School Programs Like in China

School Programs Like in China China can be a great place to learn depending on what topic you are studying, what teaching methods work best for you or your personal interests. Whether youre thinking of going to school in China, considering enrolling your child in a Chinese school, or just curious to know more, here are answers to frequently asked questions about school programs in China, Chinas education methods, and enrolling in school in China. Education Fees Education is required and free for Chinese citizens age 6 to 15 though parents must pay fees for books and uniforms. Chinese children all get a primary and middle school public education. Each class averages 35 students. After middle school, parents must pay for public high school. The majority of families in cities can afford the fees, but in rural parts of China, many students stop their education at age 15. For the wealthy, there is a growing number of private schools in China as well as dozens of international private schools. Tests In high school, Chinese students begin preparing for the competitive é «ËœÃ¨â‚¬Æ' (gaokao, National University Entrance Examinations). Somewhat similar to the SAT for American students, seniors take this test in the summer. The results determine which Chinese university test-takers will attend the following year. Classes Offered   Chinese students attend classes five or six days a week from the early morning (about 7 am) to early evening (4 pm or later). On Saturdays, many schools hold required morning classes in science and math. Many students also attend è £Å"ç ¿â€™Ã§  ­ (buxiban), or cram school, in the evening and on weekends. Much like tutoring in the West, schools in China offer additional Chinese, English, science and math classes and one-on-one tutoring. Aside from math and science, students take Chinese, English, history, literature, music, art, and physical education. Chinese Versus Western Education Methods China’s teaching methodology differs from Western education methodology. Rote memorization is emphasized and there is a heavier focus on math, science, and Chinese studies. It is also standard practice for classes to be complemented with extensive test prep throughout middle school, junior high school, and high school for college entrance exams. Schools in China have after-school activities, like sports and music lessons, but these activities are not as extensive as those found in international schools and schools in the West. For example, while team sports are becoming more popular, competition among schools is more like an intramural team sports system rather than a competitive system. Vacation Schools in China have a break lasting for several days or a week during China’s national holiday at the beginning of October. During Spring Festival in mid-January or mid-February, depending on the lunar calendar, students have one to three weeks off. The next break is for China’s labor holiday, which occurs during the first few days of May. Finally, students have a summer vacation which is much shorter than in the US. Summer vacation typically begins in mid-July though some schools start their vacations in June. The vacation lasts for approximately one month. Can Foreigners Go to Primary or Secondary School in China? While most international schools will only accept Chinese students who hold a foreign passport, Chinese public schools are required by law to accept children of legal foreign residents. Admissions requirements vary but most schools require an admissions application, health records, passport, visa information, and previous school records. Some, like nurseries and kindergartens, require a birth certificate. Others require recommendation letters, assessments, on-campus interviews, entrance exams, and language requirements. Students who cannot speak Mandarin are usually held back a few grades and usually start in first grade until their language skills improve. All classes except English are taught entirely in Chinese. Going to a local school in China has become a popular choice for expat families who live in China but can’t afford the high price of international schools. The admissions materials at local schools are typically in Chinese and there’s little support for families and students who do not speak Chinese. Schools in Beijing that accept foreign students include  Fangcaodi Primary School (èŠ ³Ã¨ â€°Ã¥Å" °Ã¥ ° Ã¥ ­ ¦) and The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China Beijing Ritan High School (ä º ºÃ¥ ¤ §Ã©â„¢â€žÃ¤ ¸ ­). There are over 70 schools approved by China’s Ministry of Education to provide foreign instruction. Unlike local children, foreigners must pay a yearly tuition which varies but starts at about 28,000RMB. Can Foreigners Go to College or University in China? Various programs are offered at schools in China for foreigners. An application, copies of visa and passport, school records, physical exam, photo, and proof of language proficiency are all most students need to gain acceptance to undergraduate and graduate programs at schools in China. Chinese language proficiency is typically demonstrated by taking the  Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi  (HSK exam). Most schools require a score of level 6 (on a scale of 1 to 11) to enter undergraduate and graduate programs. Additionally, a perk for foreigners is that they are exempt from the gaokao.   Scholarships Many prospective students consider applying for scholarships to study at schools in China. Foreign students pay more in tuition than local students, but the fees are generally much less than students would pay in the United States or Europe. Tuition starts at 23,000RMB annually. Scholarships are available for foreigners. The most common scholarship is given by the Ministry of Education’s China Scholarship Council and the Chinese government. The Chinese government also awards the HSK Winner Scholarships for the top HSK test-scorers overseas. One scholarship is awarded per country where the test is administered. What If I Dont Speak Chinese? There are programs for those who do not speak Chinese. From Mandarin language learning to Chinese medicine to a Master of Business Administration, foreigners can study a range of subjects at schools in China, including Beijing and Shanghai, without speaking a word of Mandarin. Programs range from a few weeks to two years or more. The application process is quite simple and consists of an application, a copy of visa, passport, school records or diploma, physical exam, and photo.

