Introducing: Hutong School Sydney
Hutong School Down Under
Big news from the land down under! Hutong School Sydney is here and ready to start its first classes in August. Ahead of the grand opening, we sat down with Joanne Li from the HTS Sydney team to learn more about the newest Hutong School.
- Why is it important for more people in Australia to study Chinese?
This is the Asian century, and no country has more at stake in it than Australia. The Asian countries are becoming more and more central to Australian’s future – economically, politically, socially, strategically, culturally.
China, the most populous country in Asia, is Australia’s biggest trading partner. The free trade agreement, delivered by the Australian government, directly links Australian expertise with China’s exploding middle class and is all about job opportunities for Australian young people. Over that period, Australia’s economic relationship with China has indeed become critical to its prosperity.
Mandarin Chinese is playing an increasingly important role as a language for business communication. In most Asian countries, Chinese is becoming the most popular foreign language. Learning Chinese will also increase one’s career opportunities and open doors to a new culture.
- What are some typical profiles of students who want to take a Mandarin class in Sydney?
-Professionals such as doctors, solicitors, bank officer, personal trainers, real estate agents etc.
-Local Australians who have a Chinese spouse.
-University graduates
-Those who want to learn Chinese for travel/tourism purposes.
- Why do you think so many people want to study Mandarin in Sydney?
Sydney is Australia’s most populous city and is also the most populous city in Oceania. It has a disproportionately large concentration of many of Australia’s migrant communities.
Chinese immigration to Sydney dates back almost two hundred years, with Mak Sai Ying being the first recorded settler in Australia. The 2006 census showed that 221,995 people (5.39%) in Sydney reported Chinese as the language they used at home. The Chinese community is the third largest community group in Sydney.
It is not surprising that more and more people in Sydney are choosing to study Chinese, given how important China is to the Australian economy and the large presence the Chinese language has in Sydney, both in its spoken and written forms.
4. How does the large, local Chinese population change the way people study Chinese in Sydney?
Over the past twenty years, Mandarin has become one of the most popular community languages in Sydney. The large local Chinese population in Sydney has increased the demand from parents and the business community for children’s Mandarin language education.
An increasing number of primary schools in Greater Sydney will take part in the New South State’s new Bilingual Schools Program, under which a range of subject areas will be conducted in Mandarin and other Asian languages. The program will be offered as an option alongside the traditional curriculum.
The initiative has been prompted by the need to increase the number of students achieving fluency in priority Asian languages. It reflects Asia’s importance to Australia’s future economic and social prosperity and the likelihood that many Australian workers will need to be comfortable in the use of an Asian language. The program is also a response to the increasing number of parents wanting to send their children to a primary school offering a strong Mandarin program.
5. What sets the Chinese teachers at Hutong School Sydney apart?
Our Chinese teachers are all highly motivated and experienced teachers with a passion for teaching Chinese to Australia and other foreigners.
At Hutong School Sydney, every student has a one-on-one level assessment and study plan. Our teachers are not only distinguished by their academic achievements, but also by their interpersonal skills and devotion to teaching Mandarin Chinese.
Our teachers also give each student personalized feedback on their learning progress and provide them with learning tips.
- What can students who take a Hutong School Mandarin class in Sydney expect in terms of teaching methodology?
Hutong School Sydney aims to enhance our students’ understanding and knowledge of Chinese language and Chinese culture.
We attach great importance to the quality of our Mandarin classes, enabling each student to acquire both linguistic and professional knowledge about China. Because personalized teaching is the key to fast and effective results, our group classes have an average of 4 or 6 students.
Our beginner Mandarin classes will take place in English and Chinese. As students’ Chinese level progresses, less and less English will be used in our classes.
If students have learned Chinese before and they can’t be fit into one of the existing group class, we will then provide private catch-up classes for them.
