CET Intensive Chinese Language in Beijing Past Review
By Matthew C (Biology, General., The University of Texas at Austin) for
CET Beijing
Yes! I got everything I wanted from the experience and more. My Chinese improved, I am more culturally aware, and I have made friends that live in China that will last me a lifetime. I definitely want to visit them again in the future and see other parts of China now.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I feel the grading was relatively lenient, but the workload was intense (hence the name of the program!). The teachers were very enthusiastic and always willing to help; it wasn't too unlike taking classes in the US. The learning potential was very high, but it all depended on how much you personally put into it. The more you put in, the more you get out of it. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was very good on terms of getting you to learn Chinese and adapt to the Beijing culture. They also made an good and successful effort to make the entire experience very, very enjoyable. My only complaint is that they didn't treat the Chinese roommates very well. (They prepared us to live with Chinese roommates so we have a constant source of practice for our Chinese, and also can become great friends with these roommates. However they did not treat the roommates very well, which is upsetting because they become amazing friends to you.) |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It's nothing amazing but definitely livable. The neighborhood is fine and the classes are literally two minutes away because the campus is so small (you live in a dorm). The Chinese roommates you live with are very, very nice, very very friendly, and will probably become lifetime friends. |
| * Food: |
Every M-F lunch was served at the cafeteria. Other meals are on your own. The cafeteria food is decent, considering it is cafeteria food, but you will probably get sick of it after about 2-3 weeks. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program made a great effort to get us sight-seeing and et cetera. We saw the Great Wall and everything, and almost every weekend there was an event planned. They also put in a 70RMB weekly reimbursement system where if you spent some money on cultural attractions, they would reimburse up to 70RMB of your money if you gave them a receipt/ticket, as long as it had something to do with Chinese culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | CHI507 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
There was a language pledge - you can only speak Mandarin Chinese for the duration of the program. This forces you to really learn the language, because you can't just cheap out and fill in words and phrases you don't know with English. Of course there were people that didn't adhere to the pledge, but those that didn't adhere to the pledge definitely didn't see as much of an improvement in their Chinese as those that did adhere to the pledge. Also, most of the Beijing people don't speak English, so you'd have to use Chinese in everyday life anyway. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Take advantage of the Chinese roommate opportunity! And really get to know the other Chinese people in your dorm and make good friends with them. Make an effort to hang out with the Chinese people and their friends more than your American friends, because that's where the authentic cultural experience is and the best way to improve your Chinese outside of the classroom. |
