CSA Study Abroad Program at the Beijing Language & Culture University
Study Chinese in Beijing; the cultural, political, and administrative capital of China. The Beijing Language and Culture University specially caters to foreign learners of Mandarin. The school sorts students through a placement test into six levels of tutelage, ranging from absolute beginners to fluent speakers. Program lengths vary from four weeks to a year, so students have maximum flexibility in choosing a program difficulty and length that suits their schedule. Learn Chinese at your own pace with CSA - Center for Study Abroad!
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I have been traveling for a while now, from Europe to Africa to the Americas and Asia. CSA offered me a family away from my family, along with unforgettable experiences, friends and memories.
100%Overall
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From start to finish it was such an amazing experience. Due to the extreme wind turbulence my flight was delayed by a couple of hours and I was scared that there'd be no one to greet me. Wrong, a CSA staff was waiting there! With the orientation, getting started and registered on the course, the staff was there to help me every step of the way. With awesome activities planned by CSA, there was never a dull moment. If you go to Beijing, you have to go on the Great Wall camping trip. It's one of the best trips I'd done and I like to think I've done quite a few. Going to a deserted section of the wall, hiking up vertically, camping in a guards' tower... It was an incredible experience. All in all, I'd do it again and again!
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Alumni Interviews
Ryan R. - Beijing, China
Ryan is from the US and after living and working in Asia for many years, always wanted to learn Mandarin. In his spare time he enjoys the outdoors, getting lost in Beijing's Hutongs, and avoiding 1 Jiao notes.
Where: Beijing, China with Center for Study Abroad
When: Summer of 2011
Highlights: The highlight of my trip was seeing how much progress I made at the end of the course. I wasn't there for a full semester so I was worried about just how much I could learn. As it turned out, I learned a lot. When I was leaving Beijing I had definitely mastered survival Chinese and had no problems getting myself around town and interacting with local people. I actually made some friends in Beijing and we had a great time exploring the city during my last week in town. It was incredible that those previously unrecognizable sounds now had meaning, I was so happy!
Morning: I'd get up in the morning at about 7 or so because my classes started at 8:00. I was out the door by 7:30 and hustling off to BLCU. On the way I'd stop and get some street food for breakfast - either a Jian Bing Guo Zi or a little wrap with some meat in it (possibly pork, I didn't want to ask uncomfortable questions). Regardless of what I picked up, it was usually less than 5 RMB, so it was super cheap...and FAST. I tried to get some free language practice with the person making my food, but the opportunity was limited to less than 3 minutes!
The classes were split between two different teachers, so after a few hours of one, they'd swap out. I liked the teachers and the method was a good fit for me. The teachers seemed to genuinely care about helping the students learn, but were relaxed enough to share a laugh every now and then.
Afternoon: In the afternoon I'd usually grab lunch at the university canteen with classmates. The scene there was amazing; it would go from relative quiet to a full-throttle rush of people in about 15 minutes. The food on campus was cheap and the selection was great - everything from everyday Chinese dishes to hotpot, fresh steamed dumplings, noodles, etc. We'd usually talk about the day's Chinese lesson or any plans for sightseeing, etc.
Evening: In the evening I'd try to work on some homework and review earlier lessons. The pace was pretty quick (it really was immersion!) so I needed to devote extra time to try and stay up to speed.
Why Did You Choose Center for Study Abroad?!
I did a lot of research on study abroad providers before choosing CSA. The greatest factor motivating my decision was definitely choice: CSA seemed to offer so many different options that I could literally pick and choose my experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the CSA program because the staff were warm-hearted and seemed genuinely interested in me having a fun, and productive, time in China. For me, CSA gave me peace of mind - I wanted to try and learn Mandarin as much as possible and use it daily, but I knew that if I had a problem CSA would be a very capable safety net.
Further Info
About CSA
Since its initiation in 1990, Center For Study Abroad (CSA) has been providing affordable study abroad programs for students and adults globally. CSA's mission is to provide low-cost and flexible study abroad programs, as well as greater independence in selecting study abroad experiences. Admission is guaranteed and open to all. Join us!
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I decided to spend the first semester of my gap year in between high school and college studying at BLCU. While I had previously been to Beijing with family for some sightseeing, I knew that living there, on my own, would be completely different. Therefore, I am very glad that I found CSA to help guide me through this challenging, yet exciting opportunity.
CSA was there to help from the moment CSA Chris picked me up from the airport. Questions regarding visa/local registration, weekend activities, my homestay, and even those regarding Chinese vocab/grammar were always answered promptly, often with follow up a few days later to make sure everything was handled accordingly. Believe me, life in Beijing is challenging and annoying situations arise quickly (especially if you ride the subway and spend time around locals), so it is very important to have a responsible party nearby that is willing to assist you.
Regarding the staff, everybody was friendly and made me feel as comfortable as possible. Jessica even helped my family arrange an excursion to Harbin just to be helpful! No matter when or where, the CSA staff was always a pleasure to chat with and did their very best to make sure my stay was going smoothly. I also credit them for bringing us students closer together by arranging enjoyable weekend activities and occasional trips! They truly did their best to help us out.
Prior to arriving in Beijing, I studied Mandarin for four years in school and arrived with a solid grasp of the language. Regardless, BLCU placed me in relatively low level classes because I was unable to write characters at the caliber which I spoke/read. This was disappointing, but there was always a bit of new material to learn and was kept busy. Perhaps the best outcome of this situation was the fact that I encouraged myself to spend more time with my homestay family and my CSA-assigned tutor. There is nothing better for studying than hearing authentic Chinese being yelled in a household, or playing around/watching Chinese cartoons with a little kid who speaks no English! In addition, my family treated me as true family member- they helped me with homework, were always willing to converse, cooked dinner for me nightly, etc. Again, credit to CSA for arranging the homestay, and I strongly recommend that you choose this method of accommodation if you decide to study in Beijing.
Overall, I can't thank CSA enough for their guidance through the traffic (literally) of Beijing. Studying there was a culture shock from the get-go, and I would not have succeeded without the help of the staff. What I took away from my program were much improved Mandarin skills, the ability to adjust to daily life in a chaotic foreign city, a host of new friends, a strong bond with a kind Chinese family, among others. I strongly recommend contacting CSA to help you organize your adventure in China.
Critical Feedback:
As mentioned in the review, only the academic facet. I doubt, however, that CSA could have entirely fixed the issue, and I enjoyed taking it upon myself to challenge/argue with my teachers in Chinese!