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Chinese at Edinburgh

TheMeister

You can do Chinese at Cambridge?

yeh u can at cambridge...but i think its called oriental studies or something. you probably end up doing chinese through modular choices

Reply 21

afua12

15

caprile

Hmm interesting. I'm also applying to Newcastle, Nottingham, Leeds and Westminster and have been gathering information from those colleges as well. From what I hear Nottingham's teaching of the language is excellent, but that was coming from someone taking a joint honours and chinese as their minor. Newcastle I also hear focuses on the language. I'm disappointed about what you say of Edinburgh though! Hopefully your year abroad will bring you up to a good standard! Where in China does Edinburgh send you, by the way? Beijing? I know for Nottingham it's Ningbo.

The impression I got from their prospectus was that they weren't particularly fussed about the language content of the course - they seemed a lot more focused on politics/economics/business etc.

I love the uni though, and so it would be great to hear if they do concentrate more on the language? (language is my main priority)

Reply 22

afua12

15

oh, I've applied for German at Edinburgh, with the intention of taking Chinese as my outside course and then eventually turning it into joint honours. I asked them if this was possible, but they were pretty vague. I thought I might then just apply seperately for each language, and then see from which (if/any) I get offers from, but apparently it's the same admissions tutors for all modern languages applicants? So it would have been a wasted application.

Does anyone know when they start giving offers out for modern languages? I'd really like an offer from them - I absolutely love the look of the course there...

Reply 23

caprile

OP

afua12

oh, I've applied for German at Edinburgh, with the intention of taking Chinese as my outside course and then eventually turning it into joint honours. I asked them if this was possible, but they were pretty vague. I thought I might then just apply seperately for each language, and then see from which (if/any) I get offers from, but apparently it's the same admissions tutors for all modern languages applicants? So it would have been a wasted application.

Does anyone know when they start giving offers out for modern languages? I'd really like an offer from them - I absolutely love the look of the course there...

I don't know but I'd love to know as well.. someone I know told me that modern languages acceptances come out pretty late cos laods of people apply for them...? But maybe that's not correct :s-smilie:

Reply 24

Sianeh

10

Ok, I do Chinese at Edinburgh at the moment and I'm in first year. I hadn't applied to do Chinese but have taken it on as my 'outside' course and am now thinking of taking it on to joint honours which IS possible as long as it doesn't clash with another course you want to take. Essentially I applied to Edinburgh to do history but with the Scottish system I could potentially drop any history courses next year and carry on with Chinese and something completely different to make up the credits.

Whoever said they don't focus on the language side of things...all I've been doing is how to read write and speak Mandarin Chinese. I don't know if maybe whoever said this is doing East Asian Civilisations or a different course, but Chinese 1 is purely the language and personally I have found the teaching good and have enjoyed the course so far!

Also, if you carry the course on until 3rd year then you spend the year in China, I know that the University has links with Dalian and that is where a friend of mine is this year. You may be able to go to Beijing but I haven't looked into it too much yet as there's a long way to go before then!

I'm sure there was something else I wanted to say but can't remember. If anyones got any questions about the first year course etc just quote me and I'll try and help!

Reply 25

chococat219

caprile

I don't know but I'd love to know as well.. someone I know told me that modern languages acceptances come out pretty late cos laods of people apply for them...? But maybe that's not correct :s-smilie:

I have an offer for modern languages which came yesterday - not sure if they've started giving them all out or not though!

Reply 26

Feef

1

Sianeh

Whoever said they don't focus on the language side of things...all I've been doing is how to read write and speak Mandarin Chinese. I don't know if maybe whoever said this is doing East Asian Civilisations or a different course, but Chinese 1 is purely the language and personally I have found the teaching good and have enjoyed the course so far!

See, that'd be me. I did also do EAC and Chinese Lit, which detracted fromt he language side a bit, but I maintain that the language teaching isn't great (do they still have Esther and Zhang laoshi?). We got out to Dalian and were almost embarressed to admit we'd studied Chinese for 2 years, as ours was at a level similar to others who had only done it for 6 months or so. Still, studying out in Dalian improved everyone's language very fast, but a few of us are trying to get them to change from usng NCPR to the textbook we have over here, which just seems a lot better thought out.

Anyway, who do you know over here just now? :tongue:

Reply 27

Sianeh

10

Feef

See, that'd be me. I did also do EAC and Chinese Lit, which detracted fromt he language side a bit, but I maintain that the language teaching isn't great (do they still have Esther and Zhang laoshi?). We got out to Dalian and were almost embarressed to admit we'd studied Chinese for 2 years, as ours was at a level similar to others who had only done it for 6 months or so. Still, studying out in Dalian improved everyone's language very fast, but a few of us are trying to get them to change from usng NCPR to the textbook we have over here, which just seems a lot better thought out.

Anyway, who do you know over here just now? :tongue:

Having never done the language before or not doing another language at Uni I don't really have anything to compare the teaching too. Yes Esther and Zhang Laoshi are still doing it, I have to say I love Zhang Laoshi purely for her slightly erratic and exciteable behaviour, she started singing for us in 'speaking' tutorial the other day. Esther's a bit in her own wee world though.
I think your language will always improve in the native country, but if I carried on Chinese and went over in 3rd year would my history lectures be in Chinese or would I not do history while I was over there? The NPCR is a bit ****, but we don't really actually use it, don't know if thats different to when you were here, the only time we use it is in the lab session when we listen to the tape.
What's it like in Dalian are you enjoying it?

Anyhoo, its Alex Taggart I know?!

Chinese at Edinburgh

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