The blistering pace of China's economic growth in the past two decades has taken the world by storm and more and more foreign companies are investing capital into the world's most exciting economy. Key to their success is their ability to understand not just business, but also China 's unique local business practices, rules and regulations, culture and society.

GCE has therefore compiled a comprehensive business and language course that equips its students with vital local knowledge and language skills that they need to succeed in China . The course also greatly benefits those that wish to follow a career in business - graduates that are both proficient in Chinese and understand the country's business relations are highly sought after.

Objectives

GCE's comprehensive Chinese language and business courses combine language studies with the study of Chinese business practices, and the current economic, political and social structure. These courses are tailor-made for those wishing to do business or work in China .

The China Business Course is an intensive program that gives students a deep understanding of business in China . Local business practices, rules and regulations and business laws are all explained in detail to give students the best possible chance of ensuring that their business operations proceed smoothly and effectively in this demanding environment. Regular seminars are conducted by senior management of both local companies and foreign companies doing business in China . Regular field trips allow students to see what they have learned in the classroom in operation.

Advantages

China Business Course

• Intensive business program
• Complete curriculum combining lectures, professional seminars and special field trips.
• Faculty of highly qualified and experienced business lecturers.
• The latest information on business practices, rules and regulations and laws.
• Practical, valuable knowledge about business in China .
• Introduction to China 's reform of economic and political structures and recent key developments.

China Language Course

• Complete immersion in the Chinese language
• Small classes (between five and eight students per class)*
• Levels range from Beginner to Advanced
• Short Term programs: One to three months
• Long Term programs: Semester or full academic year
• Intensive training
• Free after-class language tutoring
• Optional activities, both language and non-language-based
• Conversation exchanges with native Chinese speakers
• Faculty of highly qualified native teachers with vast experience in their field.
• A wide range of extracurricular activities are provided free of charge

*Small Classes are available with option 1 and 2

Structure

The five-week China Business Course comprises lectures, professional seminars and field trips. Lectures are held on selected afternoons and evenings. The Chinese Language Course consists of class time, special tutorials, language exchanges and optional extracurricular activities.

Business Course Schedule

*Note: Times are subject to confirmation and change.

Language Class Time Schedule

1) Lectures

Lectures are provided by leading professors from China 's prestigious Business and Economic University. Conducted in English, GCE's business lectures equip students with the skills and knowledge they'll need to succeed in China . Lecturers explain in detail the country's latest business practices, rules and regulations, and laws. Specially invited lecturers discuss the sweeping reforms being carried out among the country's economic and political structures.

2) Professional Seminars

During the course, senior management of foreign companies doing business in China today will conduct professional seminars. Students will find these managers' information and experiences very useful as they begin to work out their own strategies. Seminars cover foreign investment, business practice, management styles and a wide range of other key areas.

3) Field Trips

GCE organizes valuable field trips to major international companies that are operating in China as well as joint ventures. The field trips include seminars covering their operations, a tour of their offices and plants, and more. Students can examine first hand various operating procedures, quality control, and human resource management.

Programs

GCE's engaging programs are comprised of four main parts:

• Daily Chinese lessons
• Tutorials
• Language exchanges
• Extracurricular activities

• Daily Chinese lessons :

Conversation Classes: Empasis is put on oral expression and tone pronunciation. At the beginner level, particular attention is paid to dealing with everyday situations and problem solving. Specialized, complex topics are explored at more advanced levels.
Listening Comprehension Classes: Concentrate on honing the student's aural comprehension and ability to understand the language as spoken by a native speaker.
Reading Comprehension Classes: Concentrate on developing the student's ability to read and understand Chinese text.
Writing Classes: Concentrate on the basics of the radical system, bushou, composition of characters and stroke orders.
Grammar Classes: Concentrate on the basics of Chinese grammar, sentence structures and phrases and expressions.

For further information on class time, please click here

• Tutorials:

For students to maximize the potential of their program, every weekday afternoon students can take advantage of GCE's free supplemental language training sessions. Assistance with class assignments and conversational practice are valuable features of the special tutorials.

• Language Exchange:

While studying Chinese in Beijing, what better way to improve your language ability than by chatting with the locals? Language exchanges provide students with an excellent opportunity to practice what they have learned in the classroom – often result in lifelong friendships.

• Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities designed to cement and consolidate the skills learned in the classroom are offered to interested students, free of charge. These activities typically cover Chinese history and culture, and the number offered depends on the duration of the program. Some are language-based, others are not. Here are the details of some of the activities offered:

Language Based Activities:

• Chinese Calligraphy: These classes help students learn the rules and techniques behind written Chinese in an artistic and fun way.
• Chinese Songs: These classes help students to master the tones of the Chinese language through traditional folk songs and pop music. The students are given the lyrics in both pinyin and Chinese characters, so the classes also help students' character recognition skills.

Non-Language Based Activities:

• Chinese Massage and Chinese Herbal Medicine: These classes are a window into ancient Chinese ideas about the human body and illness. Students gain an understanding of how maladies are diagnosed and treated using herbal medicine and massage therapy.
• Traditional Chinese Painting: Held by master Chinese painters, students can delve into a world of watercolor painting, as practiced during the days of China's ancient dynasties.
• Taiji Quan (Taichi): These classes introduce students to the most relaxing of all the martial arts. Taijiquan is all about improving the body and strengthening the mind, so, as a bonus, participants' studies will doubtlessly improve, too.

Class times

Students have 3 options to chose:

*Small-sized classes are available for Option 1 and 2: Beijing College for Chinese Language Studies

Here are the different features of each option. Prospective students may choose which best suits their personal requirements.

• Option 1

Beijing College for Chinese Language Studies (City Campus) - Located at the center of both Beijing's university hub as well as Beijing's high-technology center, BCCLS's city campus is a short walk from eight different universities as well as several high-tech company research offices such as Google and Microsoft.

In addition, with a large international student population in the area, this location is extremely convenient with great restaurants, bars, fitness centers and subway service all within a 5 minute walk.

• Option 2

Beijing College for Chinese Language Studies(Beijing North Campus) is about 40 minutes outside of Beijing's city center. This location includes a beautiful 1.75 million square meter campus with indoor swimming pool, workout facility, library, dining hall and hospital. Students will attend classes in the same buildings as local students, sharing a learning environment with Chinese students attending university classes. We also provide 3 accommodation options in this location: private villas, apartments and dorm rooms.

• Option 3

Students may have their core language classes at any of GCE's Direct Entry Universities but their after-class activities are held at BCCLS' Education Center or its Beijing North Campus. Please note that students who choose option 3 will have bigger classes, normally holding around 20 students.

Additional Activities and Services

GCE's students are completely immersed in Chinese language, culture and everyday life. GCE's programs feature a range of free special features that are aimed at putting class skills into practice in a variety of situations. Special features are conducted by and with native Chinese speakers, and include activities like sports (basketball, bowling, etc) and social activities (karaoke competitions, game nights, banquets, movie nights etc).

Sightseeing

GCE's program includes regular weekend tours of Beijing's major historical and cultural sites, including the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square and the Summer Palace, to name but a few. Students can gain a deep understanding of Chinese culture through these fascinating, free trips.

For further information on GCE's sightseeing programs, click here

Faculty and Teaching Tools

GCE's teachers all have degrees in teaching Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language. Up-to-date, carefully selected materials are used in class, giving participants valuable information on modern-day Chinese culture and society while at the same time developing their language and communication skills.

Proficiency Exam

• Students are asked to indicate their level of Chinese by stating their knowledge of vocabulary (expressions) on the application form. Final placements are made when students complete a written and oral placement exam upon their arrival in China.

Levels

Total Beginner (Level 0)
Students attending these classes have never learned Mandarin Chinese.

Beginner (Level 1)
Students attending these classes know more than 300 Chinese expressions, and should have learned Chinese phonetics. Classes focus on teaching basic Chinese vocabulary, sentence structures and grammar using everyday topics. Phonetics, tone exercises and drills allow students to learn the correct pronunciation and intonation from the beginning. Students are introduced to the radical system (Chinese character composition), stroke orders and basic characters.

Upon completion of a short term program, students should be capable of engaging in simple daily conversation. Programs lasting 12 weeks or longer enable students to complete the beginner level and progress to the elementary level. At the end of the academic year, students should have completed the elementary level, and be ready to begin the intermediate level.

Elementary (Level 2)
Students attending these classes know more than 800 Chinese expressions, have a grasp of major sentence structures and have systematically learned Chinese grammar. Classes focus on vocabulary, sentence structures, listening, reading, and conversational skills. Phonetics, tone exercises and drills ensure that participants learn the correct pronunciation and intonation.

