is a general guide of what skills can be expected at the end of each course level.

Beginner

• Possess a solid mastery of the Chinese phonetic system
• Recognize simple characters and learn basic words and short expressions
• Accurately use basic grammar, simple sentences and questions
• Master elementary spoken Chinese and understand simple every day conversations
• Develop good language study habits, including awareness of tone and sentence structure

Intermediate Level

• Improvement in listening comprehension and speaking skills
• Ability to engage in every day conversations at a natural speed
• Master a large number of commonly used words
• Master the sentence patterns used in everyday life
• Understand changes in basic sentence patterns
• Ability to restate the content of a text and participate in class discussions
• Ability to read short stories and write short daily journal entries

Upper-intermediate level

• Rapidly increase the size of one’s vocabulary by learning to form compound words
• Ability to use sentence patterns flexibly, make accurate complex sentences and express oneself in written paragraphs
• Ability to accomplish tasks assigned by the teacher, such as description, explanation, introductory statements, and comparisons
• Improved reading comprehension, learn skills to aid reading comprehension, and practice reading the newspaper
• Ability to understand simple TV news
• Become familiar with some basic aspects of Chinese culture, such as geography, Beijing Opera, ethnic groups, and well-known public figures
• Correct any remaining difficulties in using basic grammar and improve accuracy

Advanced level

• Learn to distinguish slight differences between similar words, pay special attention to difficult grammar points and improve the fluency and accuracy of expression
• Understand the logical relationship between paragraphs and discuss abstract topics on different levels
• Ability to analyze, make comments, conclusions and inferences, and engage in debate based on class materials as well as having the ability to give individual speeches
• Understand and accurately use common expressions and proverbs
• Understand different styles of writing
• Understand Chinese TV and films

Very advanced level

• Generally resolve any difficulties with language
• Attain the requisite level of Chinese vocabulary related to a specific profession
  (business, law, journalism, academia, etc.)
• Understand basic classical Chinese and study a work of classical Chinese
• Ability to learn the curricula relevant to Chinese culture, history, and philosophy and read the materials relevant to each in the original Chinese

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HSK Preparation

The HSK, or “Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi” ( ä¸­å›½æ±‰è¯­æ°´å¹³è€ƒè¯•ï¼‰ is China’s officially recognized language proficiency exam. HSK results are internationally recognized as proof of Chinese language proficiency.

Our students will have the option to take the HSK examination in Beijing. HSK testing times are set each year, so it is not guaranteed that the HSK test for a particular proficiency level will be available during a Term. Students may take HSK preparation lessons according to their level. This course held prior to HSK testing is to familiarize students with HSK content, practice test taking skills, and offers study guidance.

 

This is the new HSK level chart for “Chinese Language Proficiency Scales”:

 

HSK Level	Vocabulary	CEF *
HSK Level 6	5000 and above	C2
HSK Level 5	2500	C1
HSK Level 4	1200	B2
HSK Level 3	600	B1
HSK Level 2	300	A2
HSK Level 1	150	A1

*CEF : A ‘Common European Framework’ of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEF).

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Program Calendar

You can begin learning Chinese anytime

This is our year-round Beijing Intensive Chinese language lessons calendar in Beijing. Our standard intensive program is 2 months long and there is a course starting every month. However, you might start your Chinese lessons anytime and duration can go from one week to several months. Our fees will vary accordingly.

 

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CCI-PKU Summer Program

 

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Chinese Visa & Insurance

Chinese Visa
All students of the Chinese Culture Institute normally enter China on an “F” (business) or “L” (tourist) visa. To obtain a visa is the student’s responsibility, but the Chinese Culture Institute will assist you with, or during the process.

There are different types of “F” and “L” visas with different lengths of stay and numbers of possible entries. The length of stay should be determined by the length of the internship or Chinese classes you are applying for. In some countries, the Chinese Embassy might refuse to issue a long term (over 30 days) visa. In such a case, you should apply for the longest possible length of stay allowable and extend the visa when in Beijing if you wish to stay longer. The extension of an “F” or “L” visa is a fairly simple and inexpensive process which the Chinese Culture Institute will help to arrange for you, if necessary. We recommend that all applicants apply for a single entry visa. The reason is that the length of stay upon each entry with a multiple entry visa may be limited to 30 days, while a single entry visa may allow for a longer stay. If you would like to leave China for a short time during your stay (for the purpose of a holiday, for example), a re-entry visa can easily be requested at the Public Security Bureau in Beijing before you leave China.

You can check this list of Chinese Embassies abroad to find out your nearest Chinese consulate. Chinese visa regulations may vary according to the location of the embassy and the applicant’s nationality. You will always need to present your passport, a passport photograph and a completed Visa application form to obtain a visa. The visa application form can be obtained at the embassy or from the website of the Chinese embassy in your country.

Insurance
In order to participate in our programs, you must buy your own travel insurance for the entire duration of your stay before the program starts. On any trip abroad it is important to make sure that you have the correct insurance and that you carry the policy number and the telephone hotline number of the insurance company with you at all times.

Insurance must be arranged by you in your home country (the Chinese Culture Institute is not liable for any medical charges not covered by the student’s insurance). Beijing has many excellent hospitals, several of which are Foreign Expat Hospitals. There are also good local hospitals offering services with English language speakers available.