This is an archive. See the current website at www.summer.harvard.edu.

Harvard Summer Program in Beijing, China

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Shengli Feng and additional faculty
(8 credits: UN, GR) Limited enrollment

Program dates: June 15–August 19
Application deadline: The application period is now closed. 
Program cost: $5,000
Deposit due: April 16
Full payment due: May 15

“I would suggest this program to anyone interested as second to none.”
– Beijing Summer School student

“The teachers were all very enthusiastic and dedicated. I'll miss them when I leave!”
– Beijing Summer School student

“I really enjoyed HBA, especially the week of social study because it really allowed students to be immersed in the culture and not just the language of China.”
– Beijing Summer School student

“This program was great! It is the strictest and most intense language program in Beijing. This is what I asked for, this is what I paid for, this is what I got. Thank you!”
– Beijing Summer School student

Beijing photoBeijing, the cultural and political center of China, is a 3,000-year-old city that has been the national capital for most of the past 600 years. The Harvard Summer Program in Beijing, also called Harvard-Beijing Academy (HBA), gives students of Chinese the opportunity to explore this richly historic city while participating in intensive language instruction. The program offers four intensive courses in modern Chinese at the intermediate and advanced levels, as well as a one-week social study project. The language training is embedded in the Chinese setting, with speakers from many sectors of Chinese society joining the participants to discuss their lives.

Beijing is quickly becoming a modern city and an important center for international business, while maintaining its deep historical roots. Among the historical riches students may experience are the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Lamaist Temple Yonghegong, ancient teahouses, and Beijing opera theaters. This program provides students with full linguistic and cultural immersion.

On a typical weekday, students have four hours of class in the morning (two hours of instruction and two hours of drills) and a 45-minute one-on-one conversation session with one of the teachers in the afternoon. The rest of the afternoon is left open for study and extracurricular activities in Chinese. There is a quiz every Friday morning and a weekly faculty-student luncheon where students can get to know their teachers and practice Chinese in a relaxed social setting. Teachers hold office hours in the evenings.

Beijing photoOn the weekends, there are performances, trips, and lectures by guest speakers from various strata of Chinese society (for example, private business owners, workers, peasants, and scholars). Students also have the opportunity to spend time on weekends with host families so that they can experience the daily lives and customs of Chinese families. Weekend excursions to historic sites outside Beijing—such as Chengde Summer Palace, Longqing Valley, and the Ming Tombs—enhance and broaden students' perspectives on Chinese culture. This school/society nexus gives the Harvard-Beijing Academy its unique participatory flavor, with language instruction continually related to its Beijing setting.

In addition to these experiences, students are encouraged to take lessons in Chinese arts, such as taiji, martial arts, calligraphy, cooking, or music. One special event is a speech contest among American students in all of the Beijing summer Chinese language programs.

Students must speak only Chinese during the entire program (with exceptions for emergencies and phone calls with friends and family). Every student signs a language pledge agreeing to this commitment. The language pledge is considered valuable and critical in learning the language and developing fluency. Students are penalized if they violate the pledge, not only because it impairs their ability to learn, but also because it affects the learning atmosphere for other students. Experience shows that students who make friends with local Chinese people and keep their use of English to an absolute minimum—by limiting phone calls, e-mail, and reading in English—invariably show the greatest progress during the program.

The Harvard-Beijing Academy is open to students from all colleges and countries. The program is designed for native English speakers who are intermediate or advanced students of Chinese. Heritage learners whose spoken language skills are stronger than their ability to read and write are also encouraged to apply. With a two-to-one student–teacher ratio, the program can meet the needs of each student.

Social Study Project

Beijing photoStudents spend the fifth week of the program conducting a social study, a field study in a location of their choice (such as a factory, village, or school) where they can research some aspect of Chinese society. In this practical extension of the classroom experience, students are integrated into Chinese society. Every student writes a report in Chinese about his or her social study and develops the report into a paper for an academic conference. The best social study essays are published in the program journal China's Issues in Chinese Prose.

Some students travel as far as Shanghai or Mongolia for their social study projects, while others stay in Beijing and visit businesses or work at daycare centers. Students may organize their own social study or choose from the organized programs:

Course of Study

Students enroll in one of the four courses listed below. Students are placed in a course commensurate with their level of fluency, which is assessed based on their written and oral application materials and a placement test taken after they arrive in Beijing. Since all language progress is relative and student strengths vary, applicants should be assured that every effort is made to ensure the best possible placement.

The textbooks, written by faculty of the program, use both traditional and simplified characters, and students are encouraged to learn both. Students who know only traditional characters generally learn to recognize simplified characters quickly. Every student has a language partner.

Prerequisite: Harvard College students must take the Harvard Chinese placement test with an assignment of intermediate-level Chinese (120a) or higher. Taking a Chinese language course increases a student's chances of being accepted to the program. Students from other colleges must have one year of college-level Chinese or the equivalent.

