Short study in China
Students who have successfully completed CHIN102 at UNE may have the opportunity to participate in an intensive immersion course at our Chinese partner university in the historic city of Xi'an for 4 weeks or 8 weeks during the Trimester 3 period. This is highly recommended as a way to make your Chinese study come alive, consolidate your first-year learning, and make leaps and bounds in your listening and speaking abilities! A similar course has been organised since 2006 and attended by between 6 and 16 UNE students, both internal and external, from a range of age groups and levels of proficiency of Chinese. It has been a great success.
Two four week intensive courses at Shaanxi Normal University (SNNU) 陕西师范大学(Shǎnxī shīfàn dàxué) in Xi'an will be offered to UNE students. They correspond to UNE units ICLU300 and ICLU301. Eligible students may choose either to do one four week course, beginning the third week in November and ending just before Christmas, or else to extend that by another four weeks, into an 8 week course, ending in mid-January.
Tuition is in Chinese as far as possible, by teachers experienced in teaching Chinese to foreigners, and the focus is mainly upon speaking and listening skills (although you will learn many new characters as well). The normal format is to have language classes from 9am–12pm from Monday to Friday, and classes introducing aspects of Chinese culture and history, including Taijiquan, will be offered on one or two afternoons a week.
Accommodation is in heated twin-share rooms, with en-suites, normally in a conference centre and hostel for foreign students on the university campus. There is a restaurant, student canteens, campus shops and a market very close by, and a bustling street with a range of cafes, shops and restaurants outside the campus within easy walking distance.
Information on this page covers Eligibility, Where, Study program, Costs, UNE credit, and the Application process.
Please note that this is not normally an accompanied tour. For successful applicants, UNE staff in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (normally Dr Isabel Tasker) negotiate with SNNU and facilitate the arrangements for you. Once those initial procedures are in place you will be notified, and will be given guidelines to make your own arrangements for visas, group or individual travel. You pay your tuition and accommodation fees directly to SNNU shortly after arrival. SNNU will allocate you into class groups and you embark on your own fascinating, challenging and rewarding linguistic and cultural learning experience. However you are required to keep in touch with UNE while you are there.
This opportunity is available to UNE students who have completed first year Chinese. Students who have passed 200 or 300 level UNE Chinese units may also apply, as SNNU offers classes at several levels. The program must be taken for credit, and therefore only students whose degree or diploma program allows it are eligible to apply. For first-time participants, the first four weeks of study is counted towards the UNE unit ICLU300, In-Country Language Unit (6 credit points), and the second four weeks of study, if taken, is counted towards the UNE unit ICLU301, In-Country Language Unit 2 (6 credit points). Returning students who meet the eligibility criteria, who have completed ICLU300 at SNNU in a previous year, may apply to take the first four weeks of study as ICLU301. Students must commence their SNNU study with the first four-week block. The second four-week block is only available as an extension of the first. UNE's partner university in China for language study is Shaanxi Normal University (SNNU) 陕西师范大学(Shǎnxī shīfàn dàxué)which is located in the vibrant and historic city of Xi'an 西安 in central north-west China. Xi'an has been the capital of China at various points in Chinese history, and as the eastern end of the Silk Road it has cosmopolitan and multicultural traditions. You can read more about Shaanxi Normal University here: http://english.snnu.edu.cn/. For a general broad introduction to the wonderful city of Xi'an, Wikipedia makes a good starting point: Xi'an At SNNU you will be enrolled within the university’s International School of Chinese Studies 国际汉学院. On the first day of the course all students are given a written placement test, and then assigned to a level on the basis of that test. After classes have begun there is some flexibility for changing levels in discussion with the teachers there. Two or sometimes three levels of classes are offered to UNE short course students, roughly equivalent to UNE study as follows: The textbooks used at SNNU are available for purchase after the placement test on the first day of the course. There is an exam at the end of each course and your results from that exam must be shown to Chinese department staff at UNE in order for your UNE credit to be approved. Note: You should plan to arrive a few days before the first day of class. (Subject to confirmation. Costs below are given as a guideline only – this year's costs will be communicated to you as soon as they have been confirmed by SNNU) Tuition fees to SNNU (Shǎnxī shīfàn dàxué 陕西师范大学) * Australian dollar equivalents are estimates only. You can check conversion rates here: http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/ Accommodation On-campus accommodation (recommended). This will be booked for the whole group if possible. If the on-campus accommodation is unavailable, rooms will be sought in a hotel just outside the campus. The rate there is higher. Additional expenses The 4 and 8-week intensive courses at SNNU must be taken as the UNE units ICLU300 and ICLU301. They do not replace any of the other core UNE Chinese units, but are additional to them. Prior to applying to the UNE Chinese discipline to participate in the short course, you must check that the regulations of your particular degree or diploma allow it, by checking your degree rules on the Course and Unit Catalogue and/or asking for advice through AskUNE. If you successfully complete the 4 weeks of study at SNNU, you receive 6 credit points towards your UNE degree or diploma (normally ICLU300). Similarly, if your degree program regulations allow you to take the 8 weeks of intensive study at SNNU you receive 12 UNE credit points towards your degree (ICLU300 and ICLU301). Procedure for applying for credit On submitting your form to staff in Chinese at UNE to apply for the short course, you indicate your intention to apply for UNE credit. Do not enrol in ICLU units until notified to do so, after your initial application for the short course has been assessed. Generally, if you’re taking the 4 week course you would enrol in the unit ICLU300 In-Country Language Unit, unless you have previously taken ICLU300, in which case you enrol in ICLU301 In-Country Language Unit 2. If you’re taking the 8-week course you enrol in both ICLU300 and ICLU301. Once your initial application has been approved, you are then notified that you can go ahead and enrol in the appropriate UNE unit. On your return from China you must submit proof of successful completion of each four-week course to staff in Chinese at UNE for ratification, and the appropriate number of points will then be credited towards your degree or diploma. All applications will be handled in the first instance through UNE. Applications are submitted, on the form provided, to staff in the Chinese discipline, School of HASS. Students should not apply directly to SNNU in the first instance. There are several steps in the application process and it is very important that you follow them in the right order. Note: The UNE Moodle site “Chinese Teahouse” will be used to circulate information and updates on short course arrangements. Please complete the Application form and submit it along with the required information to Robyn Markey (rmarkey@une.edu.au) by the date specified on the form.
Please consider seriously this excellent opportunity to boost your Chinese skills and experience living in China and exploring one of her great historic cities!