All of PRC Study's programs focus on providing total immersion into each area of study. All programs combine core language classes with social and cultural activities and tours, weekend excursions, interaction with native speakers; and language enhancement services, such as extra-curricular elective workshops, language labs to listen to specially tailored Chinese language tapes, one-on-one Chinese language tutorials with expert teachers after class, and language exchange partner pairing for Premium Student members.
All of the Programs are tactically designed to provide complete immersion as they offer the most comprehensive and balanced curriculum, in and out of the classroom, for learning the Chinese language.
The Programs for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan students incorporate all aspects of the Chinese language: Phonetics, speaking, listening, reading, writing, vocabulary, and colloquial speech. T o enable students to advance in all aspects of the Mandarin Chinese language, classroom curriculum is divided into the following four main areas:
Phonics & Interactive Spoken Chinese
- Focuses on phonetics and developing accurate pronunciation skills and being able to communicate clearly and effectively
Listening Comprehension
- Focuses on developing listening skills, and the ability to discern sound and tone patterns, to comprehending Putonghua spoken conversations
Grammar and Vocabulary
- Focuses on Chinese grammar fundamentals, such as sentence patterns and structures, punctuations and word usage; and understanding and making use of Chinese idiom expressions and vocabulary. Also, focuses on teaching the Chinese character writing method by introducing the fundamentals of the radical system, brush stroke and stroke order.
Reading Comprehension and Writing Composition
- Focuses on developing reading comprehension and writing composition skills, and increasing vocabulary recognition and speed with which all this is done
PRC Study's Immersion Curriculum
Social & Cultural Activities and Guided Tours (Available for all students)
PRC Study also realizes that an added advantage in learning Putonghua quickly and effectively is to get deep into the Chinese's rich and colourful culture and society. As such, PRC Study organizes social and cultural activities, such as karaoke sing-along, mah-jiang night, bowling happy hour, Peking Duck feast, Peking Opera extravaganza, and the likes, throughout the week to help you apply what you have learnt in class in out-of-class settings.
In addition, PRC Study will arrange guided tours to visit historical landmarks like: The Great Wall, Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and other famous attractions. All t hese activities will also allow you to get better acquainted with fellow students, as well as with local natives in Beijing.
Weekend Excursions (Optional for all students)
From time to time, PRC Study will organize weekend excursions to further broaden students' knowledge of China and create an even more memorable experience. Such excursions could include places like Shanghai, Shaolin Temple, Tianjin, Datong, Xian, Wuhan, Inner Mongolia, etc.
Though weekend excursions are not included in the program fees, the cost for participation is quite low. For instance, it can cost as low as US$150 to $300 for an all-inclusive three-day weekend or a week tour package, with train tickets, hotel, meals, admission to major attractions, English speaking guides, and bus transportation all covered.
Language Enhancement Services (for Premium Packages)
As well as learning the core Putonghua language in classroom settings, PRC study also offers additional free-of-charge language enhancement services to help facilitate students in their study progress:
- Extra-curriculum elective workshops
- Language Labs to listen to specially tailored Chinese language tapes
- One-on-one Chinese Language Tutorials with expert teachers after class
- Language Exchange Partner pairing
- Usage of the PRC Study Library full of Chinese reference materials and DVDs
- Extra-curricular elective workshops
PRC Study offers extra-curricular elective workshops to further help with your Chinese learning experience. The electives may focus on language development skills or learning more about Chinese culture, history and art. The number of workshops offered within each of the two categories varies depending on program duration and may include the following:
Chinese Language , which includes the following electives: Chinese Composition , Chinese Idioms , Reading & Writing Chinese Characters , and Chinese Pronunciation , Chinese Pronunciation Improvement
Chinese History and Arts , which includes the following electives: Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Culture, Chinese Games, Chinese History, Chinese Painting, Chinese Songs, Tai Ji Quan, Traditional Chinese Massage and Traditional Chinese Medicine
For description of Elective Workshops, please click here .
PRC Study offers access to language labs so that students may practice and reinforce their Putonghua using specially tailored Chinese language learning tapes
- One-on-one Chinese Language Tutorials
Tutoring has proven effective in advancing students' linguistics skills. PRC Study provides one-on-one after class tutoring lessons for students. Tutors are native Chinese teachers, certified in teaching Chinese as a second language. Tutors offer invaluable personal support and assistance in monitoring individual progress throughout the study program and can assist students with language coaching, homework assignments, conversational practice, tips and advice, and more.
- Language Exchange Partnership
Interacting with locals is an essential part of the immersion program. At the start of the program, PRC Study arranges for each student to have a local Chinese student as a language buddy. Not only does this provide the perfect opportunity to practice Putonghua, it also enables cultural and social exchange and an opportunity to make new friends
Use of the PRC Study Library full of Chinese reference materials and DVDs, with rights to borrow reference material for a three-day period for home use
