Program Reviews

CET's Intensive Language Program is rigorous and challenging (They don't call it "intensive" for no reason), but easily the most valuable asset to my Arabic language learning. Prior to this summer, I was terrified of this program and could hardly speak Arabic. I arrived barely able to say more than the basic information about myself.

From day one, the CET staff are incredibly kind and supportive, willing to do anything to help you succeed in learning the language. The classes are small, interactive, and allow you to build relationships with your peers and your professor. The workload, while a lot, was all valuable and sets you up to grow your vocab tremendously and communicate conversationally with others. It was a challenging summer that allowed me the opportunity to grow both academically and personally. I can't even express the amount that my Arabic improved from this summer. I had been studying Arabic for two years prior to this summer and those two years of studying were worthless compared to this summer. The language pledge is one of the most beneficial aspects of the program, forcing you to speak 24/7 and grow in your ability to speak conversationally. I struggled a lot during the summer, but the CET staff were always so helpful and kind - they felt like my 2nd family by the end of the summer, and I always felt comfortable enough to express any problems I was having. They are accommodating and supportive.

The program excursions were one of my favorite parts of the summer. Wadi Rum and Petra are absolutely beautiful and allow you the opportunity to see other parts of Jordan. Prior to the trips, you study relevant vocabulary in class that relates to the trips. I loved how the program intentionally ties together our class work and the trips we took. I learned how to explain where I had traveled during the summer and different aspects of each location.

I cannot express how valuable my time abroad was. It was the most challenging and rewarding summer I have ever experienced. I don't regret it at all and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. If you are serious about studying Arabic, this program is the next step.

This program provided structure and facilitated opportunities that I could of never done for myself. In China, building connections is culturally a key part of both daily and business life which I wasn't used to; however, the staff at CET works hard to not only provide you with meaningful connections, but also teach you how to create your own.
Before studying abroad it is important to consider what your priorities are, especially if you want to participate in a summer program. I did the summer internship program, which upon later realization didn't adequately fulfill the priorities that I originally had in mind. For example, I wanted my internship to really give me a glimpse of what non-profits are like in China. However, because of the brevity of the program I didn't feel I had enough time to accomplish this. Also, if language learning is a huge priority for you, I would recommend the Intensive Language program because without a language pledge it is up to you individually to speak Mandarin with the other people in the program- and often that kind of self-discipline can be difficult. Nevertheless, I believe not having the language pledge helped me foster relationships with other people on the program that I might of not been able to foster otherwise.
Ultimately, CET is a well-developed program with superb staff that helps you create meaningful long-lasting relationships with both the Chinese roommates and other participants.

OVERALL: My experience in this program was positive. I learned much, had fun, and was challenged.

MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES: I have been learning Arabic in some way or another for the previous ten years, much of which included learning dialects, so I was ahead of the curve in regards to the language portion. I have informally studied abroad in both Egypt and previously in Jordan, meaning I went on my own and sought out a school. Each of those trips were a month long, whereas this trip was two months long.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW: The CET program as a whole is very encompassing, which is a great feature for anyone who has never been abroad or has little experience with the language or country they are traveling in. Both the internship and language classes include a long and short trip, language partners, and the experience to live with a Jordanian roommate. The academics include tests, cooking classes, research paper written in Arabic, and various presentations on topics, of which are usually chosen by the student.

The internship class includes some required reading materials, journal entries, an academic and experiential research paper on a topic related to your internship site, and an presentation on your site location.

THOUGHTS ABOUT INTERNSHIP PORTION:
Because there are many more reviews about the language classes on this site, and because there isn't much of a difference between the academics of the internship and intensive language classes, I will forego talking about it here. My overall experience with the academic portion was positive.

I interned at the Center for Women's Studies at the University of Jordan.

The good:
I enjoyed getting out of class and seeing other places. I got the opportunity to meet other people and hear some difference experiences and stories that I would not have heard otherwise.
I was able to "audit" master-level classes that were taught in Arabic. That was a neat experience.
I was able to help staff and students out with their research needs. Everyone was very nice.

The bad:
-The summer session is short, very little opportunity to contribute.
-Especially for academics, there was little going on. I would have had even less opportunities to do things if I didn't come with a good grasp of the language before.
-The work of the academics, report writing, and internship work can be conflicting and difficult to deal with. Some people, especially because of the shortened summer schedule, questioned whether the internship was actually worth it.

LANGUAGE PLEDGE?
I read about the language pledge before coming to the program but didn't realize it was a cornerstone of the program. I personally really liked the language pledge and the challenges associated with it. I see others saying that it's requirements should be lessened for those with lower levels, but that seems backwards to me. The lower level students are the ones who benefit most from it. In addition, if that is something that detracts from this program, then go to another program! There are plenty of others. But, having heard from other students who came from other programs, they stated that CET was the most beneficial to them.

