Intensive Chinese Language
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Unique Experiences
CHOOSE FROM THE LARGEST SELECTION
of language electives in China at the prestigious Peking University
MAKE MARKED LANGUAGE PROGRESS
with up to 20 hours of classroom instruction a week plus one-on-one tutoring
EXPLORE BEYOND BEIJING
with excursions to other cities or rural areas
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UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
6
NUMBER OF TIMES CHINESE CAPITAL WAS MOVED TO BEIJING
2
NUMBER OF OLYMPICS HOSTED (SUMMER AND WINTER)
Your Destination
With a population of 22 million and counting, people from all over China and the world have flocked to this cultural center as China’s economy and international power have grown. A fascinating blend of the very old and the ultra-modern, Beijing is home to 15th century treasures like the Hall of Supreme Harmony and stunners like the National Stadium, a.k.a. the Bird’s Nest. This program will supercharge your Chinese language learning and deepen your understanding of Chinese society. The jam-packed cosmopolitan city buzzes with a lively arts scene and boasts a record number of top research institutions and technology companies.
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Beijing.
The Culture
EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES
- Visit fascinating sites loaded with history, like Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
- Head out of the city for a long weekend to an alluring destination like Xi’an, Hangzhou, or Nanjing.
- Try something new with a class in calligraphy, painting, seal carving, or martial arts.
- Keep your language skills polished even when you travel, thanks to Chinese students who come along to help you practice.
PROJECTS
- Language Tutoring. To ensure progress in fluency, students are offered tutorials and regular small group Language and Culture Practicum sessions. Tutors practice conversation and help with homework.
- Expert Talk Series: Regular lectures in English by experts in their field.
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HOUSING & MEALS
HOUSING
CIEE Beijing offers exciting housing options, including homestays and residence halls. All housing options are located in neighborhoods with convenient access to campus.
Standard Housing: Includes a single room at a homestay or suite-style units at PKU. Homestays boast a kitchen, living room, and bathroom shared with a host family, within a 45-minute commute of campus. Homestays are ideal for students who want to live in a Chinese language environment and make rapid progress in learning the Chinese language and cultural study. Residence Halls are located in Zhongguanyuan Global Village at PKU. Each student has a private bedroom with Internet access and shared living space, kitchens, and a bathroom with one or two roommates (CIEE students or other international students).
MEALS
Homestays: Students are invited to family meals about four times during the week, and should budget for other meals, including lunch on campus.
Residence halls: Meals are not included. Students typically eat at student cafeterias or at inexpensive restaurants on and around campus.
Academics
CIEE’s Intensive Chinese Language program is designed to help students improve fluency in spoken and written Chinese through intensive language training. Students can also take one course instructed in English to enrich their understanding of China. Before the start of the program, students must have at least two semesters of college-level Chinese or equivalent, and one college-level Chinese area studies course is recommended. Chinese language courses and Chinese language electives are taught by faculty from the School of Teaching Chinese as the Second Language, Peking University. Area studies electives are taught by CIEE faculty, other local Chinese scholars, and/or international scholars residing in Beijing.
Peking University (PKU) was founded in 1898 and has a long tradition of scholarly excellence and political activism. The prestigious PKU focuses on advanced research in the natural and social sciences. The campus, previously an imperial garden in the Qing Dynasty, hosts 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students. PKU has modern classrooms and recreational facilities, many cafeterias, and easy access to mass transit – all within short walking distance.
Course Information
Course Notes
- Academic Year students do not take the CIEE language practicum during the second semester.
- Due to national holidays, the fall semester has one week less instruction than the spring semester for required Chinese language courses and Chinese language electives.
- Each semester CIEE offers elective courses taught in English. Each course has limited enrollment. Students may only take one course in English per semester due to the language learning goals of this program. Final elective course listings are available after acceptance, so students should not depend on these electives to meet home-school graduation and other requirements as they may be subject to change based on factors like student interest, instructor availability, and new course options.
Chinese Language Electives at Peking University
Some Chinese language elective courses may not be offered both semesters.
