The Chinese Language CentreKnown for the teaching excellence of its staff and the exceptionally high standards of performance of its students, the Chinese Language Centre offers a wide range of highly popular courses, including a two-year Certificate Course in Chinese Language, Putonghua courses for professionals, Cantonese courses for Mainland and foreign students, as well as Chinese language and cultural courses for inter-national students. By taking advantage of Hong Kong’s position as the cultural cross-roads between the East and the West, the Centre strives to be a world-class hub for the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language and an international in-stitute for research and collaboration in the promotion of Chinese heritage and cross-cultural exchange. Certificate in Chinese Language Courses The Certificate Course in Chinese Language may be taken in the Putonghua stream or the Cantonese stream. Its curriculum extends over two years comprised of three terms each year, l5 hours per week, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., Mon-day through Friday. The course also incorporates a variety of cultural visits such as local style restaurants, markets or museums, bringing students to the target language venues and neighborhoods in the city, guide them utilizing the language in a real-world context.The courses are intended for those whose mother tongue is not Chinese. They are taught by experienced teachers, who are native speakers of Chinese.

Academic Terms (2019 – 20)Term 1 September 2 - December 6, 2019 Term 2 January 2 – 27 March, 2020Term 3 April 14 – July 10, 2020* (*Examinations : July 6 – 10, 2020)

The Curriculum Both Putonghua stream and Cantonese stream consist of the following curricu-lum, providing balanced training in listening, speaking, reading and writing in Chinese.

Year One1. Listening Comprehension IIn this course, drills on sounds and tones as well as simple situational dialogues will help students examine the problems that foreign learners commonly have in understanding the language and expand their range of expressions.2. Spoken PracticeThis course aims at enhancing the student’s ability to cope with conversations in everyday situations. The main activities include accurate pronunciation and tones, the practice of sentence patterns and drills of the Romanization system. Students will be trained to use pin-yin in Putonghua stream, and the Jyutping system for Cantonese stream.3. Reading and writing IStudents learn basic sentence patterns and grammar in modern standard Chi-nese. About 1,000 commonly-used Chinese characters are introduced. Students are taught how to use Chinese dictionaries and online applications for learning Chinese characters. Composition will be offered in the third term. It helps students develop their ability to write simple paragraphs before moving on to 200-char-acter essays.

Year Two1. Listening Comprehension IIThis course helps students understand different situational conversations, weather reports, news, advertisements and announcements from media, radio and tele-vision.2. Topical DiscussionsThis course gives students further practice in sentence patterns and natural ex-pressions, storytelling, and enhances their communication skills. Students engage in discussions on special topics ranging from social issues to beliefs and practices in Chinese culture. 3. Reading and Writing IIThis course helps students enrich their vocabulary through an intensive study of modern written texts and to master sentence structure and grammar of Chinese. It also provides training in writing well-structured essays and creative pieces as well as writing on practical subjects. 4. Newspaper ReadingsThis course equips students with the basic skills for reading newspaper articles and enhances their reading comprehension. Specialized terms for various news topics are introduced.

AssessmentThe First Examination is held at the end of the first year and the Certificate Exam-ination is held at the end of the curriculum. Both Examinations consist of written papers, oral tests and coursework.

這個課程幫我有信心和香港人聊天，也幫我學會看中文報紙和用漢字寫文章。另外，課程內容也幫助我了解中國和香港的文化和歷史。可以參加這個課程，我感到非常高興，因為我不只多認識一種語言，多了解一種文化，還認識很多其他國家的朋友。我的老師們在教學方面的經驗很豐富，他們非常敬業。他們令我覺得課堂不僅是一個教室，也是一個家庭。

Mr Bui wrote in Chinese and here is the translation of what he wrote.This course has built up my confidence in communicating with Hong Kong people and developed my skills in reading and writing in Chinese. The course also helps me understand more about the culture and history of HK. I am glad that I joined the course, I have met friends from different countries here, and the experienced and professional teachers make me feel that the class is not only a lesson, but also a family.