There will be groups of people who do not use the language pledge when they can avoid it. This can be frustrating. Set out what you want from this program and stick with the people who have similar goals.

I chose the CET Kunming Program chiefly because of its Language Pledge component, and its reputation as a first-tier study abroad academic institution. Individually, I was not disappointed in either respect; classes were rigorous, and the Chinese roommate kept me honest to the Language pledge as much as possible. By the end of the two-month program, I was speaking fluently and with confidence. Also, my character writing improved substantially; I struggled at first with strict standards for handwriting, but over time adjusted my habits and found success. Also, the Chinese roommate component is fantastic; every roommate (not just your own) is excited to chat and exchange with you, and most are eager to share local sights, pop-culture, and restaurants with you.

On the flip side, making friends with classmates using only Chinese was challenging in the beginning, due to varying levels of Chinese ability and the strict Language Pledge. Also, the class schedule truly keeps you working hard weekdays, which although exhilarating left me quite tired by the weekend. In short, I didn't get to travel in-country as much as I'd hoped on the weekends, and only near the end of the experience found space to bond with my American cohort.

I would recommend this program to any student who is eager to improve their Chinese ability across the board, and excited to spend a summer studying hard in a beautiful city. Opportunities for engagement with Chinese students are copious, and I have made lifelong friends on this program.

CET Beijing: Intensive Language was more than anything I hoped for. It is very difficult to even think of a single complaint I had about this program. They were very receptive to my needs, and no matter what the topic, I felt like I always had someone I could go to.

Academically, the program was adequately challenging. Although we progressed very quickly, the teachers provided us tools such as office hours to make sure we could succeed and get the help we needed. The progress every student made was evident, and we were all very happy with how much we improved during our time at the program. I especially enjoyed the daily one-on-one sessions the curriculum included, where every student was paired up with a teacher to converse for 25 minutes every day. By giving us an opportunity to talk about topics that were not strictly included in our textbooks, our language comprehension became much more versatile, enabling us to converse fluidly even with natives.

Recreationally, CET did an excellent job of keeping a balance between providing opportunities to venture Beijing by organizing trips (for example, to the Great Wall or the opera) that students could sign up for and giving us freedom. For example, if some students decided they were not too interested in the opera, they could go to an alleyway on their own and try traditional Chinese street food. And since Beijing's public transit is very easy to learn and use, many students took advantage of the freedom CET provided the students with. Some even took the bullet train and went on a weekend trip to different cities such as Shanghai!

The housing situation was very neat and comfortable. Honestly, it was better than any housing accommodation I have ever received from my university in the States. It was very spacious, came with ample furniture, and each room had a bathroom that was very convenient. Although the dormitories had an air filtration system since Beijing's air pollution is a concern to many, the CET staff additionally offered filtration machines in the rooms of those who were particularly sensitive or concerned.

All in all, this program gave me a summer I could never forget. For students who are unsure what to do during their summer, I strongly recommend this program, regardless of if they have studied the language before or not. At the program, I met students from a wide variety of majors and backgrounds, and they all took back valuable lessons and memories. It is the perfect balance of academia and fun, all while making many new friends!

I had an incredible time with CET Vietnam. Unlike the spring and fall program, the summer program only has one traveling seminar. Coursework was flexible enough to allow for some travel, but work did start to pile up towards the end of the program. I loved my Vietnamese class, and the Development Studies class gave me a good overview of development issues in Vietnam. I loved the people at my internship, but the work I did was not directly related to my interests. Although my dorm room had some issues and accommodations could use improvement, the dorm was centrally located in the city and was walking distance from many attractions in the city. I had a local roommate, and I found it rather difficult to connect with her, but I made some truly amazing friends through the program. Overall, I had an extraordinary time exploring Vietnam and learning about Vietnamese culture. I feel like this experience helped my develop significantly, personally and professionally.

I thought that the CET Harbin program was a very well organized and well-run program. One of the things that I think really stands out about this program is that you can choose two elective courses which allow you to focus on certain areas of study in Chinese (e.g. literature, classical Chinese, composition etc.) I found that all of my teachers, as well as the on-site CET staff were always willing to help and answer any questions I had.

While I think this is a very good summer program, it is also an extremely intense one, with a lot of homework. I was very overwhelmed at first, and in the end, I dropped one of my classes to lighten my work load. After I did this, I didn't really have any problems. However time management is definitely an important skill to have if you select this program. Also I would advise anyone who is planning to attend this program, do not overlook the importance of sleep. Sometimes it feels like you just have too much homework to get a good night's sleep. In this case, I would strongly urge you to not finish all of your homework and go to sleep at a reasonable time instead. Think of sleep as a part of your homework every night. Sleeping well each night is one of the best ways to prepare for class the next day.

