General:
Is Chinese really that difficult to learn?
Should I be learning Cantonese or Mandarin?
Is Cantonese that different to Mandarin?
Should I learn Chinese using self-study materials such as audio based or video based or computer based systems?
Our Classes:
What happens if I miss a class?
I understand your term has started, is it too late to join up?
I have learnt Chinese before, which class should I join up for?
Are your classes accredited or do I get some form of achievement certificate?
Can I get a refund on term fees?
Do your classes cater for children?
Others:
Do you offer private tuition?
Gosh, I am going to China next week (or next month), can you teach me some quick Mandarin?
Our company is one which seems to deal with a lot of Chinese tourist and clients, what do you suggest we do to provide better customer service?
Is Chinese really that difficult to learn?
Chinese is often perceived as a ‘difficult’ language to learn. This is probably due to the tonal nature of spoken Chinese and that the Chinese written script is based on pictographs or characters. However, learning Chinese is actually easier in some respects than learning English – with Chinese, there are no conjugations, no declensions, no different suffixes or prefixes according to singular or plural numbers, gender, tenses as in past, present or future etc. Therefore, grammar is a lot easier with Chinese.
Chinese is different from other languages, but not necessarily more difficult. What is easy for one person may be quite challenging for another. With Accelerated Learning techniques, we have tried to make learning Chinese easier and more fun.
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Should I be learning Cantonese or Mandarin?
Mandarin is a language as opposed to Cantonese which is a dialect. They share a similar written script. In general, we recommend you learn Mandarin unless you have a very specific reason for learning Cantonese. Reasons for learning Cantonese are usually related to social circumstances such as
– my spouse or spouse’s relatives only speak Cantonese
– my girlfriend or boyfriend speaks Cantonese
– some of my friends are Cantonese speakers
– I like to be able to understand Cantonese movies
– I’m traveling to Hong Kong or Guangdong Province in China for holiday or work
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Is Cantonese that different to Mandarin?
Definitely, yes! It is more difficult to learn Cantonese which has nine tones compared to Mandarin which has only 4 tones. At our Centre, we only teach situational spoken Cantonese and only for up to 3 levels – Beginners, Intermediate and Advance. But this gives the learners a fairly good kickstart to use their new found Cantonese fairly quickly.
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Should I learn Chinese using self-study materials such as audio based or video based or computer based systems?
Sometimes, you may not have a choice because there isn’t a language school near you. But, it is always better to join up in a class. Why? Because the classroom environment will give you better learning dynamics and its more motivational to learn a language where you can practice with other students. It will also build your confidence in using the new language. Our classes do anyway.
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What happens if I miss a class?
Some of our levels (especially Levels 1, 2 , 3 & 4) have concurrent classes running each week at different times and at different locations. If you think you are going to miss a class or you have already missed a class then you are advised to go to another class of the same level running that week at another time. You may even attend the same level class more than once a week, if you like, at no extra charge. Alternatively, you may arrange a private catch-up session with us at a mutually convenient time – obviuosly a charge for this private class will be applicable.
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I understand your term has started, is it too late to join up?
It is never too late to join up. If you are a complete beginner, you can still join up but depending on how late you are, it might be advisable to take some private lessons with us to catch up. If you are not a beginner, then it makes sense to join up with us at a mutually agreed level and go on from there. You may not have to pay the fee for the full term. If the level you have joined is too challenging or too easy, then it will always be possible to move you to a class that is at an appropriate level. Note that you may have to pay a small fee for the books & cds if you change levels. In any case, call us or email us to discuss your specific requirements, we can arrange for a teacher to assess your level to ensure you will be placed in the right class.
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I have learnt Chinese before, which class should I join up for?
We be happy to discuss the most appropriate level for you to join up at since we do not have assessment tests – contact us by phone or email, we be delighted to discuss your specific requirements. In any case, once enrolled with us, we are pretty flexible in terms of which class you end up going to. You can always change to a lower or higher level if a class is not suitable after the first lesson. There is no additional fee charged as long as you don’t write in the book we give you at the first or subsequent lesson. Otherwise, the cost of a new set of materials when you swap level is chargeable. In the event that you still could not find a class that is suitable for you, we will then refund your term fees less a 10% service charge.
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Are your classes accredited or do I get some form of achievement certificate?
Our classes are not accredited as this would require us going through a long winded accreditation process. However, we are able to provide our students with ‘Achievement Certificates’ upon request. The Achievement Certificates states the level of achievement you have attained with us and the date of that achievement. This is usually sufficient for most employers who will test your level of comprehension anyway during the recruitment process.
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Can I get a refund on term fees?
Term fees are not refundable after the first week of lessons within that term. You can get a refund of your term fees less 10% service charge before you have attended the second lesson of the term.
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Do your classes cater for children?
We usually only accept students who are over the ages of 10 years old since our Chinese classes are for adults. We doubt that children under the age of 7 would be able to get full value from these adult classes which are each of 2 hours duration.
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Do you offer private tuition?
Yes, we do offer private tuition or private classes. It is an expensive way to learn Chinese. But, you may have compelling reasons to do so. Our private classes are based on a minimum of 2 hour lessons. It is usually better to learn a language in a group environment so that students may practice speaking and listening to each other.
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Gosh, I am going to China next week (or next month), can you teach me some quick Mandarin?
Boy, you have left it to the last minute haven’t you? But lucky for you, we do run a 1-day workshop called ‘Chinese for Travellers’ which will teach you approximately 100 words of spoken Mandarin very effectively using our Accelerated Learning techniques. The words we teach you will actually be part of your survival kit in China.
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Our company is one which seems to deal with a lot of Chinese tourist and clients, what do you suggest we do to provide better customer service?
With the way things are, it won’t be long before a lot more Chinese tourists will be heading to the UK. We currently provide a one-day workshop called ‘Chinese Hospitality and Introductory Mandarin Program (CHIMP)’ for our clients who are in the hospitality industry. This workshop teaches some key words in Chinese which are common in hospitality/entertainment situations and some culture tips and courtesies to enhance your clients’ experience with you.
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