Chinese is now the 5th most learned language in France, ahead of Portuguese and Russian. Taught in middle and high schools since 2013 in France, nearly 30, ,000 students have chosen to learn Mandarin out of curiosity or with the idea of differentiating themselves in their school curriculum.
Moreover, this teaching is continued in universities and in the Grandes Écoles (Polytechnique, ENA, HEC, École des mines, Supelec, Sciences Po) for students who wish to make it a professional asset. Perhaps this is your case ?
And like all living language learning, linguistic immersion has the advantage of allowing you to progress rapidly and to appreciate the richness of the language. But going to China is far and expensive. Would you like to enjoy an immersion in the colors of China in France ? And if it was possible to improve your Chinese without taking the plane ?
Learn Chinese to boost your career
Chinese is the most spoken language in the world! As a result of globalization, this language is becoming more and more important in the business and labor markets. So you can see that. To indicate ” notions of Mandarin ” on your CV is a real asset in 2021 and will boost any application !
Mandarin, a difficult language?
Learning Chinese is difficult according to some. Others will tell you no. This language is called tonal. This means that the meaning of a word changes according to the tone used. There are 5 tones in Chinese and this can be confusing for us westerners who are not used to changing the tone of our words. On the other hand, Chinese has no verb conjugation, no declensions, no plurals, no genders! We are far from the 5 cases of the German language and our strict grammar full of exceptions!
If Chinese is the most difficult language to master according to UNESCO, it is all the more important to optimize its learning by opting for a quality language immersion.
Immerse yourself in Chinese culture without flying!
As with any learning of a new language, there are many different methods. Podcasts, online courses, evening courses, traditional courses, apps. They are numerous, efficient and give you the possibility to learn without leaving your home (or almost). With Linguifamily, even language immersion can be done without flying to China !
Costs and formalities for a trip to China
Currently, the cheapest airfare to China from France costs 389 € for a round trip. Paris-Shanghai being the most popular route. The direct flight France-China covers a distance of 8975 km with an average flight time of 11h 15min.
A passport application costs 86 euros for an adult, 17 euros for a minor between 0 and 14 years old and 42 euros for a minor between 15 and 17 years old. A visa for China express costs 171 euros in consular fees. The application is made during an appointment at Chinese visa application center and is accompanied by many documents such as entry and exit tickets, hotel reservations, your itinerary day by day, school certificate, bank statements for the last 3 months, etc.
Due to Covid-19, people from France are temporarily banned from entering China. The borders are closed to the French until further notice. More information on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chinese immersion in France : advantages
Compared to a stay in China, a language stay with a Chinese family in France is :
- Savings on travel expenses, passport and visa fees, bank commissions, telephone costs,
- Time saved on the organization of your stay with less formalities,
- Time saved in travel and no jet lag,
- Flexibility in the length of stay,
- A security for young travelers who wish to go alone.
Currently, travel to China is prevented by the health situation related to Covid-19. While waiting for better days to travel to the Middle Kingdom, staying in France to improve your Chinese in record time is the best option. If you are interested, Linguifamily offers a full board language immersion program in the colors of China, close to your home.
