A good opportunity is seldom presented, and is easily lost. Chinese Proverb
Since China has the world's largest GDP and Mandarin Chinese is the second-most common language in the world, there are a lot of great reasons for learning Mandarin.
Being a contender in the international business realm, looking to study and work abroad, collaborating with international people, being able to study Chinese art and history, and simply expanding your mind are some of the compelling reasons why someone might choose to learn Mandarin.
You likely know you can study Mandarin in primary and secondary school, as well as in University, and even through adult education programmes and private tutoring.
But have you ever considered learning Mandarin through immersion?
Let’s explore the exciting prospect of attending immersion school!
What You Can Learn in a Mandarin Immersion Programme
Just like any language programme, an immersion programme’s goal is to arm you with the knowledge you need to understand and communicate in your target language.
For Mandarin courses, specifically, you will learn:
- To recognise and make the tones properly
- To read and write the Mandarin characters
- To read and write Mandarin Pinyin
- About Chinese history and modern life
- About Chinese culture
The added benefits of an immersion programme include:
- Confidence in listening and speaking skills
- Learning how to communicate an idea even if you don’t have exactly the right words to explain aka linguistic flexibility
- Picking up on new ideas through exposure, rather than explicit teaching
- Learning something new every day
- Experiencing a new culture and way of life
- An unforgettable experience, even if you take a domestic class
- Making lifelong connections with classmates and teachers, and maybe even locals!
- For younger students, it may be a chance to explore independence in a new way
- Become a global citizen
Immersion programmes are more intensive than a standard language programme. If you ever have the opportunity to enrol in an immersive programme, no matter your age, you should absolutely consider taking it!
Domestic Chinese Immersion Programmes
Want to immerse yourself in the Mandarin language, but don’t want to travel abroad to do it? No worries! Many programmes in New Zealand and online can offer you a slice of immersion life.
While it won’t be the same as living in a place where everything is written and spoken in Chinese, forcing you to adapt all day, you can still join classes that only speak Mandarin, forcing you to adapt during class time.
So if you’re looking for “Chinese language classes near me,” you can find what you’re looking for with programmes like these!
Language Hub
With Language Hub, you can participate in group and private lessons where the teacher will only speak Chinese to the students. The classes are all virtual, so you don’t need to travel away from home at all to participate!
Additionally, they arrange exclusive cultural events for members to participate in and strengthen their Chinese language and cultural knowledge.
They even have a company package, so if it’s beneficial for a member or members of a company team to learn Chinese, they can provide in-house classes!
Wellington Chinese Language School Inc
This institution, founded in 1972, ensures that all its teachers are native-level Mandarin speakers. Students can enrol at any point throughout the year, granted there is space available.
Students will learn Mandarin language as well as Chinese culture, including dance, music, Chinese calligraphy, painting, chess, and paper cutting. Parents can even attend Tai Chi classes while their children are in class!
Private Tutoring
With a private tutor, you can set up face-to-face or virtual lessons that are conducted entirely in Mandarin Chinese at convenient times for you.
It’s easy to find a private tutor or personal teacher who meets your learning needs, schedule requirements, and budget here on Superprof!
International Mandarin Immersion Programmes
If you want to study Mandarin at University, you can typically find that your University will help you find a study abroad programme for a semester where you can travel and learn as part of your degree.
But, plenty of people want to study abroad in an immersion programme just to learn the language, not as part of a larger schooling curriculum.
The good news is that there are programmes available for any need!
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland has immersive study abroad as part of its Mandarin Chinese module, BA programme, and MA degree.
LTL Language School
Study in a hybrid course of classroom hours, private lessons, and complete immersion with LTL’s study abroad programme. First, students complete a course in Beijing. Afterwards, students live in Chengde. Why Chengde? There is no large tourism or foreign resident population, so everyone there almost exclusively speaks Mandarin. You will be exposed to the language at every turn and you’ll need to absorb the language quickly to be able to interact with the world around you!
Keats
Keats features an extensive and comprehensive Chinese immersion programme in 9 different locations in China. They combine classes with tutoring, extracurricular activities, travel and cultural activities, and study partners to help students learn in the best ways possible.
University of Canterbury
Partnering with the Confucious Institute, you can study abroad with UC as part of their Chinese undergraduate programme. You may also be able to study abroad or be part of an international exchange programme regardless of your programme of study!
That’s Mandarin
Specialising in 2 or 4-week summer programmes for adults, That’s Mandarin allows professionals to learn as much as possible in as short a time as possible in order to get back to their life at home. They also have longer visa programmes for students who want to spend more time immersing themselves in the culture and society of China.
Benefits of Learning Through Immersion
What’s the point of learning through an immersion programme?
While traditional language courses can be helpful and work for many students, none of them will give the same results as a class taught entirely in that language.
In lower-level classes and many primary and secondary school classes, Chinese classes are taught in both English and Chinese. This may be good for learning vocabulary and saving time when giving instructions, but it doesn’t help the students switch their brains into “Mandarin Mode” and become completely confident in their ability to communicate only in Chinese.
With an immersion-style class, students must read, write, listen, and speak in Mandarin the entire time. This forces them to problem-solve, think creatively and critically, and be unafraid to make mistakes that they can use to learn better.
Immersion-style classes allow students to learn and practise Mandarin the same way they’ll use it in real life.
Why Travel Abroad for an Immersion Programme?
And what are the advantages of going abroad for language learning? Can’t you just get by with an immersion class for a few hours a week?
Of course, learning abroad isn’t for everyone, and it’s definitely not a requirement when learning a language. However, it creates the unique opportunity to force yourself to learn the language and customs of the local area much faster and with greater fluency.
When you’re in a safe place where you can fall back on English, you hold yourself back from making mistakes and relying on your learned language skills. When there is no other way to communicate with people, whether it’s your teachers, your classmates, or locals around town, you are able to make your brain think in a new way.
There’s also no better way to learn culture and customs!
You can read about things in modern Chinese society in every book in the world, but nothing will ever be the same as actually living there for some time.
Studying Mandarin is a valuable educational experience that will serve you for a lifetime. Whether you learn through self-teaching, tutoring, online courses, apps, school courses, or immersive programmes at home or abroad, you can be sure that your time is being well spent!
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