Certificate in Chinese Language (Cantonese Stream) 2018-19 Year 2 Student: BUI CONG THIEN, Vietnamese

I started the certificate course Cantonese at HKU thinking I would ‘just’ learn to speak the local language a bit. But the course is so much more than that! Learning to read and write in Chinese is an amazing adventure. We also learned so much about the culture of Hong Kong. And yes, of course how to actually talk to the locals. Is it hard work? Yes! But the teachers always go out of their way to help and being literally surrounded by what you study is very motivating. It’s like opening the magical door to a whole new world. 我很喜歡學廣東話和中文！

Certificate in Chinese Language (Cantonese Stream) 2018-2019 Year 1 Student: MERTENS WYTSKE SUSANNE, Dutch

Application – FAQ Can I apply for 2019 intake now?Application for admission in September 2019 will remain open until 12:00 noon, June 28, 2019 (Hong Kong Time). *Late applications will also be accepted for consideration. Please send your inquiry to Ms Amy Ho at <amyho.clc@hku.hk>.

Where can I obtain an application form?Application Forms can be downloaded from the website http://www.chinese.hku.hk/CertChinLang_ApplicationForm.pdf.

What documents should I submit to support my application?The completed form should be returned to the Office in person or by mail together with 1) a photocopy of your HKID card/passport/birth certificate; *if you are applying on grounds of “mature age”, an officially certified copy of the docu-ment is required. 2) the original/ certified true copy of the academic transcripts and examination results; 3) the proof of payment of the application fee HK$300.

This course is extremely practical for learning Putonghua as a foreign language. Students are taught to confidently understand and communicate (spoken and written) in Putonghua for everyday usage by the end of the first academic year. The teachers are very experienced, patient and understands the different needs of an adult learner. Students come from varied academic backgrounds making learning vocabulary interesting and broad.

这个课程非常实用，老师们教的非常实用。同学们来自各种不同的背景，我觉得这个课程很适合成年人学习。我才学了半年多，可是现在我已经会用汉字写作了。 一起学普通话，一定有进步，一定交到新朋友！

Certificate in Chinese Language (Putonghua Sream) 2018-2019 Year 1 Student: TIMOTHY WONG, Australian

Are photocopies of certificates and transcripts acceptable to the University?The University will ONLY ACCEPT originals or copies of the documents that have been duly declared as true copies before a notary public.

Can I apply for admission as a visiting student?An applicant who does not satisfy the University entrance requirements may be admitted as a Visiting Student. Visiting Student is not eligible for the award of the Certificate. Fees are the same as those for the regular students.

How much is the tuition fee?HK$29,400 for each Term, payable in 3 non-refundable installments.

How do I respond to an offer of admission?Congratulations on receiving an offer of admissions to HKU! Follow the instructions on your offer to pay the first installment of the composition fee and remember to save the receipt of payment.

I am a non-local applicant. Can I apply for a student accommodation?Admission to the University does not provide any guarantee of finding accommodation which remains the responsibility of each student. Information and advice of off-campus accommodation are available at http://cedars.hku.hk .

It is a real commitment, lots of dedication and hard work but this course is the best you can apply to if you really want to learn Chinese. The teachers are very qualified and it’s also an opportunity to meet great people, the students become real friends. Intense, but so good ! If I had to go back on time, I would certainly do it again.

Certificate in Chinese Language (Putonghua Sream) Class of 2016 Graduate: FABIOLA DE FELIP, Italian

How should I apply for a student visa?In general, unless a person has the right of abode or right to land in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), he/she requires a visa/entry permit to study in the HKSAR. Applications should be submitted to the Hong Kong Immigration Department via the Chinese Embassy in your country of residence.

Application form can be downloaded from:http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/forms/hk-visas/study.htmlPlease note that at least 2 months should be allowed for visa processing. It is the responsi-bility of individual applicants to make appropriate visa arrangements before they come to Hong Kong. For further details on visa application matters, please visit the website of the Hong Kong Immigration Department at : http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/study.html or the Centre of Development and Resources for Students of the University of Hong Kong (HKU-CEDARS) at http://cedars.hku.hk (please navigate -> Campus Life -> Visa Matters).

Whom should I nominate as a visa sponsor?The Hong Kong Immigration requires a visa applicant to submit an application for nom-inating a local sponsor for sponsoring entry for study in Hong Kong. Students coming to HKU should nominate the Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) as your visa sponsor by completing and returning to CEDARS an application form for visa sponsorship with all the required documents and payment.Application form is obtainable from the HKU-CEDARS or downloaded from the website http://cedars.hku.hk .

Am I allowed to work in HK with a student visa?According to the HKSAR Immigration Ordinance, a student visa holder is not allowed to take up any employment, whether paid or unpaid, in Hong Kong.

Will Hong Kong Immigration Department approve my application?All applications are processed and determined by the Immigration Department. Approval of applications is entirely discretionary and is subject to changes in government policies. For queries on unsuccessful application, please contact the HK Immigration Department.