Why CET Beijing: Summer?
Whether you’re a complete beginner or a high advanced Chinese learner, a summer in Beijing immerses you in Chinese language and culture at every turn. An intensive curriculum, a full-time language pledge, and a local roommate gives you the skills to study in and navigate China. You’ll see significant language gains and study habits to keep you ahead of the curve for years to come.
Summer Academics
Summer
Snapshot
- Recommended Credits: 9-10
- 20 hours/week of Chinese learning
- One-on-one sessions
- Full-time language pledge
- Host University: Capital Normal University
Curriculum & Syllabi
You take one comprehensive Chinese language course for a total of 9 credits.
Intensive + Interactive
Each day, you have 4.5 hours of Chinese language classes with some of the best teachers in the field. We flood you with new material, but we also make sure that you have plenty of time to practice it. From joining faculty at a local tea house to getting your roommate’s help with homework, you’ll understand more than you think possible sooner than you can imagine. Need even more practice? Your one-on-one targets your particular strengths and weaknesses for greater spoken fluidity and comprehension.
Outside the Classroom
Enjoy a curriculum that reinforces your language skills both in and out of the classroom. Attend a dumpling making class and learn relevant vocabulary and grammar, head to a nearby school and discuss your home culture with local students, and even present at the Education Summit alongside your peers. No matter your language level, your summer in Beijing is filled with immersive experiences that have you using your Chinese all around the city.
"I especially enjoyed the one-on-one sessions the curriculum included, where every student paired up with a teacher to converse for 25 minutes. By giving us an opportunity to talk about topics that were not strictly included in our textbooks, our language comprehension become much more versatile, enabing us to converse fluidly even with native speakers."
Vanderbilt University
Housing & Meals
COVID Modifications
Because of precautions CET is taking related to COVID-19, your housing experience will look different from standard programming. Please see the COVID playbook page for more information.
- Dormitory
- On-campus housing
- Live with a Chinese student
- 2 people/room
- En suite bathroom, communal kitchen, pay for washer access
- Wifi access, A/C, linens, basic furnishing
You share a furnished room with a local roommate in a recently renovated dormitory. The building is primarily for CET students in a central area of CNU’s main campus. Your roommate will serve as a tremendous resource to help you setup your Chinese cell phone, show you how to order in the cafeteria, or help you find the best tea shop around.
Local Roommates
Your roommate is a CET-picked student from Capital Normal University. Want to learn where to get the best jianbing (savory breakfast crepe)? What buses to avoid at rush hour? What mobile apps are going to make life in China easier? Sharing a room with a local roommate gives you instant insider’s access to the city. But more importantly, it gives you someone to share the city with.
Eating in Beijing
For meals, take your pick of the city’s many cheap eateries, try out each of the campus cafeterias, or cook with your roommate in the dorm’s communal kitchen. And in the capital city, you have access to regional cuisines from all over China. But don’t forget to try some of Beijing’s specialty dishes… Peking duck, anyone? Craving a home-cooked meal? Have a night in with your roommate and trade cooking tips as you prepare dinner together in the dorm shared kitchen.
Life in Beijing
- Known locally as: 北京 Běijīng
- Population: 21.54 million
- Local Currency: Chinese Yuan, aka renminbi
- Famous for: The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Peking Duck, northern Chinese accent, major transport hub
People flock to Beijing to experience the cultural and political capital of China. Historical and cultural sites are everywhere – including 6 UNESCO World Heritage sites – the standard local accent makes it a great place to study language, and the accessible public transportation makes it easy for students to get around. Spend a summer experiencing incredible food, meeting wonderful people, and enjoying a front row seat to China’s developments.
Activities & Excursions
Around Beijing
Each term, the program offers different extra-curricular activities that let you see the city, learn about Chinese culture, or just unwind with your peers. Learn traditional Chinese painting techniques. See a Chinese improv show. Learn to play badminton, then compete for 1st place in the CET tournament. And there’s more of Beijing to explore on your own—perfect your performance of Chinese pop songs at KTV, play jianzi (Chinese hacky sack) with locals in Beihai Park, and wander the grounds of the Forbidden City.
Adventure in Nature
Sometimes it’s nice to get out of the city and back to nature. Once a summer, the program takes you on a weekend trip to another part of China. Navigate the winding peaks of Wang Xiang Yan and enjoy the mist of waterfalls at Tao Hua Gu in Anyang. Or visit the Yungang Caves in Datong to witness remnants of the Silk Road and art inspired by Indian, Persian, and Greek influences. See the incredible Purple Mountain Park in Nanjing, then take time on your own to explore.
"Today was my end-of-term oral proficiency interview. “Tell me about yourself,” one of my head teachers told me. Then I spent fifteen solid minutes talking about my family, my best friend, my university, Texas culture, and even American and Chinese relations. More than once I had to restart a sentence to get the grammar right and a handful of times struggled to remember the most sophisticated vocabulary. But by the end of the interview, I sat, flabbergasted, wondering where all of those words had come from."
University of Texas at Austin
On-site Staff
Zhu Li
Director of China Programs
Omega Tennant
Resident Director
Program Fees
Summer 2022
|
$7,890
Summer 2022: $7,890
Of the total program fee, $6,150 goes to tuition and fees, and $1,740 goes to housing and other student life fees.
All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.
We arrange for you to live in a dormitory with a local roommate. Your program fees go toward rent, furnishing, and other management costs.
From pre-departure to orientation, from on site to re-entry, CET provides you with the support you need every step of the way.
You’re provided with a comprehensive insurance plan that even includes medical evacuation coverage.
The activities and excursions that we arrange are included in your program fee. All you need to do is remember to bring your camera!
We guide you step-by-step through the visa process. You’ll need to do the legwork, but we pay the consular fees if you obtain your visa through the service we recommend.
Your textbooks and course supplies are covered and waiting for you in Beijing.
You receive an official transcript jointly issued by CET and CNU at the end of the term. You also have the option to request a School of Record transcript from the University of Minnesota for an additional fee if necessary.
Estimated
Out-of-Pocket
Costs
- Round-trip Airfare: $1,500 - $1,800
- Meals: $850
- Personal Expenses: $900
- Housing Deposit: $50
- Local Cell Phone Plan/SIM Card: $100
- Must be 18 or older at the time of program participation.
- Open to students from any US college or university
- GPA: 3.0 or higher preferred, but admissions decisions are made on a case-by-case basis; lower GPAs still encouraged to apply
- Open to all levels of Chinese, from absolute beginner to advanced
Complete the application through your online CET account. This is a brief form that asks for basic information and has a few short answer questions about why you want to study abroad.
Use the link in your online account to send a recommendation request to one of your previous instructors.
This is an online form that your study abroad office fills out to let us know you meet the requirements to study abroad. To send the electronic form request, simply enter the name and email address of your study abroad advisor in the designated fields of of your online account.
Your online CET account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.
Summer deadline:
March 1st
Price Subject to Change:
CET reserves the right to increase quoted charges at any time without prior notification, based on increased instruction costs, exchange rate fluctuation or other cost increases beyond CET’s control.
Have a question? Get in touch!
Tara Sun Vanacore
Senior Program Manager, China
Advises on CET programs in Beijing and Middlebury in China programs
202.785.2006
[email protected]