Upon completions of a short term program, students should be capable of conversing on daily topics and expressing themselves using elementary sentence structures. Programs lasting 12 weeks or longer enable students to complete the elementary level and progress to the lower intermediate level. At the end of the academic year, students should be ready to tackle the intermediate level.

Intermediate (Level 3)
Students attending these classes know more than 1,500 Chinese expressions and have an understanding of elementary Chinese grammar. Conversational exercises teach students to recount articles in a comparatively fluent and complete manner. Students are able to converse on general topics and express themselves using more complicated sentence structures. Classes focus on increasing the level of grammar and vocabulary with the aim of enabling students to express themselves functionally in different contexts. Practical situational texts are used to provide a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and society.

Upon completion of a short term program, students should be capable of expressing themselves in different contexts using intermediate sentence structures. Programs lasting 12 weeks or longer enable students to complete the intermediate level. At the end of the academic year, students should be ready to tackle the advanced levels.

Advanced (Level 4)
Students attending these classes know more than 2,500 Chinese expressions. They can discuss general topics, raise complex questions, and express their opinions clearly using correct intonation. Classes focus on vocabulary, reading, listening comprehension, and conversational skills. Class work includes reading newspapers and listening to news broadcasts. Students are taught advanced spoken and written Chinese.

Proficient (Level 5)
Participants attending these classes know more than 3,500 Chinese expressions. They are able to read and understand newspapers, periodicals, radio broadcasts, and television. They can express themselves systematically using appropriate expressions and language norms. The curriculum includes listening to and commenting on news reports, television, and radio broadcasts, and discussions and debates of current affairs.

Program Dates and Pricing

For further information on each program, please click on one of the program durations below, e.g. 4 weeks. All programs accommodate proficiency levels from total beginner to proficient. For other start dates and shorter or longer durations, please contact admission@globalchineseedu.com

GCE's short term programs include 20 hours of class time tuition per week, supplemented by special tutorials, language exchanges and optional extracurricular activities. Courses are tailored to suit students' requirements at each level, with materials focusing on practical everyday topics as well as Chinese culture and history. GCE's tried and tested methods help students to quickly achieve the objectives of each proficiency level, and to make rapid progress from one stage to the next.

GCE's long term programs include 20 hours of class time per week for the semester program, 30 hours per week for the semester intensive program, and 24 hours per week for the academic year program. Like the short term programs, class time is supplemented by special tutorials, language exchanges and extracurricular activities. GCE's long term programs are ideal for students that wish to master the language.

For further information on GCE's programs dates, fees, click here

Assessment and Certification

Student's progress is measured throughout the course using continuous assessment assignments and examinations. Students enrolled in semester and academic year courses also take mandatory final examinations. Students are awarded diplomas and certificates upon successful completion of the program.

Accommodation

GCE offers students excellent accommodation options, both on- and off-campus. Students choosing options 1 and 3 can choose from staying with a host family, on-campus, in an apartment or in a three-star hotel room. Students choosing option 2 can choose from private villas, private or shared apartments or university dorm rooms.

For further information on accommodation, click here

Arrival in Beijing Free transport from the airport in Beijing to your accommodation is provided. The following important pieces of information are required at least 10 days before your arrival:
Arrival date, Arrival time, Arrival place, Bus/Train/Flight Number, Airline/Bus company, Place of departure Participants are met at their arrival point and accompanied to their accommodation.

InsuranceGCE's programs include emergency travel and medical insurance.

For further information on Insurance, click here

VisasStudents should apply for an F-class visa issued by their local Chinese embassy/consulate. F-class visas are typically issued for one, three or six months, depending on the duration of the course. Visa extensions can be organized where necessary. Some embassies will issue an L-class visa for entry into China. This can then be converted to F-class upon arrival, once enrollment is completed and program fees are paid.

Program Fees and SchedulesProgram fees include: Chinese lessons, Tutorials, Language Exchanges, Extracurricular Activities, Accommodation, Textbooks, Registration and Enrollment, Proficiency Test, Certificate and Transcript, Visa Documentation, Transport from Airport to Accommodation, Orientation, Welcome Pack, Insurance, Social Activities, Tours and Activities with Native Chinese Speakers, Internet and Library Access, and International and Chinese Program Advisors. For further information on program fees and schedules, click here

Eligibility
Prospective students must be:

1. Aged between 18 and 60 years (with exceptions) In good health condition
2. High school graduate

Application

For GCE's application guide, click here
For GCE's application form , click here