Mount Holyoke College :: Summer Program in Beijing China

The Mount Holyoke summer program in Beijing offers an intensive program of language immersion that enables students to complete a full year of Chinese language study in eight weeks. Students spend the mornings engaged in classroom instruction, and the afternoons with language partners and actitivites that introduce them to Chinese arts and culture. Tours to major historic and cultural sites round out the program.

Beijing is the cultural and political center of China. With its long history, rich culture, hospitable inhabitants, and modern developments, Beijing quickly mesmerizes visitors. Students have the opportunity to walk on the Great Wall, visit the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, see the Beijing Opera, and taste the most authentic Beijing duck. They experience Beijing's beauty and charm firsthand and improve their Mandarin in an environment where standard Mandarin is spoken.

Beijing Language and Culture University
Mount Holyoke Professor Ying Wang organizes the academic component of the program. Courses are taught by faculty from our host university, Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU). BLCU specializes in teaching Chinese as a foreign language: more than five thousand international students study Chinese there.

BLCU is located in the northwest part of Beijing. Its beautiful campus is green and leafy and includes a newly built international student residence hall, a modern gym, a Japanese tavern, a Korean restaurant, and a Muslim dining hall, in addition to several Chinese cafeterias. The University is a ten minute walk from a commercial district called Wudao kou, where local residents and international students go for shopping and entertainment. A city railway in Wudao kou offers a convenient connection to the downtown area of Beijing.

The Program
The program runs from early July to the end of August, and facilitates learning through both curricular and extra curricular activities. Every day, classroom teaching is divided into lectures and drill sections in the morning, which are reinforced by individual help from language partners in the afternoon. The relatively small size of the program means that students receive a lot of individual attention: lectures typically have 10 to 12 students in each section, drill sessions only 4 to 5. Every two students are assigned to a Chinese language partner who, in addition to individual tutorials, is responsible for arranging language-related activities outside the classroom.

Students can also participate in optional cultural activities, such as Taiji boxing, Taiji sword, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, and cooking, which usually meet in the afternoon. In addition, six major cultural tours will be arranged by the program, including visits to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Beijing Opera, 798 Art Community, the Temple of Heaven, and the Chinese Acrobats.

The Resident Director, who lives on or near the BLCU campus, oversees the day-to-day activities of the program, accompanies students on field trips, and is available on call 24 hours a day.

Credit
MHC students who complete the program successfully will receive a total of 8 credits. These credits count against the maximum of 8 summer school credits that students may use toward the Mount Holyoke degree. (Students who have already transferred in some summer credits may petition for an exception to the 8-credit limit.) Students from other colleges should consult their home institution about credit transfer.

Housing
Students will live in double rooms in BLCU's new international hall. Rooms are equipped with air conditioning, television, refrigerator, and private bath. Every floor has a laundry room and kitchen.

Fees
The program fee for summer 2009 was $4,300, covering tuition, program and application fees, and accommodations. The fee for 2010 is expected to be comparable, and will be announced in early spring. Students will be responsible for their own airfare (estimated at $1,300) and for their meals and personal expenses while in China (estimated at $1,000).

Requirements & Application
The program is open to students who have completed successfully (B- or better) at least one year of Chinese language in college. Students who studied Chinese in high school (or elsewhere) but have not taken the language in college should consult with Prof. Ying Wang to determine whether they meet the requirements for the program. Students will be placed at the appropriate language level (intermediate or advanced) upon their arrival.

To apply, submit the program application form and waiver of liability to the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives by February 15, 2010. Mount Holyoke offers a limited amount of financial assistance to Mount Holyoke students only. Students from other colleges should check with their home institution about financial aid.

Students will be notified of the results of their application within about two weeks of the deadline, and will be required to pay a deposit at that time to hold their place on the program. The program requires a minimum enrollment of ten students in order to run.

"This program was definitely effective in helping me improve my Chinese. It is so different than taking Chinese back at my home campus setting. At MHC, learning took place in a classroom. In China, Beijing was my classroom, the locals were my teachers, and I was their student 24/7.... If students are thinking of going to China, this program has it all. The BLCU teaching staff works very closely with the students, giving them the attention and guidance they need." Christina Tham MHC '10, Summer 2008

“The faculty at BLCU are experts in teaching Chinese to foreign students. They were always willing to help.” Elaine Cheung MHC ’09, Summer 2007

“The one-on-one tutoring sessions were great for building confidence and engaging with a native Chinese speaker.” Amberle Fant MHC ’08, Summer 2007

Questions about the program may be directed to:
Ying Wang
Associate Prof. of Asian Studies
Telephone: 413-538-2281

Photos from the top: Tian-an men Square, Beijing, Beijing Opera, gymnasium at BLCU, Basketball courts at BLCU, Confucius statue at BLCU.