Tips for Gap Year in Chengdu?

[YNQ]

Hello, I’m YNQ and I currently live in the Netherlands. My mother is Chinese (she’s from Yunnan) and I’ve been to Chengdu before. I would like to ask some questions and if you have advice, please tell me.

Summer next year, after I graduate (I’m 17 right now), I want to live in Chengdu for about 9 months to study Mandarin, most likely at SCU (if you have any other/better suggestions please tell me!)

Do you have any experience studying Mandarin @SCU or some other place, could you perhaps to share this (with tips if you like)?

My current Mandarin level is not too high, I think I would pass HSK level 1 with some effort because I can’t write a lot or read (speaking & listening are my better skills), which brings me to my next issue.

I’m currently working in a restaurant to earn money to save for my gap year, but when I’m here in Chengdu I would like to earn money as well (it would become necessary at some early point). Therefore,

With my current Chinese level, and fluent Dutch + English (I’m doing IB English Exam this year), do you have any suggestions for decent part-time jobs in Chengdu a girl of 18 could have?

I actually want to ask questions on housing and expenses as well but I’ll do that in a different topic.

Thank you for reading and hope you can share your knowledge & experience

^-^

[Charlie]

Hi,

What types of jobs will be available will likely depend on your skills and connections in the city. Private English teaching might be an option but that would technically be a violation of your student visa terms (people break this rule often, though). If you are HSK 1 level now, but the time you leave after 9 months here I you can definitely be HSK 3 (or even HSK 4) ready depending on how much time and effort you put toward studying. There is a large Dutch community in Chengdu and people here in general are very friendly so I doubt you will have trouble finding friends!

[YNQ]

Charlie wrote:

Hi, What types of jobs will be available will likely depend on your skills and connections in the city. Private English teaching might be an option but that would technically be a violation of your student visa terms (people break this rule often, though). If you are HSK 1 level now, but the time you leave after 9 months here I you can definitely be HSK 3 (or even HSK 4) ready depending on how much time and effort you put toward studying. There is a large Dutch community in Chengdu and people here in general are very friendly so I doubt you will have trouble finding friends!

 

ahh thank you! Do you perhaps have any (internet) address or so you know of where people of this community interact?

Also, by then I will have 2 years of experience in working in restaurants. The problem is that obviously my Chinese isn’t that good so maybe working somewhere in the more Western places could be an option? Maybe you know off some places where English speaking waitresses are recruited/needed. Wonder if the working conditions are nice though.

 

thank you for telling me that! I was aiming for level 3 & 4 as well and I am very determined. Furthermore, i have noticed everytime I go to China (I go this Saturday again for three weeks) that my Chinese improves quickly because of the low level of English of most people I talk to. In Chengdu, it’s a big & international city, this will be not to the same extent of course but in the end I will be forced more often to speak Chinese which is a good environment, the best environment to learn Chinese ^_^

 

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