Intense but Amazing

I've always wanted to study abroad. The question was where? After deciding to minor in Chinese Language, CIEE"s Accelerated Chinese Language (ACL) program became the clear answer. I didn't really know what to expect going into the program. I knew it would be hard and lots of work considering it was guaranteeing 2 semesters of Chinese in 1 study abroad semester.

I absolutely loved the class. It was Monday through Thursday from 8am to 12pm, and my instructor was beyond amazing. Before coming abroad I studied for maybe 1.5 years in school. The Chinese teacher spoke only Chinese and taught only in Chinese, which was extremely difficult in the beginning, but I eventually got used to it. I ended up loving class. My professor was kind and understood how our brains worked when learning a second language. She used old words to teach us new words and structures. I noticed a drastic improvement in my listening abilities and while I still struggle sometimes with responding appropriately, at least I can get most of my thoughts across now.

The one negative thing I would have to say about this program is the loads of homework and projects we have in addition to class. I truly believe that even having more class would have been better than all that homework. I would sometimes spend another 6 hours just on homework every day. In this way, it limited my ability to go out and actually explore the city. I wanted to experience Shanghai and all it has to offer but was severely restrained because I wanted an "A" in the class and felt that in order to get that I needed to sacrifice my time to explore. But I think towards the end of the semester I learned to adjust and the teachers gave less work so that I was able to see some of Shanghai. Despite spending the first 2 months pretty much holed up in the dorms doing homework, I was eventually able to go out and actually USE the Chinese I was learning in class to help me in talking with the locals, ordering food, ordering train tickets, etc.

Overall it was an incredible experience. You have a long spring break that gives you time to travel. Some friends and I backpacked neighboring countries and didn't feel too pressed for time while travelling. The support CIEE gives you is also great. You can always find someone to talk to if you feel you're struggling or falling behind in a class. They understand that you came here to not only learn but explore, and they try to do everything they can to make sure you have a well-rounded study abroad experience.