Mandarin Chinese Language - Study
Course tuition
Accommodation: CSA Luxury Apartment or Chinese standard 3 or 4 stars Hotel (Beijing, Shanghai and Yangshuo 3 stars hotel; Xi`an and Guilin 4 stars hotel).
Sightseeing and Activities Fee: All sightseeing trip and activities arranged by CSA are free for the program participants.
Transportation: Airport pick-up, sightseeing trips, activities onsite visit, train/bus/flight transportation between cities, transportation to nearby city of departure.
Insurance: The StudentCare Plus insurance policy is provided for all program participants. The policy includes emergency medical and travel coverage, plus 24 hour assistance.
Weclome Pack: includes mobile phone with local SIM card and pre-paid long distance calling card, dictionary, CSA polo shirt, Chinese DVDs, Beijing/Shanghai guide book and more.
24 Hour Assistance: should any problems arise at any time during the program, CSA staff members will be available on 24 hour call.
Sightseeing on the Program - Travel
Students in the Beijing Study and Travel Program have the choice of studying at the Beijing Language and Cultures University or the Beijing Mandarin Academy. They will undergo an accelerated mandarin learning program, with four hours of instruction, five days a week. Those in the intensive program will receive an additional two hours of daily one-on-one instruction. This rigorous language training is intended as an equivalent of one semester of academic mandarin study.
Students are placed in classes according to their proficiency in Chinese, which is determined through methods which may include a diagnostic exam administered prior to arrival, a review of each student’s previous study of Chinese and letters of recommendation from the students’ previous instructors. Daily homework, written and oral examinations, and classroom attendance are required of all students.
Each weekend, students embark on fully guided tours of Beijing’s celebrated cultural sites including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Lama Temple, the Temple of Heaven, the Confucius Temple, the Hutongs, and Tiananmen Square. This program also includes many of China Study Abroad’s acclaimed activities such as Karaoke Night and a night at the Beijing Opera followed by roasted duck.
Beijing Study and Travel Program #1 (6 Weeks)
After the study session has been completed, students will begin the travel portion of their program. Students will be taken on a guided tour by a well-traveled China Study Abroad representative with intimate knowledge of each destination. The trip is split into three major destinations and their surrounding areas: Xi’an, Shanghai and Guilin.
Xi’an
Home to the famous terracotta warriors unearthed only 30 years ago, Xi'an is undoubtedly the historical center of China. Over the millennia, Xi'an has been host to more than a dozen Chinese dynasties. It was also the terminus for the ancient Silk Road and was visited by merchants from all over the world.
Today, the rich and deep-rooted historical and cultural heritage of Xi'an is visible through a wealth of cultural relics, museums, and historical sites, including the world-famous terracotta army of China’s first Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. The highlights of this section include the Bell and Drum Tower, the Stone Forest, the Neolithic Banpo Village, a visit to the Huaqing Hot Springs, and of course Qin Shi Huang’s great mausoleum and the terracotta warriors.
Shanghai and Outlying Areas
Shanghai is the largest city in all of China. It’s the financial heart of China’s massive economic growth, and also the site of its modern cultural and political renaissance. This is new China. Strategically located where the Yangtze River Delta meets the Pacific, Shanghai is one of the world’s most modern cities and pulses with a vibrancy of a people on the cusp of world greatness. The highlights of the Shanghai tour include the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Hu Pu river cruise, Shanghai acrobatic show, the Bund, the French Concession, and the Yuyuan Garden.
From Shanghai, students will be taken on daytrips to Hangzhou, which Marco Polo was claimed to be the “most beautiful city in the world,” and to the water townships of Zhouzhuang and Tongli, the “Venice of China.” Canals run throughout both of these villages, and their inhabitants traverse from place to place in small boats and gondolas. Here students will witness well-preserved ancient residential houses, boat rides through the canals and under bridges, and observe local customs as merchants sell their wares from their gondolas.
