A Truly Beautiful Time in Kunming （美好的昆明） Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Middlebury's commitment to language studies is unparalleled. Every course is taught in the target language, covering interesting contemporary issues in the host country. The teachers are very welcoming and invested in each student's progress and language acquisition. Outside of class a language pledge and roommates from the local university facilitate immersion in to the country and culture.

On-site administration of your program

The content of the program was excellent, like a well-oiled machine. Every part of the program including weekly group excursions to local restaurants and attractions, and weekend trips to other areas of the province were all designed to make sure students gained an appreciation for the culture.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Middlebury program students (with their roommates) are housed in the local university's hotel, which is a stark contrast to the 6-bedroom rooms assigned to the local students. On the weekends one can expect to be woken up by the hotel staff as they make their daily rounds tidying up rooms. Although the accommodations are stark, they are luxurious for Chinese standards and make the adjustment to foreign culture more pleasant.

The local food is heavily influenced by the neighboring Sichuan province, which is known as the spiciest cuisine in China. Yunnan food is also influenced by provincial biodiversity, making greens and all types of mushrooms highly abundant. Each student is given a meal card for use at the university dining hall, which offers very inexpensive food. The entire scope of the program is also situated on a busy alleyway boasting a wealth of small restaurants (both Western-style and Chinese) and cafes.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

One's ability to integrate with the host culture is dependent upon one's cultural openness and incentive to readily seek out new experiences. Breaking away from solely interacting with American classmates is critical to integration. The program also offers the opportunity to join the local university's clubs and organizations, which is a great way to interact with new people and to gain a better understanding of daily life. The program roommates are also a great way to practice the language and learn about the culture. The program could have fostered a greater sense of community among American and Chinese roommates which would have helped bridge the language gap and made the program more enjoyable on a whole.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I personally didn't need access to healthcare, but from what I saw of my classmates, they were well taken care of when problems arose.

China is a very populous place, so it is local custom to place your bag at the front of your body and keep your valuables within contact of your body whenever in a crowded space. That said, I found transportation and walking down the street to be very safe, almost more so than in comparable areas of America.

This program helped me to meet my language goals and helped me gain friends that I hope to keep for the rest of my life.

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

Everything is super inexpensive, especially if one can budget well. Round-trip airfare can be found on Ctrip.com for about $200 or less, and meals if purchased in the university cafeteria can be easily $1-2.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

There was a language pledge and all the classes were taught in Chinese so use of the language was encouraged (with penalty of being sent back to America) 24/7.

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• Hotel

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• Local Students

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• Americans

• The local roommates
• The teachers
• The city

• The directing staff often gave contradictory messages and didn't seem to work well together

The Academic or Linguist