Beijing: Language, Lights, and getting Lost (and liking it)! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

On-site administration of your program

I think the greatest strength of IES Beijing is the extent to which they honestly care about you and your experience. They want to make sure that you understand the culture and the language and that you get the most out of your program. They love their jobs and it is apparent. Another plus is how connected they were to not only the Beijing community- both foreign and local, but to the rest of the country. Due to their connections we were able to live in small villages in different parts of the country, learning more about minority life in China as well as life outside of the megacities. I really cannot praise the administration enough and I don't believe it would have been as amazing if it weren't for their guidance and wisdom throughout the year.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I will only say a few words on this, because otherwise I will ramble on all day about the amazingness that is REAL Chinese food. Chinese food is wonderful. It comes in all different shapes and sizes (and textures and flavors) but if you give it the benefit of the doubt you will most likely discover that it is one of your favorite things. The only problems you may run into is if you are a vegetarian/vegan/kosher. The Chinese sometimes have a difficult time understanding WHY you don't eat meat or animal products. There are foreign markets on the east side of Beijing, and if you have any questions the program directors and RAs have a lot of experience with these sort of issues.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I believe that this is another thing that pulls IES ahead of other programs. While there may be other intensive language programs where you will be even more focused on the language, they do not have as holistic of an approach as IES does. They help you organize trips across the country so that you can study different issues, from minority studies to economic or environmental focused issues. You learn what it means to live the life of a Tibetan family in the southwest, or pick cotton in the heart of China. You take culturally focused trips where you climb ancient Buddhist mountains and learn how to meditate from monks, or learn dances from the different groups across the country. Within Beijing, IES makes sure that you have opportunities to go out and be involved and learn about the city, from walking tours to bike rides, from badminton tournaments to calligraphy and taiqi clubs- they want to help you be involved. If you're missing home they have Thanksgiving dinner, and food contests so you can show off your cooking skills while experiencing a taste from home.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The hospital that IES takes its students to is a very nice hospital where most foreigners go for everything from dentist check ups to doctor's appointments to good old emergency room visits. They make the process pretty painless and are very good about giving you specific instructions on what you need to do in any kind of event, from dust-storms to Jasmine Rebellions.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

With the IES Beijing Language Intensive program there are countless opportunities to improve your language. I would even say that it is impossible not to. The language classes are completely in Chinese and while the teachers push you and sometimes you might be stressed-you can feel the improvement each day as your conversations with locals become more detailed. Another nice aspect beyond the classroom is that IES Beijing has a language pledge. Although this can be scary if you feel like your Chinese is not up to par, it is truly what makes it a complete experience. Even though you have so many people that you can speak English with, you find yourself choosing to speak in Chinese because your mind thinks in it first. Aside from classes and language pledges, there are opportunities to use your language with your host families, or your Chinese roommates, or basically anywhere you go- be it a restaurant or simply for a jog down by the canal. IES Beijing improves your language beyond anywhere you could have first thought of, while providing ample and exciting opportunities to practice it.

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• Dorm

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• Americans