Requisites at Embassy CSC changed; worth it?

[Loggia]

Dear community,

 

This is my first post so I first wanted to thank you all your help, the forum is been very helpful.

 

I am applying to the CSC through my Spanish embassy, which this year changed their requisites. The biggest change is that for applying to a Chinese course (General Scholar Program) you have to have at least HSK3, which I don't have it yet. The other option that I have is to apply to a General Scholar Program in English but then I believe the purpose of learning Chinese there it's not that feasible as only learning it. Til this year you could apply for a Chinese course without a HSK so there's a pretty different picture. 

 

People with experience studiyng in English in China, have you had the chance to learn Chinese at the same time? What do you think could be an option at this point? Thank you in advance for your attention!

[xinoxanu]

2 hours ago, Loggia said:

People with experience studiyng in English in China, have you had the chance to learn Chinese at the same time? 

 

Sure, why not? The day has 24h, plenty of time to do many things if you schedule them properly.

 

But don't expect that being in China will magically help you learn Chinese - in fact, you'll probably improve your English instead! China will only help your Chinese if you actively use it, which you won't until you've been studying the language for a couple months/years. No point being there when you are not even HSK3 - heck, even something like HSK5 is a party trick for the most part. (Note: I am obviously saying this on regards to language learning - if you have another motive to be in-country this comment doesn't apply)

 

My advice: use the ongoing situating to start with the self-study (Duolingo is always a great place to start - and can get you to that level, more or less) and then apply for the scholarship. You still have +6 months of pandemic before you are allowed in, and you could aim for a September 2021 start if you need a concrete goal/motivation to study. Plenty of time to hit the books!

[Loggia]

@xinoxanu Thank you very much for your reply and advice! 

 

[芒果乾]

If you are applying to study Chinese (language only) as a General Scholar, then there are no HSK requirements. I looked at the UK Chinese embassy requirements as well as the EU Window requirements just to be sure. I applied in 2019 and there were no HSK requirements for Chinese language programs back then.

 

As for reaching a required Chinese level to make the most learning Chinese, making genuine local friends and experiencing the real China.. I reckon at least HSK 5.