Using Spanish Infinitives After Conjugated Verbs

Using Spanish Infinitives After Conjugated Verbs The Spanish infinitive is used quite frequently after conjugated verbs, and sometimes in a way that has no direct equivalent in English. Although the Spanish infinitive is sometimes translated as an infinitive in English, it isnt always, as the following examples show: Quiero salir. (I want to leave.)Èl evita estudiar. (He avoids studying.)Necesito comprar dos huevos. (I need to buy two eggs.)El que teme pensar es esclavo de la supersticià ³n. (The one who fears thinking is a slave to superstition.)Intentà ³ ganar el control. (He tried to gain control.) Note that in the above examples, both verbs (the conjugated verb and the infinitive that follows) refer to action by the same subject. This is usually the case when infinitives follow other verbs; the main exceptions are detailed in our lesson on using infinitives with a change of subject. Thus a sentence such as Dice ser catà ³lica (She says she herself is Catholic) doesnt have the same ambiguity that a sentence such as Dice que es catà ³lica would have (it could mean that the Catholic person is someone other than the subject of the sentence). Using Infinitives As discussed in our lesson on infinitives as nouns, the infinitive has characteristics of both a verb and a noun. Thus, when an infinitive is used after a verb, some grammarians view the infinitive as an object of the conjugated verb, while others see it as a dependent verb. It doesnt matter much how you classify it - just note that in either case both the conjugated verb and the infinitive normally refer to action taken by the same subject. If another person is performing the action, the sentence needs to be recast, usually by using que. For example, Marà ­a me asegurà ³ no saber nada (Marà ­a assured me she knows nothing), but Marà ­a me asegurà ³ que Roberto no sabe nada (Marà ­a assured me that Roberto knows nothing). In many cases, either the infinitive or a sentence using que can be used when the person is performing the action of both verbs. Thus sà © tener razà ³n (I know Im right) is basically the equivalent of sà © que tengo razà ³n, although the second sentence construction is less formal and more common in everyday speech. Common Verbs Followed by Infinitives Following is a list of some of the verbs that most commonly are followed directly by an infinitive, along with sample sentences. It is not intended to be a complete list. aceptar (to accept) - Nunca aceptar ir a los Estados Unidos. (He will never accept going to the United States.)acordar (to agree) - Acordamos darle dos dà ³lares. (We agreed to give him two dollars.)afirmar (to affirm, to state, to say) - El 20% de los mexicanos entrevistados afirmà ³ no hablar de polà ­tica. (Twenty percent of the Mexicans interviewed said they dont talk about politics.)amenazar (to threaten) - Amenazà ³ destruir la casa. (He threatened to destroy the house.)anhelar (to yearn, to long for) - Anhela comprar el coche. (She yearns to buy the car.)asegurar (to assure, to affirm) - Aseguro no saber nada. (I affirm I know nothing.)buscar (to seek, to look for) - Busco ganar experiencia en este campo. (I am looking to gain experience in this field.)creer (to believe) - No creo estar exagerando. (I do not believe I am exaggerating.)deber (ought to, should) - Para aprender, debes salir de tu zona de comodidad. (In order to learn, you ought to leave your comfort zone.)decidir (to decide) - Decidià ³ nadar hasta la otra orilla. (She decided to swim to the other shore.) demostrar (to demonstrate, to show) - Roberto demostrà ³ saber manejar. (Roberto showed he knows how to drive.)desear, querer (to want, to desire) - Quiero/deseo escribir un libro. (I want to write a book.)esperar (to wait for, to hope for, to expect) - Yo no esperaba tener el coche. (I was not expecting to have the car.)fingir (to pretend) - Dorothy finge dormir. (Dorothy is pretending to be sleeping.)intentar (to try) - Siempre intento jugar lo mejor posible.) (I always try to play my best possible.)lamentar, sentir (to regret) - Lamento haber comido. (I regret having eaten.)lograr (to succeed in) - No logra estudiar bien. (He does not succeed in studying well.)negar (to deny) - No niego haber tenido suerte. (I do not deny having been lucky.)pensar (to think, to plan) - Pienso hacerlo. (I plan to do it.)poder (to be able, can) - No puedo dormir. (I cant sleep.)preferir (to prefer) - Prefiero no estudiar. (I prefer not to study.)reconocer (to acknowledge) - Reconozco ha ber mentido. (I admit having lied.) recordar (to remember) - No recuerda haber bebido. (He doesnt remember having drunk.)soler (to be habitually) - Pedro solà ­a mentir. (Pedro would habitually lie.)temer (to fear) - Tema nadar. (She is afraid of swimming.) As you can see from some of the above examples, the infinitive haber followed by the past participle is frequently used to refer to action in the past.