China Institute > Education > Language Learning > High School > HS Summer Study in China

Dear Applicants:

The 2012 Summer Study in China application is now available. All necessary documents are listed in the “APPLY” section, along with any additional instructions.

China Institute is pleased to announce that Summer Study in China will offer two programs this year: SSC Beijing and SSC Shanghai. The same application can be used to apply for either program. Each program will accept a maximum of 20 high school students.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of our programming, SSC can only accommodate students who have studied at least one year of Mandarin Chinese. We hope to further expand our offerings in the future, so as to serve an even greater number of students.

Over the coming weeks, this website will be updated with up-to-date information concerning program curriculum and extracurricular activities. Much of the content on this website will remain valid, but do keep in mind that our Shanghai program will not have a homestay component (students will live on dorms at a local Shanghai university). The Beijing program will continue to offer homestays for students. Both SSC Beijing and SSC Shanghai remain committed to providing intensive language courses equivalent to at least one year of high school-level Mandarin.

The programs will run for 4-5 weeks between the dates of July 5 and August 11. Exact dates will be posted upon final confirmation from our partner institutions.

The Beijing program will cost $7500, while the Shanghai program will cost $8000. Financial aid is available and can be applied for as part of the program application.

Good luck and we look forward to reviewing your applications. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me.

Best,

Christian Hudak
Coordinator, Program Development for Education
Tel: (212) 744-8181 ext. 145
chudak@chinainstitute.org

Introduction

China Institute’s Summer Study in China program is one of the oldest high school summer immersion programs run by an American institution in China. It provides a small and select group of high school students the opportunity to immerse themselves in Chinese language, culture and society in Beijing. The program features:

  • Living in a Chinese family with a host sibling of the same gender and similar age
  • A curriculum equivalent to one academic year of high school Mandarin Chinese
  • 3:1 student to teacher and staff ratio and proficiency-based small-group classes
  • Four periods of intensive and rigorous language training every weekday
  • A number of excursions to historic, cultural and community sites every week
  • Service learning, leadership training, pre-program orientation and post-program internship possibilities

Homestay

Homestay is the centerpiece of China Institute’s Summer Study in China program. Living with a host family offers our students the rare opportunity to immerse themselves in the daily life of ordinary Chinese families, an experience no dormitory-stay can compare with. During the homestay, not only are students exposed to Chinese all the time but also given the opportunity to bond with the language at a deeper level that may be impossible to be realized in a conventional foreign-language classroom. In addition to learning the character and grammar in class, students actually hear, speak and read them on the streets, in the restaurants, at the shops, in the parks and on the buses. Chinese language will stop being an academic subject and turn into part of their daily life, part of who they are and part of the fun they have every day.

All host families are recruited from our local partner school’s high school division. Typically, the host family is a family of three, two parents and a son or daughter of the same gender and similar age as of our student, living in a two-bedroom apartment approximately 30-minute away from school by bus or car with indoor electric cooling system. They may be different in ethnic, educational or professional backgrounds, but share common interests in hosting students from the U.S. and benefiting from a cross-cultural experience.

Host family members receive pre-program orientations on how to host our students, including but not limited to, providing accommodations, monitoring health and safety, balancing supervision and independence, balancing care and privacy, communicating with both our students and staff, managing cross-cultural differences, and enhancing the language and culture learning of our students. On the other hand, students receive pre-program orientations on how to be a responsible and respectful guest, including but not limited to, communicating effectively with their host parents and sibling, sharing the family space and facility sensibly, and engaging themselves with the host family actively.

Upon arrival, students are introduced to their host family members; and after spending the first weekend at home with their host family getting over jet lag and settling in, they spend the first week going to and from school accompanied by their host sibling and the rest of the program traveling to school on their own or exploring the city with host siblings and fellow students from the U.S. Through their homestay, not only are students able to accelerate their Chinese proficiency but also to form lasting friendships with their host siblings. In order to maximize their experience of Chinese language and culture, we encourage our students to spend time with their host siblings as much as possible and we also invite host siblings to participate in our cultural excursions and community service activities as often as possible. At the end of program, China will no longer be just a foreign country on the map, but will become a familiar country where our students have personal connections to and special memory from.

Language

Our language curriculum is guided by the National Standards for Foreign Language Education set by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Our teaching revolves around communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. Students learn the language to communicate in it through speaking, listening, reading and writing to exchange information and opinions, to express feelings and emotions, and to not only understand but also present a variety of topics; gain knowledge and understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives and the relationship between the products and perspectives in Chinese culture through learning Chinese; connect with and further their knowledge of other disciplines through learning Chinese; compare Chinese with English to enhance their understanding of the nature of language, compare Chinese culture with American culture to advance their understanding of the concept of culture; and participate in local communities and immerse in Chinese language, culture and society.

