Intensive 6-month study starting at early intermediate, in North China - RECOMMEND?

[stephankleykamp]

dear all, thanks for taking the time!

I am looking for an intensive 6-month study (starting at early intermediate level) whereby I’m really submersed in Chinese, preferably in North-eastern China.

• Have been working in China for 3 years

• Must have had some 400 hrs with a teacher, studied part time for 1.5 years

• Can converse rather fluently but am very limited in vocabulary and idiom

• At my height I was at early/maybe-mid intermediate

• Studied some 300 characters in 4 months, but must have forgotten 60%

• Would like to share housing with non-English speakers (only speak Chinese!)

• Study focus on conversation but also character study to enable the first

• 6-months

• Prefer a small city over a big city (want to limit chance to speak English..)

• Starting September 2007?

• Want to become more fluent using much more vocabulary, grow to upper intermediate level

Have been thinking of Dalian or Tianjin, but am thinking of going to a smaller city (Have lived in Xuzhou, Wuxi, Guangzhou and Shanghai).

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY FEEDBACK, CONTACTS, IDEAS!

STEPHAN

[stephanhodges]

The only company who's URL i've memorized is the one I've used twice (well, maybe three times, but only paid for twice). They specialize in northern china, and have a good network of connections both with universities and private tutoring schools (which is what I'd recommend for you). I'm in Harbin, and there's a well know private school here (but I don't have contact information around with me).

Anyway, you can contact "Adam" via www.hyccchina.com with email, and he can give you some suggestions. He'll do that whether or not you end up using his company for any placements, etc.

This place is great, because everywhere you go, practically everyone is speaking the same accent you hear in class