Fudan language class not suited to all it seems

Since a couple of weeks ago, I've stopped going to language class.

Having done well in the B class exams, I self-promoted myself to D class (skipping C class), because the pace was too relaxed for me in B. In D, it was far from relaxed for me - I had to work hard to keep up with the reading, by translating key words every evening in advance of classes. That was a good discipline - I would have learned a lot. There was also an excellent writing class once a week, with an ever so enthusiastic teacher who helped us write at our individual levels (e.g. by asking us to write a postcard, and then correcting us).

As for speaking, naturally there were speaking lessons, but I found that at least half of the class were below my oral level, some considerably below. It certainly seems that some students who have studied here for 6 months, and naturally progressed through A, B, C to D, have had little opportunity out of class to practice their speech. So I wasn't really practising my own speech so much.

However, now I'm keen to start work within a couple of months, and my primary requirement for work is listening & speaking. Reading will also be important, but that can wait a while longer. But my classes aren't really giving me the emphasis that I'll need in order to start work. It's a pretty tailored requirement really. So I've dropped out.

For now, my plan is to listen more to radio short stories and monologues, of which there are many, to watch a chinese DVD box set drama, and to spend time speaking out aloud - e.g. repeating the sentences I hear on the radio/TV in a repeat-after-me kind of way. That should train my ears and help my vocal chords get accustomed I think. Naturally I'll still hang out with Chinese friends including my MBA colleaguges, and also it gives me a good excuse to take time out to dine with some pretty Chinese girls.

The term is almost up at Fudan. After summer break, many our of language student buddies will continue their mandarin studies. As I understand it though, of all the people we know continuing studies, I think they are all considering going elsewhere rather than carrying on at Fudan. I don't think they've had a sufficiently good impression to stay on.

It doesn't help that our class rooms are of an extremely low standard (by 2006 classes should move into a new building). It probably also doesn't help that the adminstration appear strict, or even obstructive to student-requested class changes (the phrase "signed in triplicate" applies many times over). Also that the teachers don't really have a high standard of English to be able to teach from can't help convince students to stay either, though this is less of a problem once you get past beginner stage.

However I think the biggest reason will be that many students have observed that making progress is awfully slow, and that Fudan is outside all of the fun of Shanghai. You can only live for so long out here. Very soon you get bored of eating in the same 3 reasonable restaurants in the area, and as you accustom to local pricing standards, you find yourself taking 1 hour buses around. (It's worth saying at this point that as far as I know, the advanced classes at Fudan, e.g teaching to those who are expanding their vocabulary beyond 1500 words, or are looking for the finer details of grammar, are seemingly excellently taught.)

So. Fudan for beginners = far away, and also not very fast progress. When the metro is extended to include Fudan, then perhaps it won't be perceived as so far away. There still remains the problem of how beginners can make real progress though. The truth is that they lack interaction with native Chinese speakers. Given their distinctly basic language skills they end up socialising amongst themselves, helped by the fact that most live in the foreign student's dormitory.

Ask the management consultant - he says that there's an opportunity to be made out of Fudan's disadvantage. Fudan being out of town should help students focus on their studies. Many could choose to come here because they do not want to be so distracted. What remains therefore is for Fudan to provide excellent learning opportunities. Classroom teaching is insufficient. Environment is all important.

Some suggestions:
- Provide a list of restaurant vocabulary, and menu translations for local restaurants, encouraging students to eat at good local Chinese restaurants, rather than hide in expat places such as 'crazy tomato'.
- Provide some photocopies of the types of conversations that they might have if they were to talk to locals. This would help them make local friends.
- Get hold of some local Chinese students, and introduce them to the beginners. There are so MANY chinese students that want to practice english. Introduce them. Informally, some teachers have introduced students as language exchange partners. More formally, there could be a one hour class a week where chinese students (volunteers or say English students) would come to the foreign language school and talk one to one with foreign students.
- Organise socials that involve Chinese speaking students. These again could be volunteers or English students. Examples could be a local meal (many of the foreign students would like to go to good local chinese restaurants but do not know how to order); an organised trip to a park by coach; a day trip outside of shanghai; a basketball or badminton match.

Organising such activities would require additional work by the language school other than purely teaching in class. But this kind of help would help Fudan's students learn and practice their Chinese more quickly. Also, having befriended Fudan local students, foreign students would be less likely to leave Fudan for Tongji University...

I hope my suggestions fall on soft ground. Please do add your own comments or suggestions - students / teachers / others!