• Profile of BLCU

• Highlight of Some Colleges Within BLCU
   • College of Chinese Language Studies
   • College of Advanced Chinese Training
   • College of Intensive Chinese Training 
   • College for Teachers of Chinese
   • Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) Center
   • Center For Studies of Chinese as Second Language

Founded in 1962, Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) was originally named the Higher Preparatory School for Foreign Students. In 1964, it was renamed Beijing Language Institute. And then in 1996, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, the school was designated as the Beijing Language and Culture University.

BLCU is the only international university in China with its main task set at teaching Chinese language and culture to foreign students. At the same time, it also undertakes the following tasks: teaching Chinese students foreign languages, computer science and technology, humanities and social science, and finance; training native and foreign teachers to teach Chinese as a second language; and offering pre-departure language training to candidates going abroad.

For more than 40 years, BLCU has successfully carried out its aim of "popularizing Chinese language and promoting Chinese culture" and has become the international center for teaching Chinese as a foreign language and a training base for personnel engaged in or concerned with foreign affairs.

Well known for having the largest scope and longest history in the field of teaching Chinese language and culture to foreigners, BLCU boasts an array of qualified teachers. Together they have trained some 60,000 foreign students from over 160 countries and regions from around the world to become proficient in Chinese and familiar with Chinese culture. Currently, more than 6000 international students, and over 3000 Chinese students, study at BLCU each year.

Since the advent of the reform progress and the opening-up policy, BLCU has made conscientious efforts to optimize its disciplines, update its specialties, create new fields, and develop former interdisciplinary subjects. To this end a new discipline system has been set up, which is rational in structure and substantial in content.

Providing a wide range of subjects from short-term, advanced training, intensive programs, to courses for undergraduate programs and degrees for bachelor, master and Ph. D, BLCU is comprised of the following institutions: College of the Chinese Language, College of the Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Intensified Chinese Training, Teacher Training College, College of Foreign Languages (Predeparture Language Training Center), College of Continuing Education, Network Education College, Department of Basic Course Education, and Department of Computer Science and Technology.

A syllabus characterized by a multi-level, multi-disciplinary education, BLCU enjoys widespread recognition and favourable comments for its education standards both in China and abroad.

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College of Chinese Language Studies

The College of the Chinese Language Studies was the first teaching institution in China to provide university degree programs for overseas students. The College specializes in teaching foreign students Chinese language and culture. It also provides language training for students majoring in Chinese and other non-language programs.

The college is comprised of the following departments: Chinese Language and Culture; Chinese Language for Economics and Trade; Bilingual Education and Translation; and Institute of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.

The college offers six majors: Chinese Language; Chinese Culture; Business Chinese; Teaching Chinese as a Second Language; Chinese and English; and Translation.

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College of Advanced Chinese Training

The College of Advanced Chinese Training specializes in long-term Chinese training for overseas students. Its programs include further Chinese training for foreign students, preparatory Chinese (for students who are planning to major in natural science, engineering, medicine and so forth), and Mandarin training for overseas Chinese and people from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

The college has two has two departments and a training centre: Elementary Chinese Training Department, Intermediate Chinese Training Department, and Mandarin Training Center.

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College of Intensive Chinese Training 

The College of Intensive Chinese Training is the largest and oldest of its kind in China and is responsible for offering short-term Chinese language and short-term Intensive Chinese language programs for international students.

The college has three departments: Department of Intensive Chinese Study; Department of Advanced Chinese Study; and the Teaching and Research Institute of Accelerated Chinese study.

The Teaching and Research Institute of Accelerated Chinese Study is responsible for the overall design of short-term and accelerated Chinese instructions given to foreign students, installation of curricula, study of teaching methods and compilation of textbooks.

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College for Teachers of Chinese

The College for Teachers of Chinese is the first training center approved by the Ministry of Education in China. It is responsible for training Chinese and foreign teachers to teach Chinese as a foreign language. Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language is a four-year program, but the college also runs a series of study and training courses, including the summer courses assigned by the Ministry of Education, for both Chinese and foreign teachers. Recently, the college has included new classes, such as Chinese culture for foreign teachers, Chinese Proficiency Test Preparation, and Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese) for teachers from Macao.

Known throughout the world as a training base for those interested in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, the college is now also expanding their training program into foreign countries.

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Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) Center

Established in 1989, the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) Test Center is the sole national organization exclusively devoted to Chinese language testing and research.

The HSK Center produces and administers the HSK test, a national exam approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education. This standardized test is designed to access the Chinese language proficiency of non-native speakers, including foreigners, overseas Chinese and national minorities, from beginners to advanced levels.

This test is a requirement for all overseas students wanting to enter University degree programs in China. Some companies in China may also request HSK test scores to determine the job-candidate's Chinese proficiency.

The HSK test development, application, marking, and explanation of rating are all standardized. Highly scientific, the statistical analysis of prediction and grading of test papers have been automated. A test paper bank is now underway to automatically produce test papers.

Currently there are 38 test centers in 19 countries, including Japan, United States, Republic of Korea, and 37 test centers in 25 cities in China. On average 30,000 people take the HSK proficiency test every year.

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Center For Studies of Chinese as Second Language

The Center For Studies of Chinese as Second Language aims at promoting the study of disciplinary theory in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, study of the Chinese language, and study of theories in teaching and learning. It is also oriented to train academic personnel, to launch large-scale projects, and to carry out extensive exchange and cooperation with academic circles at home and abroad.

The Center consists of the Language Acquisition and Cognition Laboratory, Language Teaching and Testing Office, Language Data Processing Office, and Language Research Office.

The Language Acquisition and Cognition Laboratory focuses on the study of Chinese language, in relation these two areas. The aim is to discover processes to eliminate problems and find enabling factors to assist foreigners in the study of the Chinese language.

The Language Teaching and Testing Office is mainly engaged in the study of theory and practice in language learning and the study of language proficiency testing.

The Language Data Processing Office carries out research in respect of the automatic reproduction, processing and application of Chinese information, including the study of electronic Chinese dictionaries, construction and study of language data bank, and study of computer-aid teaching systems and multi-media software's for language teaching.

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