Staff Chinese Language Courses 2023 – 2024

(The staff language courses are only invited for enrollment once a year in mid of August)

Notes:
1. Application
Please return the completed application form to the Chinese Language Centre via email at alecchan@hku.hk by no later than August 24, 2023.

2. Tuition Fee
Tuition fees, once paid, are not refundable. Due to budget and administration constraints, our Centre is unable to arrange for another timeslot for student’s cancellation of any scheduled tutorial(s).

3. Enquiries
Please send your enquiries to the Chinese Language Centre at alecchan@hku.hk.

1.Subsidized Courses in Chinese (Cantonese or Putonghua)

Academic Terms
Semester 1 September 4 – November 17/24, 2023
Semester 2 January 15 – April 19, 2024

Course Content
The emphasis of each course is on the spoken language, in particular daily conversations. The Jyutping and the Hanyu Pinyin System are used for the romanization of Cantonese and Putonghua respectively.

Fee
A University subsidy has made it possible to keep the fee down to $2,400 per person per course. The fee chargeable will be deducted from the successful applicant’s payroll account after the first lesson. Tuition fees, once paid, are not refundable.

Enrollment
The 26 places for each course will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis. Application form (A) can be downloaded here. Please apply on or before August 24, 2023. All late applications will not be considered. Any course with an enrollment of less than 10 will be cancelled.

Withdrawal
If, for any reason, you wish to withdraw from the course after you are admitted, you should notify the Head of the School of Chinese in writing as soon as possible.

3. Free Places Tuition in Chinese (Cantonese or Putonghua)

The University annually provides 14 “Free Places” for staff who wish to learn survival Chinese.

The subsidy covers free individual tuition for 20 sessions (50 minutes each) per student from September 11, 2023 to April 19, 2024. Please note that additional sessions will be charged at the full rate of $530 each. Student may consider continuing the tuition on a self-financed basis at $530 per session in Summer Semester between May 6 and June 28, 2024.

“Free Places” are allocated on the basis of the following principles:
(a) First priority is given to those members of staff who have paid their Part-time Tuition in 2021-2022 and/or 2022-2023.
(b) Second priority is given to those who have enrolled in the Subsidized Courses in Chinese in 2021-2022 and/or 2022-2023 but have not enjoyed the Free Places offer within that period.
(c) If the number of applicants is over 14, those who have enjoyed the Free Places offer in the previous five years will not be considered in 2023-2024.

Academic Terms
Semester 1 September 11 – November 24, 2023
Semester 2 January 15 – April 19, 2024
Summer Term May 6 – June 28, 2024

Enrollment
The closing date for applications for Free Places Tuition (Cantonese or Putonghua) is August 24, 2023. Application form (C) can be downloaded here. All late applications will not be considered.

2. Part-time Tuition in Chinese (Cantonese or Putonghua)

For many years the University has subsidized part-time tuition by charging members of staff at half-rate. The University has provided an annual fixed sum of money as subsidy for the School of Chinese to operate under the half-rate scheme. Under this scheme, members of staff enjoy the half-rate for their tuition once a week as long as the subsidy balance is in the black; but once the subsidy is exhausted, members of staff will be charged the full rate thereafter should they wish to continue. It should be noted that staff’s additional sessions and staff’s spouses are required to pay the full rate despite of the availability of subsidy.

Unless you have stated clearly your intention to study for only part of the term in your original application form, we shall advise the Finance and Enterprises Office at the beginning of each term to deduct from your payroll account the tuition fee payable for the term. Tuition fees, once paid, are not refundable.

Academic Terms
Semester 1 September 11 – November 24, 2023
Semester 2 January 15 – April 19, 2024
Summer Semester May 6 – June 28, 2024

Enrollment
The closing date for applications for Part-time Tuition (Cantonese or Putonghua) is August 24, 2023. Application form (B) can be downloaded here. All late applications will not be considered.

Staff Chinese Language Courses