On the first school day after arrival, students are assessed for their Chinese proficiency and placed into classes averaging 4-6 students each accordingly. They take four periods of language classes every weekday from 8am to 12pm and receive intensive and rigorous training on all four language skills in class. Classroom learning is supplemented by daily drills, assignments and practicum, including those requiring students to converse with host family members in Chinese as well as those encouraging them to interact with ordinary Chinese citizens on cultural excursions and during community service activities. Language learning is assessed through daily class participation, weekly quizzes and an end-of-program exam or presentation.

Culture

Beijing, the capital of China, is the nation’s historic, political, economic, cultural and educational center. In addition to housing the largest number of ancient temples and imperial gardens, Beijing is the home of most multinational and state enterprises’ headquarters, government agencies, non-government organizations and premier universities in China. Being both a mirror to China’s past and a window to its future, Beijing showcases not only one of the world’s oldest civilizations but also one of the most important economies in the 21st century.

According to the latest census, the population of Beijing is about 16.5 million, a quarter of which are transient residents, and less than one percent of the population are foreigners, of which 27 percent are students. The majority of Beijing residents speak standard Mandarin Chinese, and more than a third of them can understand or speak some English. With its access to the best teachers, the endless resources and the largest Mandarin-Chinese-speaking population, Beijing is the most ideal place for our students to immerse themselves in Chinese language, culture and society, witnessing firsthand the rapid, unprecedented changes happening in China.

Beijing municipality is under direct administration of China’s Central Government. There are ten districts and eight counties under the jurisdiction of Beijing, including Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chongwen, Xuanwu, Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Mentougou and Fangshan districts as well as Changping, Shunyi, Tongxian, Daxing, Pinggu, Huairou, Miyun and Yanqing counties.

Since 2005, our students have left their footprints all over Beijing, including but not limited to, 798 Art Zone, Beijing Capital Museum, Beijing Language and Culture University, Confucius Temple, Dashilar, Fayuan Temple, Forbidden City, Great Wall, Imperial Academy, Joyous Pavilion, Lama Temple, Liulichang, the Orchard, North Sea Park, Old Summer Palace, Peking University, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Tsinghua University and Wangfujing.

Service

Community service has always been an important part of our program. While host families are generally well educated and well-off urban families, community service gives our students an opportunity to interact with China’s less fortunate, underserved population. On the other hand, while we visit some successful businesses and corporations, we also volunteer at non-government or non-profit organizations, especially those contributing to global sustainable development.

The Cultural Development Center for Rural Women — Formerly called Rural Women Knowing It All, it is a non- government organization that seeks to promote the social development of China’s rural women. Having grown from its original single program of publishing the Rural Women magazine into an integrated program that supports the poor by combining development projects, news media and information services, and dissemination of the results of research, it aims at creating opportunities for self-empowerment and development for and with rural women, seeks to advocate awareness for gender equality and citizenship and aspires to maintain openness and democracy in all its work.

Dandelion School — With nearly 10 million migrant workers, mostly peasant worker, currently living in Beijing, and their children unable to attend any local school, given their families’ low income and the city’s school enrollment system, Dandelion School was the first officially registered non-profit school serving low-income migrant workers’ children located in Daxing District and enrolls more than 600 students throughout 6-8 grades. It provides a standard middle-school curriculum with a focus on special needs of migrant workers’ children.

Friends of Nature — The oldest non-government environmental organization in China founded by Mr. Liang Congjie, the son of the renowned architect and conservationist Mr. Liang Sicheng and Ms. Lin Huiyin, Friends of Nature has played a role in promoting environmental awareness and protection in Beijing and throughout China as a whole. Over the years, it has literally raised the environmental awareness of hundreds of thousands of Chinese students, citizens and government officials.

Little Donkey Farm — An organic, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm located in Haidian District at the northwest of Beijing, Little Donkey Farm was built with support of the local government by the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development of Renmin University in 2008 and is now run by Green Ground Eco-Tech Center. It works with local residents in Beijing and promotes organic, sustainable and community supported agricultural model.

Roots and Shoots — With a mission to advance the power of individuals to take informed and compassionate action to improve the environment for all living things, Roots & Shoots is the primary program of the Jane Goodall Institute in China and is an international hands-on environmental and humanitarian education program, with the goal of creating positive change for communities, animals and the environment. It has been widely successful in providing a platform for young people, in schools of all levels and universities, to organize extra-curricular environmental, humanitarian and animal protection activities in their local communities. With over 400 groups across China, it builds awareness and changes the behaviors of tens of thousands of young people.

