Extremely helpful Chinese immersion program Past Review

By (Psychology & Chinese, Grinnell College) for

Hamilton College: Beijing - ACC Intensive Language Program at Minzu University

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I want to go back! I love the language and the culture. I couldn't have gained as much with any other program.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The teaching was somewhat monotonous, but really effective. The workload seemed like a lot at first, but slowly became manageable as my proficiency increased. Teachers were fair and very very helpful.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The housing conditions were not excellent, but were good enough.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Lots of food nearby. If you have dietary restrictions, you should learn to express them in the host language!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The program arranged a lot of outings.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Healthcare was different than in the states, and my program did not help much with this. However, I thankfully didn't run into any serious health issues while abroad.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Because we had a language pledge, I only spoke Chinese while I was on this program, but some of my classmates spoke English with each other.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Language Pledge
  • Teachers
  • Activities
* What could be improved?
  • Housing
  • Make people stick to the language pledge
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Requires dedicated students who can deal well with culture shock.