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DanyHK wrote:

Hi all,
I'm here in Hong Kong since the beginning of December.
I'm searching for a good mandarin school in Hong Kong (better if it is located near Wan Chai/Causewaybay).
I've heard lots of bad stuff regarding these kind of schools. Frankly speaking I don't want to spend a fortune but I need an intermediate evening course, where I really can improve my level.
Is there anyone who is attending a good course or can give me goods tips?

Thks in advance.

Daniela

Hello D, Since i moved to hong Kong three years ago i have come to realize you will mostly if not all hear negative things about people or teachers but you will hear more positive things about the city, restaurants or bars. Not many around here likes to express good things onto people but will easily say the bad so it will be hard to really know whice schools are  good and bad but i guess it depends on the individual teacher and the student. JW

If you want to learn Mandarin Chinese, I suggest trying your luck over the boarder in Mainland China, or else go to Taiwan,
since most Hong Kong people either
1) don't like speaking it
2) don't know how to; you won't get a chance really to speak
Mandarin here in HK
3) alot of HK'ers look down on Mainland Chinese, and the Mandarin dialect itself
(some regarding it as just a 'redneck' language).

I learnt my Mandarin in Taiwan, and have met other foreigners who have learnt it previously in Mainland China, and they told me Taiwan's Mandarin is more clearer than Mainland Mandarin.

Think of it like this;
you go to Beijing and learn Mandarin Chinese, you will get Mandarin with a Beijing accent (very difficult to understand). Last time I spoke to someone in BJ, I hardly knew what he was saying. Not to mention, Mainland has over 50 ethnic minorites, and a hell of a lot of different accents and dialects.

But with Taiwan, they only speak Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Hakka only. And people from the south and north pretty much sound the same; Taiwan is a pretty tiny place.

Just my 2 cents.