Dates (subject to change)

Orientation: 1pm-5pm on Sunday 6/12/2011 at China Institute (for both students and parents and available via SKYPE)

Departure: 12:05pm Thursday 7/7/2011 at Newark Airport via CO89 (The group meets in front of the Continental check-in desk at 9am)

Arrival: 1:45pm Friday 7/8/2011 at Beijing Capital Airport (The individual travelers meet the group outside the exit of the international luggage claim area – please double check the arrival time on the day)

Departure: 3:45pm Saturday 8/6/2011 at Beijing Capital Airport via CO88 (The group meets on the local campus at 10am)

Arrival: 5:30pm Saturday 8/6/2011 at Newark Airport (Parents meet the group outside the exit of the international luggage claim area – please double check the arrival time on the day)

“My six weeks in China were the best six consecutive weeks of my life. I know that my experience is unlike any other I will ever have, and what I learned there will carry with me for the rest of my life.” – D.A. (China Institute ’10; Regis HS ’10; Cornell ’14)

“In China I had the most amazing six weeks of my life…I came back from China not only more experienced and exposed to Mandarin and to Chinese culture but also a better, more thankful and humble student, sister, daughter and independent person” – C.P. (China Institute ’10; BCA ’10; Boston U ’14)

“My involvement with China Institute has surpassed just one summer experience, it has positively influenced my academic studies and my relationship with the Mandarin language. China Institute exceeded my expectations, pushing my comprehension and understanding of Mandarin to the limit.

“In only six weeks I had accomplished so much: I built a lasting relationship with my host family, I became skilled in the Mandarin language and I explored Beijing, taking in the city’s beautiful temples, parks and markets. That fall, I skipped two full academic years of Chinese, becoming an active participant in the most advanced Chinese class in my school.

“I continued my relationship with China Institute by interning throughout the winter and spring, assisting with the upcoming Summer Study in China program. China Institute has helped me achieve what I never thought was possible in terms of language and academic skills. I am forever grateful for such an amazing opportunity!” – S.T. (China Institute ’09; Columbia Prep ’10; WUSL ’14)

“The China Institute’s Summer Study Abroad program is in a league of its own. I researched a number of study abroad programs, and found the China Institute’s program to be unparalleled in its design. After experiencing the program, I now also know it is unparalleled – in every way. The program has three special features that set it apart from other programs.

“First, this program has a home-stay component. Living with a local family enabled me to learn more Chinese than I had originally expected. Practicing the language at home with your host family allows you to learn more natural speech patterns and exposes you to a more expansive vocabulary. I also developed a very close relationship with my host family, and was able to learn much about life in China by hearing their life stories.

“The second compelling feature of the program is the city itself. Beijing is a vibrant, international city, and provides a rich learning environment. My daily routine began with a bus ride to the west gate of the Temple of Heaven, which is located a few blocks away from the school. Every day, I stepped off the bus into a sea of commuters. I saw the temple gates to my right and the school neighborhood to my left. Walking to school, I passed the neighborhood shops and usually stopped to get two Jian Bing for breakfast. From the time I left my door to the time I started class, I spoke to at least two local residents in Chinese.

“Finally, the program is superior because of the students it attracts. The program’s application and selection process is rigorous. As a result, it attracts some of the country’s best and brightest students. My classmates were highly motivated and took their studies very seriously. I also made several close friends through the program that I still stay in touch with today.” - J.H. (CI ’08; BHSS ’09; USC ’13)

“I jumped ahead of the highest level of Chinese class at school meaning that I got more than two years of worth of my school’s Chinese. I want you to know how much it means for me to have participated; I will carry this with me for the rest of my life.” – J.P. (China Institute ’08; HHSWH ’10; U Conn ’14)

“My experience in Beijing was unforgettable. Not only did my language skills reach a level of fluency, but I made lasting connections with people that still stand today and gained valuable insight into a world other than my own. The experience of living abroad certainly helped shape who I am today.” – B.S.(China Institute ’07; GRHS ’09; Georgetown ’13)

“The quality of Chinese classes with China Institute is unlike anything I had been used to before living in China. The amount of time given to learning Chinese in the classroom is phenomenal, and the classes are as efficient and effective as possible.

“Living with a host family is the key experience offered by China Institute. Wherever your Chinese level is at the outset, living with a Chinese family forces you constantly to express yourself in Chinese. I came to see that the greatest value of Chinese was that it was the only means for me to understand this family taking care of me. The gift of China Institute is giving the students the chance to understand that Chinese is more than a class subject–it is a beautiful means for creating a genuine bridge of understanding, and each textbook lesson is another small stone toward that end.

