"Ni-hao" Know-how
Want to learn Mandarin? Kea Wong finds the classes
Is it us, or does almost everyone seem to be taking Mandarin lessons these days? Or at least talking about taking Mandarin lessons. There are plenty of good reasons to learn the national tongue, just ask anyone who’s tried to get around the mainland on “xie xie” and a smile. And it’s not just Hong Kong that seems obsessed with Mandarin: about 30 million people worldwide are taking up the language, not counting the 1.3 billion over the border.
For non-Chinese speakers it can seem a daunting task, given all those tones. So it’s important to choose a learning style that suits you. We’ve compiled a handy guide to beginners’ courses.
*Class times were correct at press time. Please contact schools to confirm schedules.
Talking Mandarin
Course: Level 1 Beginner. 18 sessions of 90 minutes. Basic conversation to get you around the city, strike a bargain, put food in your tummy, and make sure you don’t get lost on the way home. You may even get to talk about your “feelings.”
When: Mon and Wed, 2:30pm-4pm or 7pm-8:30pm.
Price: $2,688 ($99/hr).
Contact: 8/F, Full View Building, 140-142 Des Voeux Rd. Central, 2139-3226. www.talkingmandarin.com.
Hong Kong Putonghua Vocational School
Course: Beginner Level I (course #0611097). Twelve sessions of two hours. Covers conversational Mandarin plus the basic formation of Chinese syllables, Pinyin, and phonetic symbols.
When: Tue, 7pm-9pm.
Price: $3,600 ($150/hr).
Contact: 7/F, Hip Shing Hong Centre, 55 Des Voeux Rd. Central, 2805-2009. Locations in Admiralty, Wan Chai, Jordan, Mongkok and Tsuen Wan. www.mandarin.com.hk.
Beijing Mandarin Centre
Course: Beginner Mandarin Course For English Speakers. Ten sessions of two hours. The course applies basic understanding of Chinese syllables, Pinyin, and phonetics to teach practical survival topics. Although you have the option to tackle characters, it’s not recommended until further study.
When: Mon and Wed or Tue and Thu, 7pm-9pm.
Price: $2,400 ($120/hr).
Contact: 1002, 10/F, Chung Sheung Building, 9-10 Queen Victoria St., Central, 2862-0012. www.mandarincentre.com.
Pacific Language Centre
Course: Beginner Level One. Fifteen sessions of two hours. Although you will learn 280 Chinese words by the end of this course, the objective is to learn conceptually about the language for future study. By the final session, you’ll be able to communicate with a native speaker.
When: Mon and Wed, Wed and Fri, or Tue and Thu, 10:30am, 3:30pm or 7:30pm.
Price: $4,350 ($145/hr).
Contact: 2/F, Dah Sing Building, 99-105 Des Voeux Rd. Central, 2388-9691, www.pacificlanguage.com.
Berlitz
Course: Beginning Mandarin. Eighteen sessions of 90 minutes. This class concentrates on oral skills, role-play, and correct pronunciation and intonation. By the end of the course you should be able to communicate on a basic level with native speakers.
When: Tue and Thu, 9am.
Price: $3,960 ($147/hr).
Contact: Suite 708, One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, 2826-9223, www.berlitz.com.hk.
Practical Mandarin
Courses: Beginner I, 18 sessions of two hours ($3,960; $110/hr). Intensive Mandarin, 20 sessions of four hours, ($8,800). Mandarin Express, 10 sessions of three hours ($9,000).
When: Beginner I: Mon and Wed, or Tue and Thu, noon or 7pm; Sat or Sun 2pm.
Contact: 3/F, Dah Sing Life Building, 99-105 Des Voeux Rd. Central, 2287-5108, www.practicalmandarin.com.
City University
Course: Mandarin for Non-Chinese Speakers I, course #CTL2956 (apply as a “visiting student”). One hour lecture, two hours tutorial (in language lab) each week for one semester. This course is intended for beginners, but that includes students that can speak but not read or write. You will learn the phonetic system and grammatical structure of Chinese, basic communication phrases, and how to read and write on an elementary level. Included also are topics on culture and tradition.
When: Check schedule online three weeks prior to semester start dates.
Price: $8,400, plus $150 application fee ($215/hr).
Contact: Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, 2788-8705, www.cityu.edu.hk
HKU SPACE, The Hong Kong Putonghua Education and Assessment Centre
Course: Elementary Chinese Level One. Sixteen sessions of 2.5 hours. Maximum class size of 12 students in a university setting, which means lots of personal attention in an environment that motivates you to study. After completing this course, you’ll be able to communicate with native speakers and maybe even take notes in Chinese.
When: Tue 6:45pm-9:15pm.
Price: $4,000 ($100/hr).
Contact: Room 304, 3/F, T.T. Tsui Building, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Rd., Pok Fu Lam, 2975-5680, www.hkuspace.hku.
Mandarin Lessons
Self-proclaimed “Mandarin freak” and charity worker, Mike, has been taking lessons for at least four years. Here are a few things he’s learned.
1. Be humble: No matter how proud you are of your skills, don’t be surprised if a native speaker answers your attempts at Putonghua in English. Even worse, that person may think you were speaking English.
2. Get schooled: For a while, you will have the vocabulary of a two-year-old.
3. Intonation issues: You think you’ve said, “Please have some chicken, my friend,” but really you’ve said, “Eat dick!”
4. Beware of false flattery: When a native speaker smiles and says, “Your Chinese is very good,” they’re probably thinking “for a dumb foreigner.”