Elementary & Intermediate Chinese Language Electives
This elective is appropriate for students placed in Elementary Intensive Chinese II – Intermediate Intensive Chinese I
Elementary Chinese Listening Comprehension
This course (Chuji Tingli 初级听力) is divided into two sections. Students placed in Reading in Chinese - Elementary II use volume one and students placed in Intermediate I use volume two of the course textbook. Textbook: Lin Huan 林欢. Hanyu Chuji Tingli Jiaocheng (Shang, Xia Ce) 汉语初级听力教程(上、下册) (Chinese Elementary Listening Course, vol. 1-2). Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Intermediate & Advanced Chinese Language Electives
These electives are appropriate for students placed in Intermediate Intensive Chinese II – Advanced Intensive Chinese II
Chinese Pronunciation Correction
This course (Zhengyin 正音) helps students correct pronunciation mistakes and trains them in proper pronunciation. It also helps students understand pronunciation methods and enables them to form correct pronunciation habits. Textbook: Wang Ruojiang 王若江. Hanyu Zhengyin Jiaocheng 汉语正音教程 (Teaching Materials for Spoken Chinese Pronunciation Correction). Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours:26. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Intermediate Audiovisual and Oral Chinese
This course (Zhongji Shi-Ting Shuo 中级视听说) helps students to understand Chinese people’s daily lives and Chinese culture through audiovisual and oral exercises based on the popular Chinese situation comedy series, Home with Kids. It is designed to improve their Chinese proficiency level as well as intercultural communication competence. Textbook: Liu Lixin刘立新 and Deng Fang邓方. Hanyu Shi-ting Shuo Jiaocheng: Jia You Er-Nü 汉语视听说教程:家有儿女 (Home with Kids: A Multi-Skill Chinese Course). Beijing: World Publishing Corporation. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Intermediate Business Chinese
This course (Zhongji Shangwu Hanyu 中级商务汉语) teaches Chinese language in relation to business and communication. It enables students to engage in simple business activities such as visiting a company, attending meetings, ordering goods, making inquiries and claims, and negotiating insurance. Textbook: Cui Huashan 崔华山. Xin Silu: Zhongji Sucheng Shangwu Hanyu 新丝路:中级速成商务汉语 (New Silk Road: Intermediate Business Chinese). Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Intermediate Chinese Characters
This course (Zhongji Hanzi 中级汉字) teaches Chinese characters, learning methods, ways to improve compositions, pronunciation, and meaning of Chinese characters, and helps students develop more complex vocabularies. Textbook: Li Dasui 李大遂. Xitong Xue Hanzi (Zhongji Ben) 系统学汉字(中级本) (Chinese Characters: A Systematic Approach, Intermediate Volume). Beijing: Sinolingua Press. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Intermediate Chinese Grammar
This course (Zhongji Yufa 中级语法) reviews basic Chinese grammatical patterns and introduces complex grammatical structures. Textbook: Xu Jingning 徐晶凝. Zhongji Hanyu Yufa Jiangyi 中级汉语语法讲义 (Intermediate Chinese Grammar Course). Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Intermediate Chinese Listening Comprehension
This course (Zhongji Tingli 中级听力) helps students improve their language skills and listening abilities with exercises in Chinese. Textbook: Liu Yuanman 刘元满, ed. Hanyu Zhongji Tingli Jiaocheng (Shang, Xia Ce) 汉语中级听力教程 (上、下册) (Chinese Intermediate Listening Course, vol. 1-2). Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours: 26. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Intermediate Newspaper Chinese
This course (Zhongji Baokan 中级报刊) guides students to correctly understand the contents and master the skills for reading Chinese newspapers and periodicals, improve their understanding of China and Chinese culture, and expand their vocabulary and improve their ability in Chinese reading. Textbook: Xiao Li 肖立. Baokan Yuyan Jichu Jiaocheng (Shang) 报刊语言基础教程 (上). Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Intermediate Writing
This course (Zhongji Xiezuo 中级写作) provides practice in learning Chinese characters, as well as helping students increase their vocabulary, learn new grammar, and improve their writing skills. Textbook: Luo Qingsong 罗青松. Fazhan Hanyu: Zhongji Hanyu Xiezuo (Shang) 发展汉语•中级汉语写作 (上) (Intermediate Writing, vol. 1). Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Advanced Chinese Language Electives
This elective is appropriate for students placed in Advanced Intensive Chinese II, III
Lectures on Chinese Language and Culture
This course (Zhongguo Yuyan Wenhua Jiangzuo 中国语言文化讲座) is a lecture series on Chinese language and culture presented by the faculty of the School of Chinese as a Second Language. There are 14 topics in total, including discussions of linguistics, literature, and art, ideology, and culture. Textbook: Zhang Ying 张英 and Jin Shunian 金舒年, eds. Zhongguo Yuyan Wenhua Jiangzuo (I-II) 中国语言文化讲座 (I-II) (Lectures of Chinese Language and Culture, vol. 1-2). Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours:26. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Advanced Business Chinese