“The families are so excited to host us! My host father would read the newspaper headlines with me every morning over breakfast, and I watched Chinese drama on TV with my host mother. I was so happy with my experiences from that summer that I later returned to Beijing to participate in School Year Abroad and was even able to live with the same host family.” – A.M. (China Institute ’06; Sidwell Friends ’09; Amherst ’13)

“When I came to Beijing in 2006, I was unsure about many things. How was I going to be able to adapt to this new environment? How much stress would I be under from both school and from being immersed in a foreign language? Would I have problems living with my host family? The staff at China Institute answered all of these questions and made us feel safe in this new environment. The staff members at China Institute let us know that we could always talk to them if we were having problems in school, at home, or amongst our peers. The staff members really made adjusting to life in Beijing a lot easier.

“After studying at University of Vermont, University of Michigan, as well as through private tutoring with a Middlebury Professor, I can say that the quality and intensity of the China Institute program is something that is unparalleled elsewhere. Even when compared to the five-day-a-week college course that I am currently attending at Michigan, the China institute program is superior. The sheer amount of material that was crammed into that 6-week program is astonishing.

“Since the program in 2006, I have stayed in touch with my host family, have had my host brother over to my home for Thanksgiving dinner, as well as stayed with my host family again in the summer of 2009. The China Institute program, through the host family program, and activities involving the host family, helped me forge a strong and long-lasting relationship with my host family.” – S.B. (China Institute ’06; CVUHS ’06; UMich ’10)

“Studying with the China Institute Summer Study program was one of the best summers I have ever had. That summer, my Chinese improved astronomically. The Summer Study program also gave me the confidence to take the Chinese SAT II. It was largely thanks to the China Institute that I scored so well.” – D.K. (China Institute ’06; BHEC ’07; Bryn Mawr ’11)

Latest Entry:

Paul & Friends
Posted by: Paul Craddock
Posted in: Summer Study 2010 on: August 12th, 2010

This photo I uploaded is at the Confucius Temple （孔庙）. We went about 3 weeks ago but since I’ve had trouble uploading photos I could not do it until now. Today was our last day of formal Chinese instruction. My classmates and I finished a 10 chapter book in 5 weeks, whereas a normal Chinese class would spend around a year on one book.

Last night I went with Kim to a local grocery store where she received a manicure from a woman in a shabby cubicle. It was actually really nice … to watch, but even more to have a good conversation with an engaging person. I feel like I’ve realized the same thing so many times, but every time I rediscover it, it presents itself in a different way. We were briefly talking about how everyone is different (of course) but how there is no format or mold for what is “normal” or should be defined as permissible in society. Being judged is something that hurts you, and when you do it, it hurts others. Everyone brings something different and special to every situation. We inevitably judge others … it just happens. But after that judgment, accepting that person is so beautiful.

I can’t believe we only have a few days left in Beijing. Shanghai here we come!!

For the complete blog, please click HERE.

Eligibility

As one of the oldest high school summer immersion programs run by an American institution in China, the program has succeeded for years in helping its students improve their Mandarin Chinese as much in one summer as they can typically in one academic year. The program accepts applications from all high school students who are currently learning Chinese but admits no more than 20 of them based on their overall qualifications.

Admissions are given on a rolling basis; early application is recommended.

Acceptance

Newspaper Articles

Migrant ‘Villages’ Within a City Ignite Debate
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/world/asia/04beijing.html

China Acts to Slow Rise in Food Prices
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/world/asia/18china.html?_r=1&hp

Baidu Struggled in China, Too
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/baidu-struggled-in-china-too/?scp=3&sq=china&st=cse

Charting China’s Energy Explosion
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/charting-chinas-energy-explosion/?scp=8&sq=china&st=cse

China Surges Past India as Top Home of Foreign Students
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/us/15international.html?scp=9&sq=china&st=cse

Putting the Chinese in “Made in China”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/arts/15iht-design15.html?scp=11&sq=china&st=cse

The Rise of the Tao
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/magazine/07religion-t.html?scp=23&sq=china&st=cse

China’s Censors Misfire in Abuse-of-Power Case
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/world/asia/18li.html?_r=1

China’s Dilemma: Social Change and Political Reform
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/66773/george-j-gilboy-and-eric-heginbotham/chinas-dilemma?page=show

Experts: Demand in China fuels tiger poaching
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/22/AR2010112204672.html


Videos

China’s New Wave: Music Festivals
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/10/23/world/asia/1248069229316/chinas-new-wave-music-festivals.html