CHIN S-120 Study Abroad in China: Intermediate Modern Chinese (31796)
Rongzhen Li and Miaomiao Wang
In this second-year course, students develop their conversational and narrative skills using carefully selected vocabulary and grammar. The textbook is based on authentic conversation, moving gradually from casual to formal styles. The text covers the most important communicative skills needed by American students studying in China and provides a deeper understanding of cultural and intellectual differences between US and Chinese societies. The text for this course is When in China. This course assumes that students know approximately 600 common Chinese characters.

CHIN S-130 Study Abroad in China: Advanced Modern Chinese (31797)
Qiuyu Wang
In this third-year course, students study contemporary China and develop their speaking and writing skills by constructing new compounds, using idiomatic expressions, and mastering formal and informal styles. The curriculum is designed to further improve listening and reading abilities through texts geared specifically to the understanding of Chinese media. The texts for this course are Understanding the People and the World, An Introduction to Chinese Films and Television, and An Introduction to Chinese News Broadcasts.

CHIN S-140 Study Abroad in China: Advanced Readings in Modern Chinese (31803)
Yu Feng
In this fourth-year course, students read authentic articles, novels, and newspapers emphasizing social and cultural issues in contemporary America and China. Through the extensive readings, students learn speed-reading strategies, rhythmic writing rules, and stylistic transformations (casual and formal). Students also write compositions and papers, do formal presentations, and participate in classroom discussions to develop a solid foundation in the four skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—in formal Chinese. The text for this course is On the Present and Past.

CHIN S-150 Study Abroad in China: Advanced Writing in Modern Chinese (31799)
Lulei Su
This fifth-year course enables students to speak and write formally, preparing them for future research and engagement in all fields where Chinese is used professionally. Students read academic articles from different genres and classical stories from different periods compiled in the textbook. They also write compositions and papers, do formal presentations, and participate in classroom discussions. Students learn a complete set of written grammar, including formal vocabularies (about 300 monosyllabic and 300 disyllabic words), formal sentence patterns (about 200), and rhythmic rules that govern sentences as well as words. The text for this course is Writing and Truth.

Course Credit

Harvard College credit. For Harvard College students, this program counts as one full-year course (8 credits) of Harvard College degree credit.

Harvard Summer School courses and credits are accepted toward degrees at most colleges and universities. Since degree requirements vary among schools, students are advised to obtain transfer credit approval from their home institutions before registering for Harvard Summer School courses.

Faculty

Shengli Feng, Harvard-Beijing Academy Director, Professor of the Practice of Chinese Language, and Director, Chinese Language Program, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University. Feng is a leading Chinese linguist who received a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. His publications include The Prosodic Syntax of Chinese; Interactions between Morphology, Syntax, and Prosody in Chinese; and numerous articles. He has been teaching Chinese for 15 years and has served as a field director of the Associate Colleges in China.

Yu Feng, Preceptor in Chinese, Chinese Language Program, Harvard University. Feng's background is in Chinese history and philosophy, and his teaching and research focus on advanced courses in modern Chinese. His publications include A Learners' Handbook of Modern Chinese Written Expressions and A Concise Encyclopedia of Chinese Heritage.

Rongzhen Li, Lecturer in East Asian Language and Literature, Yale University. Li received a master's degree from Beijing Normal University.

Lulei Su, Teaching Assistant, Chinese Language Program, Harvard University. Su is a graduate of Beijing Normal University and has extensive experience teaching Chinese in Beijing.

Miaomiao Wang, Acting Preceptor, Chinese Language Program, Harvard University. Wang received a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Qiuyu Wang, Former Teaching Assistant, Chinese Language Program, Harvard University. Wang has extensive experience teaching in the Harvard-Beijing Academy.

All other faculty and teaching assistants are experienced teachers of Chinese from Harvard, other leading US colleges and universities, and universities in Beijing.

Application

Students must submit an application form (download* form); a $50 nonrefundable application fee, and the materials listed below to Shengli Feng, Director, Chinese Language Program, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Room 25, 9 Kirkland Place, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA, Attn: HBA. Students must be 18 years of age or older.

In addition to the application form, students must send the following:

Applications are not considered complete and will not be reviewed until all required materials have been received. If you do not receive confirmation receipt of your application package within two weeks, please send us an e-mail to hba@fas.harvard.edu informing us of the date you mailed your application and the mailing method (post office, UPS, Fed Ex, etc.) you used.

Some students are interviewed before admission decisions are made. Students are notified of admission decisions on a rolling basis.

Cost

The cost of the program is $5,000, plus a nonrefundable $50 application fee. The program fee covers the following:

In addition, students are responsible for most meals, laundry, a $120 health insurance fee (which is waived if students have US insurance coverage), transportation to and from Beijing, transportation within Beijing, entertainment, and all costs relating to the social study project (including room, board, and travel expenses if staying outside of Beijing). Rooms at the academy are covered for students doing their social studies in the Beijing area. Students are advised to purchase airline tickets as soon as they are accepted to the program.