Guilin
The Chinese government thinks so highly of Guilin’s natural wonder and beauty that they have placed its iconic image on the back of the 50 yuan bill. Before this, its cloud-covered peaks have adorned water colorings and inspired Chinese poets for centuries. In fact, the Seven Star Park, thus named because it resembles the Big Dipper, has been a tourist attraction since 517 AD. After touring Guilin’s famed peaks, caves and cruising along the Li River, prepare for bike rides and hiking through the nearby Yangshou countryside.
*All hotels stays, entrance tickets, and transportation from Beijing to the Program Ending City on the tour are included in the cost of the program.
Beijing Study and Travel Program #1 (6 Weeks)
Dates: June 25, 2009 – August 4, 2009 (Culture University or Beijing Mandarin Academy) and (Beijing Language Academy)
Description: 4 weeks of study in Beijing, 2 weeks travel to Xi`an, Shanghai, Zhouzhang, Hangzhou, Guilin, and Yangshuo
Program Starting City: Beijing
Program Ending City: Beijing (we can help you arrange travel to your city of departure)
Accommodation: China Study Abroad Luxury Apartment or 3 Star Hotel (please see China Study Abroad Hotel)
Program Fee: $4,995 (double room); $5,995 (single room)
Program Code: SST6wB1
Arrangements can be made for students looking to spend additional time studying in Beijing for longer than the allotted 4 weeks. Also, those only looking to take part on the travel portion are welcome as well. Please email info@chinastudyabroad.org for details and prices.
Detailed Itinerary:
June 25: Begin 4 weeks of Mandarin Instruction in Beijing
July 23: Train from Beijing to Xi`an
July 24: Visit the Bell and Drum Tower, Old City Wall, and Stone Forest
July 25: Visit the Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum and the Terra Cotta Warriors; Huaqing Hot Spring; Neolithic Banpo Village
July 26: Flight from Xi’an to Guilin, Afternoon Li River Cruise
July 27: Biking through Yangshou and other outdoor activities such as swimming in the country side
July 28: Visiting the famous and protected Minority Area
July 29: Morning flight to Shanghai
July 30: Visit Shanghai Urban Planning Hall, Nanjing Rd, the Bund, the HuPu River Cruise, the Pearl Tower, and the Lujiazui Economic Zone
July 31: Visit Yuyuan Garden, the French Concession Area, the Shanghai Acrobatic Show, and Social Night
August 1: Day trip to the Canals and Water Townships of Zhouzhuang and Tongli
August 2: Daytrip to Hangzhou
August 3: Free morning in Shanghai, Afternoon flight back to Beijing
Beijing Study and Travel #2 (6 Weeks)
Dates: July 22, 2009 – August 28, 2009 (Beijing Language and Culture University or Beijing Mandarin Academy)
Description: 4 weeks of study in Beijing, 2 weeks travel to Xi`an, Shanghai, Zhouzhang, Hangzhou, Guilin, and Yangshuo
Program Starting City: Beijing
Program Ending City: Beijing (we can help you arrange travel to your city of departure)
Accommodation: China Study Abroad Luxury Apartment or 3 Star Hotel
Program Fee: $4,995 (double room); $5,995 (single room)
Program Code: SST6wB2
Detailed Itinerary:
July 22: Arrive in China
July 23: Begin the travel portion of the program; Early evening train from Beijing to Xi`an
July 24: Visit the Bell and Drum Tower, Old City Wall, and Stone Forest
July 25: Visit the Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum and the Terra Cotta Warriors; Huaqing Hot Spring; Neolithic Banpo Village
July 26: Flight from Xi’an to Guilin, Afternoon Li River Cruise
July 27: Biking through Yangshou and other outdoor activities such as swimming in the country side
July 28: Visiting the famous and protected Minority Area
July 29: Morning flight to Shanghai
July 30: Visit Shanghai Urban Planning Hall, Nanjing Rd, the Bund, the HuPu River Cruise, the Pearl Tower, and the Lujiazui Economic Zone
July 31: Visit Yuyuan Garden, the French Concession Area, the Shanghai Acrobatic Show, and Social Night
