I’m considering taking an internship next fall in China that would last about ten months (teaching ESL in a secondary school, plus taking half-time credits through an American University). One of my primary goals in this endeavor is to make headway toward learning Mandarin at least to a conversational level (I have zero familiarity with the language and I’m aware that to do this in one year is difficult, if not impossible).
This program is located in Shenzhen, a city that is fairly near Hong Kong. The brochure says they speak Mandarin there, but I’m getting conflicting reports. I know Cantonese is spoken in Hong Kong, so I would assume that in such a nearby city there would at least be a strong Cantonese influence.
My question is, if I were to go about learning Mandarin, is the city or region in which I am learning going to be a major advantage or hindrance? If so, where would a city like Shenzhen measure up compared to other cities in China? Which areas are known for their “pure” Mandarin, or is there no such place?
Any advice would be much appreciated. Also any insight into the process, or warnings, advice, blessings, curses, etc. would be interesting. Thanks.