A notebook computer, though not required, is strongly recommended. To make a computer Chinese ready, see the instructions on the Chinese Language Program website. Every student must have an iPod or other MP3 player to listen to the audio recordings that accompany the textbook. You can also use a computer if it is equipped or purchase inexpensive audio equipment in Beijing. 

A nonrefundable deposit of $500 must be received by April 16 to ensure the admitted student's place in the program. Payment in full is due by May 15. A $100 late fee will be charged for payments received after this date.

Students who do not purchase health insurance through the Harvard Summer School should confirm that their insurance providers offer coverage outside the United States.

Harvard College students are eligible for financial assistance through the Harvard Office for International Programs (OIP). Students may download a study abroad scholarship information sheet on the OIP website's scholarships page or contact the office for more information. Harvard College students may also look into funding opportunities such as Asia Center Grants and Summer Research Travel Grants. Other Harvard students may be eligible for financial assistance through their Harvard financial aid offices. Students enrolled at other institutions should consult their respective financial aid offices.

Accommodations

Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU), located in northwest Beijing, is the host institution of the Harvard-Beijing Academy. This is a well-known university situated in a high-tech region of the city. Students are provided with comfortable, modern dorm rooms at the university's International Conference Center. Each student has a single room with a private bath, air conditioning, television, and other amenities. The dorm is just steps away from the classrooms. All students must stay in BLCU housing.

Students pay for most of their own meals (approximately $5 a day). There is a cafeteria in the dormitory that offers reasonably priced Chinese and foreign food. There are many restaurants and shops within walking distance of the dormitory.

The voltage used in China is 220V, while the voltage used in the United States is 110V. Students need to be sure that the adapter for any appliances they bring is 220V compatible. Plugging in an appliance without an adapter can cause a short circuit. If necessary, students can purchase an adapter in Beijing.

Living in Beijing

Weather. As a major cultural and economic center in China, Beijing has a wealth of entertainment options. Movie theaters and shopping districts are abundant. Goods range from cheap to expensive, and stores can be crowded. There are also many fine museums, monuments, and parks in Beijing.

Beijing can be hot and humid in the summer, with consecutive days in the mid-90s. There are frequent thunderstorms. Most buildings, including the dormitory, are air conditioned.

Public transportation. Beijing's public transportation system includes buses, subways, and light rail. Fares range from less than one yuan to several yuan, depending on the distance traveled. Buses can be crowded, slow, and hot, although a small number of buses are air conditioned. The air conditioned bus that stops at BLCU goes directly to the Forbidden City. The subway system has a limited number of stops, most of which are in downtown Beijing. The stations and trains are modern and clean. Qinggui, the new light rail system, is fast, clean, and well air conditioned. It connects to the subway system.

Taxis, which start at 10 yuan, are convenient, but traveling by taxi at rush hour in Beijing can be expensive because of heavy traffic.

Students can rent a bicycle near BLCU, but only experienced cyclists should consider this option. Riding a bicycle is a convenient form of transportation in Beijing, but the traffic is chaotic, and cars do not yield to bicycles or pedestrians.

Obtaining a Visa

To attend Harvard-Beijing Academy, students must obtain a 90-day F visa, which is for short-term work or study. Obtaining a visa for travel to China can be a lengthy process, so apply as early as possible.

Once students have been accepted to the program, Harvard-Beijing Academy sends a list of admitted students to BLCU. BLCU issues a form called a JW202 form for each student, which will be mailed to students. This form must be included when submitting the visa application form. See the Chinese embassy’s website for more information on how to apply for a visa. For a fee, some travel agents and visa agents, such as FlyChina or Zierer Visa Service, help visitors attain visas.

Additional Information

Contact Shengli Feng, Director, Chinese Language Program, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Room 25, 9 Kirkland Place, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA, Attn: HBA; hba@fas.harvard.edu; (617) 384-9222; fax (617) 495-2247. Please send faxes to the attention of the Harvard-Beijing Academy.

Students with disabilities should contact Joanne Eno, disability services coordinator, as soon as possible: (617) 495-0977, (617) 495-9419 (TTY), or disabilities@dcemail.harvard.edu. Request-for-accommodation forms (download* form) and supporting diagnostic documentation must be submitted by April 27. More information about disability services, including request forms and guidelines for documentation, will be online by early February 2007.

Students applying for admission to Harvard's study abroad programs should understand that although the University provides reasonable assistance and support to facilitate the participation of qualified students in its programs (including students with disabilities and health impairments), some of our programs are located in parts of the world where accommodations may not be readily available. Students are encouraged to be forthcoming with the disability services coordinator about any specific needs and functional limitations so that the Summer School can collaborate with those students in a way that fosters their safe participation and allows them to fully appreciate any barriers that they may face, depending on the location and rigors of the particular program.

Harvard Summer School is aware of the risks associated with international travel. Should the US Department of State issue a travel warning for any of the countries in which a study abroad program is planned, the program in that country may be cancelled.

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