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Studies & Degrees in Chinese Language and Literature (in Language Schools)

Chinese courses at language schools teach Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language. The schools are private centres, separate from the universities, and their courses are not degree programmes. Students come for a few weeks or for a full year, in groups or in one-to-one classes, and many combine classes with a homestay or an internship.

Chinese is one of the six official languages of the United Nations, with Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish. For most learners the reasons to study it are practical: a period of study at a Chinese university, work with Chinese companies, or life in China.

What students learn

A course covers spoken Mandarin, with its tones and the pinyin romanisation system, and the reading and writing of Chinese characters. Schools place students with a level test and usually organise their levels around the HSK exam. Groups tend to be small: Dao Mandarin, a Beijing school, states that its online groups usually have three to five students, with a maximum of six.

The typical offer of a school is close to that of That's Mandarin, founded in Beijing in 2005:

  • Intensive group course, five days a week
  • Part-time group course, twice a week
  • Private one-to-one classes
  • HSK preparation
  • Corporate and business Chinese courses
  • Camps for children and teenagers
  • Online classes

Course length is flexible. Live the Language (LTL) Mandarin School, founded in 2007, accepts programmes of one to 52 weeks. Some organisations combine language study with work experience: Go Abroad China arranges internships, Chinese language programmes and study tours.

Exams and levels

The reference exam is the HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi), the Chinese Proficiency Test. It is an international standardised test organised by CTI, a company specialised in Chinese language education and testing. According to the official test site, HSK scores are a requirement for international students who apply for admission, graduation or scholarships in China.

The exam is changing. The HSK had six levels; the new HSK has a framework of three stages and nine levels, which covers elementary, intermediate and advanced proficiency. It tests listening, speaking, reading and writing, and translation at the advanced levels. The test is offered on paper and by internet, at a test centre or at home. Students who need a certificate for a university should check which version and level the university asks for.

A language school gives its own certificate of attendance, which is not an official diploma. Dao Mandarin, for example, explains that it concentrates on teaching and does not issue formal language diplomas. Some schools are also HSK registration points: That's Mandarin states that students can register for the exam at the school.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 14 active schools for this subject, all of them in China. Most are in Shanghai and Beijing, and there are also schools in Kunming and Dalian. Examples in Shanghai are That's Mandarin, Mandarin Garden, Miracle Mandarin Language School and Mandalingua Chinese Language School. In Beijing the list includes Dao Mandarin, Live the Language Mandarin School and That's Mandarin, which also has campuses in Suzhou, Hangzhou and Chengdu. Keats School is in Kunming.

Studying from home is possible too. NihaoCafe is the online learning platform of That's Mandarin, and several schools on the list teach online classes.

Accommodation and visa

Schools usually help with housing. LTL offers homestays and apartments and states that around 80% of its students stay with a local family arranged by the school.

Visa support differs between schools, so it should be clarified before booking. That's Mandarin states that it provides the documents needed for a student visa application. LTL explains that, as a private language school, it cannot help with the student visa process: its students enter under a visa-waiver agreement, if their country has one with China, or apply for a short-term tourist visa with the school's letter of acceptance. The Chinese government publishes the list of mutual visa exemption agreements and its visa-free policies on its Visit China page. The Chinese embassy or consulate in the student's country confirms which visa is required for the planned length of stay.

What the language is used for

An HSK certificate is used for admission to Chinese universities and for scholarship applications, and the official test site adds that a high score helps to show language ability to employers. A language course is not a professional qualification in itself; translation, interpreting and teaching normally require a university degree.

Frequently asked questions

What is the HSK?

The HSK is the international standardised test of Chinese proficiency, organised by CTI. The new version has nine levels in three stages; the earlier version had six levels.

Can a beginner take a Chinese course in China?

Yes. Schools teach from beginner level and place each student with a level test.

How long does a Chinese course last?

The student decides. At LTL, for example, programmes run from one to 52 weeks, and group courses can be intensive (five days a week) or part-time.

Will the school arrange my visa?

It depends on the school. Some provide documents for a student visa application; others only issue a letter of acceptance for a short stay. Ask the school and the Chinese consulate before paying.