Summer 2009 "YingHua in Beijing"
Language & Leadership Institute
June 22 to July 19/26, 2009
The YingHua Language School is proud to offer its highly successful 4-week Chinese language program in 2009 in Beijing, China - for students between 8 and 18 years old. In its 6th year of operation, the program is co-organized by the
Beijing Yanjing Professional Cultural School (Yanjing), a nonprofit educational organization approved by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission. Yanjing will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating all activities under the direction and guidance of YingHua. (Download a
flyer
for distribution.)
Program activities target five objectives:
1) Cultural experience;
2) Language learning;
3) Leadership training and character-building;
4) Physical fitness;
5) Fun.
First Three Weeks (June 22 to July 12)
The first three weeks include intensive language classes (60 hours), as well as culture activities, sightseeing, and cultural shows.
Language classes. Four levels with eight to twelve students in each class are offered. Students will be placed based on information submitted during registration. Class placement may be adjusted based on teachers' feedback. The curriculum includes reading/writing and speaking/listening courses.
The Basic and Elementary levels are suitable for students who do not speak Mandarin Chinese at home. The Intermediate level is suitable for students who speak Mandarin Chinese at home or can understand spoken Mandarin.
Students who speak Mandarin at home and can recognize over 800 characters may be placed in the special Extensive Reading class aimed at strengthening character recognition and sight-reading vocabulary.
Language classes are held Monday through Friday, four 45-minute periods a day, and include a weekly test. Students will be given a comprehensive assessment at the end of the third week.
Culture activities. Besides language learning, students will practice Chinese calligraphy, brush painting, the abacus, folk songs, handicrafts, paper-cutting, and Chinese word processing (20 hours). In the afternoons & some evenings, students will participate in swimming, feather-kicking, Chinese yo-yo, basketball, soccer and martial arts (20 hours).
Field trips. Students will participate in organized weekly shows and tours. Performances, such as Peking Opera, acrobatics, and martial arts shows are scheduled. Excursions include trips to historic landmarks such as the
Great Wall of China (Mutianyu and Jiugukou in the 4th week), Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Summer
Palace, Old Summer Palace, Drum Tower, Beihai & Jingshan Park, Beijing's Hutong and Courtyard, Niujie (Ox Street) Mosque, and other cultural excursions (temple, church, community club, senior citizen center, local government, residential homes, universities, etc.).
Room and Board. The dormitory is on the beautiful campus of the University of Science and Technology Beijing (formerly Beijing Steel and Iron Institute). USTB’s total area of about 140 acres is located in the Haidian District of Beijing by the Fourth Ring Road, where many key institutions of higher learning are concentrated.
Two students will share an air-conditioned room, private bathroom with shower, television, and telephone. A large cafeteria and supermarket are also on campus. The cafeteria serves mostly Chinese food with some American favorites. Students may use computers to send email or read news from major sources (i.e., Yahoo!, CNN, etc.) 3-5 times a week.
Fourth Week (July 13 to 19)
( Click
here for the report and photos in the September 2007 issue of DDKids.)
Each student will be paired up with a Beijing student of the same gender. These local students are specially selected from about 120 junior reporters for the popular children's magazine "DDKids."
The Beijing Dongdong
Culture and Art Ltd. will be responsible for a series of outdoor leadership training and exploration activities in a Beijing suburban district - Huai2 Rou2.
This week, language learning becomes “real” As the Beijing students do not speak much English. We will go hiking a section of the ancient Great Wall ruin. There will be many other team-building, character-building, and culture-immersion activities. By the camp fire, students will sing and dance to their hearts content.
Fifth Week (July 20 to 26)
This optional week is for students 12 years old or older to travel to Yunnan Province in southern China. We will witness the July 22, 2009 total solar eclipse – the longest duration of totality this century!
Logistics. “YingHua in Beijing" 2009 Summer Language & Leadership Program is limited to 50 students. Register early as no applications are accepted once capacity has been reached.
Director Dr. Bonnie Liao will escort the group of students from the New York/New Jersey area on June 21 and return on July 26. She will stay with the program throughout the five weeks.
$2,980 (plus $750 for the 5th week) including a $400 non-refundable deposit, tuition, room & board, books, hotels, travel accident insurance, and ground transportation for study and travel, but not international airfare, visa fee, medical insurance, medical expenses, and other personal expenses.
Deposit of $400 is due in 7 days after online registration.
Make the check payable to "YingHua Language School" and the address should be P.O. Box 3004, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-3004