This course (Gaoji Shangwu Hanyu 高级商务汉语) fosters listening comprehension skills, speaking, reading, and writing of Chinese needed in business activities. Students deepen their understanding of the economic life, society, and culture of China in relation to business. Textbook: Li Xiaoqi 李晓琪 and Li Haiyan 李海燕. Xin Silu: Gaoji Sucheng Shangwu Hanyu (Shang, Xia) 新丝路:高级速成商务汉语 (上、下) (New Silk Road: Advanced Business Chinese, vol. 1-2). Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Advanced Chinese Writing
This course (Gaoji Xiezuo 高级写作) helps advanced Chinese learners improve their written expressions and focuses on increasing vocabulary and reading skills. Textbook: Jin Shunian 金舒年, Liu Delian 刘德联 and Zhang Wenxian 张文贤. Liuxuesheng Shiyong Hanyu Xiezuo Jiaocheng (Shang) 留学生实用汉语写作教程 (上) (A Practical Chinese Writing Course for Foreigners, vol. 1). Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Advanced Newspaper Chinese
This course (Gaoji Baokan 高级报刊) uses extensive reading materials from Chinese media, enabling students to learn about the Chinese economy, culture, law, and education systems. It is designed to help students master Chinese newspaper reading and expand their knowledge and vocabulary. Textbook: Zhao Yunhui 赵昀晖. Meiti Hanyu Gaoji Yuedu 媒体汉语高级阅读 (Advanced Chinese Reading in Media). Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours: 52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Ancient Chinese
This course (Gudai Hanyu 古代汉语) teaches common vocabulary, grammar, and general cultural knowledge of ancient Chinese. It fosters basic competency in reading ancient Chinese literature and further improves students’ written Chinese. Textbook: Wang Shuo 王硕. Hanyu Guwen Duben 汉语古文读本. Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Chinese Function Words
This course (Hanyu Xuci 汉语虚词) helps students master the usage of main Chinese particles, grammar, and expressions in both spoken and formal settings. It focuses primarily on practical usage of particles and somewhat on theory. Textbook: Li Xiaoqi 李晓琪. Xiandai Hanyu Xuci Jiangyi 现代汉语虚词讲义. Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours: 52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.=
Chinese History
This course (Zhongguo Lishi 中国历史) provides students a comprehensive overview of Chinese history, and is designed to help students gain a general understanding of the subject, and build more specialized vocabulary and practice basic methods of the discipline, with a goal to connect the study of Chinese language and the field of Chinese history. Textbook: Zhao Yanfeng 赵延风. Zhongguo Lishi Zhuanye Hanyu Jiaocheng 中国历史专业汉语教程. Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours: 52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Chinese Language through Films
This course (Ying-Shi Hanyu 影视汉语) uses Chinese language films produced in mainland China, as a way to increase students’ Chinese vocabulary and insight into the world of Chinese cinema and contemporary Chinese culture and introduces them to the development of the Chinese film industry. Contact hours: 52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
English-Chinese Translation
This course (Ying-Han Fanyi 英汉翻译) enables students to master basic methods for English-Chinese translation and requires they translate an extensive range of general articles. It reinforces their understanding of Chinese sentence structures and expression rules, as well as helps them improve their ability to express themselves, expand their vocabulary, and strengthens their ability to communicate in culturally appropriate ways. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Survey of China
This course (Zhongguo Gaikuang 中国概况) enables international students to learn about China and its language. It also helps them gain relevant professional knowledge, while significantly improving their reading, listening comprehension, and speaking skills. Textbook: Wang Shunhong 王顺洪. Zhongguo Gaikuang 中国概况. Beijing: Peking University Press. Contact hours:52. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.
Scholarships & Grants
CIEE offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.
Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:
- Wollitzer Merit Scholarships in Area or Comparative Studies
- Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
- Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grants
- CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant
- MSI Grant
To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application.
What's Included
Tuition
Housing
Pre-departure Advising
Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions
Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet
Orientation
Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city
On-site Staff
Full-time program leadership and support in your city
Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities
Excursions and/or Study Tours
Travel Protection
CIEE iNext travel protection
24/7 emergency on-site support
Get Started
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Connect With Your Campus Study Abroad Office
Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad.
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Contact Us
Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.
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