About YISA: Nanjing Normal University
Nanjing Normal University (NNU) is a prominent Chinese university with a history of more than one hundred years. The College for International Students of NNU was established in 1986. As one of the earliest Chinese universities to open to the outside world, it is also the earliest to enroll international students. It is authorized by the Ministry of Education of the PRC to be one of the two preparatory Chinese Language Training Centers in China as well as one of the few universities offering a B.A. degree in Chinese language and literature for international students. In 2000, it was appointed to be the only Overseas Chinese Language Educational Base in Jiangsu Province. In 2003 it was appraised as the “National Education Base of Chinese language” by the Ministry of Education.
Chinese language is taught at YISA as an intensive program with classes each morning taught by experienced teachers who specialize in teaching Chinese language to foreign students. The program combines NNU’s experience in Chinese language teaching and the University of Arizona’s understanding of the specific needs of American students learning Chinese. YISA Students will study Chinese along with students from dozens of other countries.
YISA will facilitate the pairing of our students with Chinese students at NNU as ‘language partners’, with whom strong friendships often develop as each practices the other’s language. NNU’s location in downtown Nanjing means that outside of class students will easily get firsthand experience practicing their Chinese when going around town, ordering food at restaurants and markets, meeting with Chinese friends, shopping, or visiting local landmarks.
Unlike cities like Shanghai and Hong Kong where the local people speak a completely different dialect of Chinese, the local people of Nanjing speak the common Mandarin. As a result, American students studying Mandarin in Nanjing will be more able to understand the language spoken on the streets.