August 1: Day trip to the Canals and Water Townships of Zhouzhuang and Tongli
August 2: Daytrip to Hangzhou
August 3: Free morning in Shanghai, Afternoon flight back to Beijing
August 4: Begin 4 Weeks of Mandarin Instruction in Beijing
Shanghai Study and Travel #1 (6 Weeks)
Dates: July 19, 2009 - August 30, 2009 (Shanghai Fudan University)
Description: 4 Weeks of study in Shanghai, 2 weeks travel to Beijing, Xi'an, Zhouzhang, Hangzhou, Guilin, and Yangshuo
Program Starting City: Beijing
Program Ending City: Shanghai (we can help you arrange travel to your city of departure)
Accommodation: China Study Abroad Luxury Apartment or 3 Star Hotels
Program Fee: $4,995 (double room); $5,995 (single room)
Program Code: SST6wS1
Detailed Itinerary:
July 19: Arrive in Beijing, Airport Pickup Provided by CSA Staff; Be Transferred to Hotel
July 20: Begin the Travel Portion of the Program. Visit Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Hutong Tour
July 21: Daytrip to the Great Wall
July 22: Visit the Temple of Heaven, Enjoy a world-famous Peking Duck Dinner, and Attend a Peking Opera Show
July 23: Morning free time in Beijing, Early Evening Train from Beijing to Xi`an
July 24: Visit the Bell and Drum Tower, Old City Wall, and Stone Forest
July 25: Visit the Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum and the Terra Cotta Warriors; Huaqing Hot Spring; Neolithic Banpo Village
July 26: Flight from Xi’an to Guilin, Afternoon Li River Cruise
July 27: Biking through Yangshou and other outdoor activities such as swimming in the country side
July 28: Visiting the famous and protected Minority Area
July 29: Morning flight to Shanghai
July 30: Visit Shanghai Urban Planning Hall, Nanjing Rd, the Bund, the HuPu River Cruise, the Pearl Tower, and the Lujiazui Economic Zone
July 31: Visit Yuyuan Garden, the French Concession Area, the Shanghai Acrobatic Show, and Social Night
August 1: Day trip to the Canals and Water Townships of Zhouzhuang and Tongli
August 2: Daytrip to Hangzhou
August 3: Begin 4 weeks of Mandarin study in Shanghai
Winter Study and Ski Programs
China Study Abroad’s Summer Winter and Skiing Program in China offer program participants the opportunity to receive intensive Chinese language intsruction within an immersed cultural environment. Living for several weeks in the Beijing, the capital of China, students use their Chinese to communicate in daily life activities and on the journey north, improving both their fluency and pronunciation. Through rigorous small-group daily language lessons, it is expected that students will progress rapidly in their understanding of Mandarin. In the process, students gain a greater awareness and understanding of cultural differences and diversity, with the added experience of skiing in China
Students are required take four hours of Mandarin Chinese daily (except the intensive program students which have six hours). Small, focused classes meet on a daily basis, from Monday to Friday. The objective is to develop each student’s speaking, listening, reading and writing skills so that students will be able to communicate actively in class, with their language partners and during all other activities they take part in while in China.
Students are placed in classes according to their proficiency in Chinese, which is determined through methods which may include a diagnostic exam administered prior to arrival, a review of each student’s previous study of Chinese and comments from his/her teachers. Daily homework, written and oral examinations, and classroom attendance are required of all students.
CSA will offer free tours to Beijing, Haerbin, and around Heilongjiong Province. Locations include the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and the Great Wall in Beijing; the ice festival in Haerbin; and the several days of skiing and sightseeing in Heilongjiong Province. For more details please see the program descriptions below.
