Hi there!

I know there are a couple of posts on this forum, but all are rather outdated and none really helps me.
I have to decide pretty soon, which university in China to attend to study Chinese. I am an advanced intermediate level learner and have been in touch with both universities every now and then. Both seem alright, Yunnan Shifan Daxue seems to have a lot more foreigners/westerners, though.
I would really appreciate it, if anybody out there could comment on the quality of teaching at either of those unis.
If you have any other comments about those universities, please let me know!!

Thank you!!

for learning chinese, Yunnan Normal University will be a good choice, cuz they have the tradition of teaching people from other countries Chinese, and yeah, of course that's why there are more oversea students there.

and i am not very sure about the quality of teaching at Yunnan normal University.. ^^

I am from Iran and had scholarship to study Chinese for one year .Truly and honestly saying Yunnan University could be the worst Choice ever .There are many big issues about studying there .The classes filed with students up to 20 students per class.Teachers almost are Graduate students or recent graduate with no experience about teaching .roamers around about corruption in international students office and accepting gifts and money to help you optain scholarship .Freaky guys with no english ability and bad manners chosen to deal with foreign students in international exchange office .They will never reply your mail or smile in your face .Now i found a better school at north of China and trying to forget about that night mare called Yunnan University .

Usually a 'Normal' university is a better choice. Normal Universities teach the teachers. And if the teachers have studied the 'Teaching Chinese to foriegners' courses, they will have learned some teaching theory and cultural differences.

The only uni that I am aware of the really has this sussed is in Shanghai. They don't teach European/American students with Asian students. They have separate programmes.

Personally I don't think separating students based on nationality, culture, ethnicity or race should occur, even if it supposedly helps with teaching. I have been studying Chinese in a classroom full of only Lao students, and it is a wonderful experience to be around them, as they are studious, quiet and friendly. Last year there was another foreigner in my class from Norway who was also very pleasent and friendly aswell as a disruptive student from Laos that rarely showed up to class and was eventually kicked out of China for starting fights with authority.

While I'm not satisfied with the service at my university either, I have come to expect relatively little and now I try to attend class as much as possible since it does help you improve your Chinese. However, the best option is to make Chinese friends, get around so that you can use Chinese in a practical setting, and study by yourself at home using online materials such as videos etc. All of these have generally benefited me much more than attending classes.

By the way, I have been studying at Yunnan University of Nationalities. I would recommend Yunnan Normal over my one, although a small class of American students at the new campus of YNU are quite satisfied with their program since there are only 2 students in that class and thus they receive significant one on one interaction. Perhaps those of you interested in studying Chinese in Kunming could see if a small, private class at one of the universities might also be an option for you.

The purpose of separating the students is to allow for different learning styles. It is extremely successful.

What does happen is that OS and local students (perhaps not even studying language) are dormed together.

I think the role of any education institution should be to provide the best teaching possible, for the type of courses taught. The Japanese students found learning to write, and recognising words in Hanzi very easy. Other students were holding them back. Asian students who were used to rote learning performed well in class, others just held them back. Non-Asian students were more interested in using functional language, and the 'deaf and dumb' students just held them back. Separate teaching favoured both groups.

I've been studying at Yunnan Normal for three semesters and never went to Yunnan University so I'm obviously biased.... But this is what I know about it...

Yunnan Normal:

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1.Offers the most teaching hours for the money you pay - tuition fee is 6000 RMB for one semester and you get 18 hrs/ week (or 4000 RMB for half of the classes)

2.Has smaller classes, maximum 12studens per class – which will give you a lot more speaking time, and if you're lucky a really small class with just a few students

3.The teachers are usually really good, especially at intermediate and advanced levels

4.The classes are usually mixed with both Asians and westerners, and most of the students are truly awsome

5.The school cafeteria is excellent

6.The dorms are supposedly better than the Yunda ones

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1.The campus is not really nice, and the classrooms feel like middle school

2.The teaching methods are weird –but on the other had this is china and you'll encounter this problem at any given school

3.The new headmaster is a fucking idiot who goes over the head of the teachers and, as of this semester, interferes with the content of the tests etc.

Yunnan University:

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1.Nicer campus

2.More prestigious – but that's only relevant if you're studying a MBA or Phd course, it doesn't mean shit for the non-degree language courses

3.I think the tuition fee is 200 kuai cheaper – but you also get fewer teaching hours

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1.Bigger classes with about 20 students in every class

2.Classes stars at 8.30 every morning (my main reason to never join that uni)

3.We rarely see the Yunda students out and about and have the general conception (true or not) of them being quite boring...

With that said I might also ad that a lot of students are looking at the private schools because they're not thrilled about the teaching style at the universities... good luck!

Not against any race or national but dividing the students at least to their language ability .I have been to some classes with some Asian students which can say no word in English or Chinese but they joined our level it was really difficult for the teacher to transfer any information to them .

Just wondering if there's any new comments anyone would like add about either of the two unis - Yunnan Normal and Yunnan University.

I went by Yunnan Normal yesterday, but the lady who handles the visas there kind of scared me off. So I'm wondering how Yunnan University classes are like? How's the teaching? Class size still on the large size (20 students)?

I'm in Yunnan Normal University. Let me just say that it isn't even remotely good, if you have a choice go to a different univ.

About 15-20 students in a class, Westerners and Asians separated.

Chenggong campus is really uncomfortable - for example we have to pay extra every time we want to use hot water (aprox.2 rmb one quick shower).