CIEE Summer Accelerated Chinese Language in Shanghai, China

  China

• Shanghai: 
Shanghai

Term: Summer 
Dates: 8 weeks: late June - mid August

Description: The goals of the Accelerated Chinese Language program are to accelerate the language ability of intermediate and advanced level Chinese language students by completing second or third year Chinese in one summer, and to apply these language skills in everyday situations in Shanghai and while traveling around China. These goals are achieved through intensive, daily Chinese language coursework and other co-curricular activities.

Academic Program
Established in 1998, the CIEE Study Center in Shanghai is near Zhongshan Park and is close to Shanghais large economic development areas. The Accelerated Chinese Language program is designed to provide participants with a stronger foundation in Chinese language, while offering ample opportunities to observe and experience the fast changing pace of Shanghai, and to develop solid language skills for navigating in China.

Academic Culture
Students attend accelerated language classes for four hours per day from Monday through Friday with daily homework assigned. The language classes are small, with an average of four students, so active participation is very important. Classes are typically co-taught by head language instructors and assistant language instructors who focus on accuracy and consistency of pronunciation through daily drills and other exercises. In China, teachers are accustomed to being treated with the highest respect. Students should be prepared to arrive to class on time, dress with care, and not eat while in the classroom.

Highlights:

• Accelerated Mandarin language program for intermediate and advanced students.
  
• Daily Chinese language clinics, weekly target language activities, and peer language tutors.
  
• Chinese host family housing or on-campus dormitory with Chinese roommates.
  
• Field trips and site visits introduce students to multiple aspects of Chinese society.
  
• Cultural and educational activities include learning Chinese calligraphy, martial arts, music, and Chinese chess; teaching and volunteer opportunities.

Culture
Cultural Activities and Field Trips
Complementing classroom work is two weekend field trips and visits to local markets, museums, temples, and other sites. Cultural activities include an acrobatic show and dumpling making with host families.

A number of non-credit, optional classes are offered to program participants and may include martial arts, Chinese cooking, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese musical instruments, and the Shanghai dialect.

Immersion
Peer Language Tutors
Participants are paired with ECNU students for one-on-one Chinese language tutorials one hour per day. Tutors are undergraduate or graduate students who major in teaching Chinese as a foreign language.

Target Language Activities
To encourage students to utilize their Chinese in an informal setting, CIEE organizes group meals and other activities for the students, their language teachers, peer tutors, and resident staff. Students attending the optional activities are required to speak only Chinese.

Chinese Language Clinic
The Chinese Language Director and full time instructors assist students with special or unique problems in language study by arranging an optional language clinic that meets five times per week from Monday through Friday for one hour per night in the CIEE residence hall on campus.

Teach and Volunteer
CIEE maintains relationships with a number of schools, companies, and organizations, and is able to offer a limited number of volunteer and internship opportunities to interested students. These part-time opportunities-typically on the weekends - vary in time commitment and skills required and are not for pay or credit. Although positions are not guaranteed by CIEE, the Shanghai staff assists all students interested in pursuing these opportunities during their summer in Shanghai.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

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

Experience Required: yes