China’s Endangered Species
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2007/12/03/world/1194817095151/china-s-endangered-species.html?scp=2&sq=china&st=cse

Chinese Animation
http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/world/asia-pacific/1194811622211/index.html#1248069229412

Evictions in Beijing
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/05/26/world/asia/1247467412378/evictions-in-beijing.html

China’s Underground Hip-Hop Movement
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/01/23/arts/1231545688617/china-s-underground-hip-hop-movement.html?scp=9&sq=chinese&st=cse

Christianity in China
http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/opinion/nicholas-d-kristof/1194811622305/index.html#1194834594529

Factory of the World
http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/opinion/nicholas-d-kristof/1194811622305/index.html#1194834594529

Protest 101
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/08/16/opinion/1194817477599/protest-101.html

A Boomtown Revisited
http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/opinion/nicholas-d-kristof/1194811622305/index.html#1247468555946

The Olympics’ First Losers
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2007/05/25/opinion/1194817106025/the-olympics-first-losers.html

China’s Blockbuster Gamble
http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/world/asia-pacific/1194811622211/index.html#1247468007561

SUMMER INTERNSHIP IN BEIJING

China Institute’s Summer Study in China Program is seeking one or more student interns for its 2011 program from 7/7/2011 to 8/6/2010 in Beijing.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be 18 years old
• Preferrably an alumnus/alumna of China Institute’s Summer Study in China program since 2005
• Preferrably a graduate or college student
• Must speak and understand Chinese proficiently enough to work and live independently in Beijing
• Must be a mature, responsible and motivated team player

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Provide assistance to all the program staff in program-related administration
• Provide assistance to all the teachers in program-related teaching
• Act as a mentor and role model for the students
• Report to the Resident Director

Specific Duties:

• Assist the Resident Director and assistant Resident Director in supervising the students on campus, off-campus and during both air and ground travels
• Support and mentor the students in developing cross-cultural and life skills in Beijing, including how to familiarize themselves with their new surroundings, how to stay physically healthy and mentally positive in the new health and cross-cultural environment, how to communicate with their host family and host sibling, how to use Skype and a Chinese-based cell phone, how to refill their phone card, how to access the Internet, how to take the subway, bus or taxi, and how to post their weekly blog at http://www.ilearn.china360online.org
• Assist the Resident Director and assistant Resident Director in program-related administrative tasks, including taking attendance of the students, alerting everyone of the class beginning and ending time, maintaining the program’s supply inventory, purchasing program supplies in the neighborhood shops, taking photos and videos, posting them on China Institute’s website, and making slides with them for the graduation/appreciation banquet
• Lead the students in organizing their belongings, cleaning the classrooms and campus after their use, maintaining the classrooms in a safe, healthy, orderly and energy-efficient condition at all times, and organizing and presenting their graduation  or farewell performance
• Assist the teachers in preparing teaching materials and giving classroom instructions
• Provide daily report and update to the Resident Director of all student and program related needs and progress

Reimbursement:

• Round-trip airfare between New York and Beijing
• Lodging, program-related meals, and meal stipends
• Program-related ground transportation
• Program-related excursion admissions
• Program-related materials

FALL/SPRING INTERNSHIP IN NYC

China Institute’s Summer Study in China Program is seeking a mature, responsible and self-motivated student intern in the fall 2010 and spring 2011 in New York.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be at least a high school student
• Preferrably an alumna/alumnus of China Institute’s Summer Study in China program
• Must be a responsible and motivated team player

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Provide assistance to the program staff in program-related administration
• Report to the Program Director

Specific Duties:

• Assist the program staff in preparing and uploading program materials online
• Assist the technology specialist in updating program-related websites
• Give presentation to the prospective students at the open houses and the orientation
• Assist the program staff in processing applications, acceptances, visas and insurances etc.
• Assist the program staff in finalizing the program preparation

Reimbursement and Others:

• a reimbursement for travel and/or meals between $5-$20 per day depending on the work hours
• visiting the China Institute gallery and participating in China Institute classes, workshops or lectures for free or at a discount

China Institute is an equal opportunity employer.

Please send inquiries or cover letter and CV to vchen@chinainstitute.org or call 212 744 8181 x 145

All materials listed below are due on or before April 1, 2012. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis (applying ASAP is highly recommended for prospective students). All qualified applicants will be interviewed in a timely fashion, either in-person or by phone. Students from all geographic locations are encouraged to apply.

Note: late applications will be reviewed only on a space-available basis.

If you have any questions, please contact Christian Hudak by phone at (212) 744-8181 ext. 145 or e-mail at chudak@chinainstitute.org.