CIEE Chinese Language and Cultural Studies in Beijing, China

  China

• Beijing: 
Beijing

Term: Fall, Spring 
Dates: Fall 15 weeks: late August-mid-December; Spring 15 weeks: after Lunar New Year-mid-June

Description: The goal of the Chinese Language and Cultural Studies program is for participants to gain understanding and insight into the rich diversity of Chinese society by focusing on the Chinese ethnic minorities and the construction of Chinese identity through an ethnographic lens. This goal is achieved through three specially designed core courses, a ten-day fieldwork component, Chinese language coursework, Chinese peer tutors, group excursions, and directed individual exploration throughout the greater Beijing area.

Academic Program
The CIEE Chinese Language and Cultural Studies program at Minzu University of China offers students an opportunity to learn about China through the lens of the construction of the Chinese identity and China's ethnic traditions, policies, and transitions. Students should consider continuing on to the CIEE Study Center at Peking University to continue their language study in the second semester should they remain in Beijing for a full academic year. This program is ideal for students majoring in the social sciences with an interest in multi-ethnic issues and policy, and modern life in Beijing.

Academic Culture
Students attend language classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a total of eight hours per week for 12 weeks. The three required core courses take place three times per week for three hours each. The general area studies class format is a seminar setting where students are expected to come prepared and discuss issues learned in their assigned readings.

Highlights:

• Core course: Visual Anthropology of Contemporary China
  
• Mandarin training for all levels of students; courses taught by trained Chinese language faculty from Minzu University; peer language tutors.
  
• Elective courses in Tibetan language, Ethnic Dance, and Ethnic Diversity
  
• Mid-semester field trip with intercultural experience in Northwest China
  
• Homestay experiences with farmers, nomads, and traditional artists in eastern Qinghai and southern Gansu Provinces; volunteering opportunities

Intercultural Experience in Northwest China
Each semester students take part in a midsemester ten-day excursion to several rural areas in northwestern China. Students prepare for the experience by completing reading assignments and seminar discussions on the ethnic diversity of China prior to the trip. Students also receive fieldwork assignments from faculty instructors prior to their departure. The excursion likely includes homestay experiences with Tibetan farmers, nomads, and traditional artists in eastern Qinghai and southern Gansu provinces. Students engage in reflective discussion both during and following the experience to enable them to put the experience in context of their broader experience living and studying in China.

Cultural Reimbursement Program
As a means of encouraging students to enrich their study abroad experience in Beijing, CIEE offers a Cultural Reimbursement Program, allowing students to be reimbursed for their participation in local cultural activities such as Chinese film screenings, theater performances, traditional music concerts, and visits to local museums and historic places of interest. Students are encouraged to invite peer tutors to such events when possible.

Immersion
Peer Language Tutors
Program participants are paired with local Chinese students for weekly one-on-one Chinese language tutorials. These tutorials provide students with extra conversation practice in Mandarin, help with homework assignments, and afford students an opportunity to experience first-hand the lifestyle of their Chinese peers.

Target Language Meals
To encourage students to utilize their Chinese in an informal setting, CIEE arranges bimonthly group meals for students, their language teachers, peer tutors, and resident staff. Students attending the optional meals are required to speak only Chinese with their teachers and peers.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: Please check the CIEE website for current program pricing.

Experience Required: yes