Previously I had no Chinese knowledge which made the program difficult in that respect. I expected this to occur but as I began to learn Chinese it became more difficult because there was phrases or words I understood but not the entire meaning of the sentence. The language pledge was the most difficult barrier of all because I felt that I missed out on a lot of potential friendships because I could not communicate with anyone given my limitations. However, I still found myself around students at a higher level than me which helped me be constantly surrounded by the language and little by little I began to have some conversations with higher level students. If you are looking to begin studying Chinese abroad without any prior knowledge, prepare to be challeneged but do not give up, patience is everything.

The CET Siena study abroad program is organized very well. The staff is extremely supportive and caters to your every need as well as offering helpful tips. The teachers were very attentive and due to the small class sizes they were able to personalize each course towards the level of their students. In fact, every student improved drastically in Italian. I also really enjoyed my Sienese Art and Architecture course since it offered historical background on the local Sienese culture.
Siena is a great town to study abroad in since its small size allowed us to actually explore the whole city on foot and by the end of the two months we all knew our way around. The location in Tuscany makes it a perfect place to do day trips from and explore the surrounding beautiful rolling hills. Also, the tuscan food is superb, we even learned how to make pasta from scratch in our cooking class. Another fun activity that CET planned was a wine tasting course. However, the most important thing in Siena is the Palio. We waited in the piazza for 5 hours to watch the horse race, and it was worth it.
I stayed in an apartment with 3 other college students and one local Italian student. I really enjoyed this set up since we had our own kitchen and a large living room to hang out in. Living with an Italian student allowed me to practice my Italian and it offered an authentic view on Sienese culture.
The program was organized perfectly since classes were only Monday through Thursday, allowing for many weekend trips. For instance, I traveled to the Amalfi coast, Cinque Terre, Elba, Capri, London, the Alps, Milan, Bologna, and Lake Como. From Siena it was easy to hop on a bus or train and explore the nearby tourist attractions. The traveling was tiresome but it was so enjoyable traveling in groups with new friends and exploring foreign cities.
Overall, I highly recommend this program. Not only are the teachers great but the CET staff is super supportive and Siena is the perfect study abroad town.

Before I chose to go to CET Taiwan, I was really anxious since it was my first time abroad and I was even considering backing out. However, I am extremely happy I went because it ended up being a life-changing experience! I am currently on one of my last weeks in Taipei and I almost feel tears welling up in my eyes as I type this because I am going to miss Taiwan so much! T^T One thing you need to know about CET Taiwan is that it is a mixture of CET + ICLP + Internship. ICLP is a world renowned intensive Chinese Language School so if you are looking to improve your speaking ability, this is THE place to be! There are diplomats and Phd students from all over the world that travel here to learn Chinese. The teachers are amazing and super motivating. You are not strictly tied to grades so it won't be a rote memorization experience. Teachers grade you on progress and since you often have great teachers, it almost makes you want to try your hardest!

On the CET side, I loved the support we had. Chunling and Andrew are the most amazing human beings to walk upon this planet. (not an exaggeration) They were essentially the glue that held our sanity together amongst all of the school/internship stress we had. They really go out of their way to make help us feel at home and are there for our highest and lowest points. Without them, this review could have a complete 180 turn tbh. Internship depends on the company you are interning for. My experience was okay but if there are any improvements to be had, I would love it if we could look for internships on our own! The CET excursions are much better than ICLP's, so I highly suggest you go to all of them! I have never regretted coming out.

On the ICLP side, the workload is heavy, but doable. You go to school 5 days a week for about 3-4 hours a day in the morning. The ICLP trips are honestly dreadful, there's just so many people and sometimes it is poorly run. The good thing is, you can always split from the group when you get tired so I suggest you go since CET helps pay for these excursions!
The first two weeks of the program is orientation and just trips here and there. And classes begin after that. At the end of the program, you have to do a 5 minute talk which basically gives you an opportunity to show your improvement and the teachers will try their best to help you prepare you for that. There is a language pledge inside the building and I think that's about it! You also get an ICLP language partner (a local you can communicate with). Some of my classmates didn't meet with their's much but most of my unforgettable experiences are from the local excursions I had with my partner.

For internship (for the summer program at least) you need 80 hours. Personally I think you should work more in the beginning so you can get these hours out of the way. The workload gets heavier as the weeks progress. Internship course is decent, not much more to say! It is what it is, an internship.

You will probably come to Taiwan scared af but I guarantee that you will leave feeling very fulfilled. There is so much delicious, affordable food, wonderful night markets, and some of the kindest people you will ever meet. Everyone is really forgiving and patient so if you want to learn and test out your chinese, this is the place to be! It is also extremely safe which was a culture shock bc I was always so paranoid at night in the US. You can also get more on my blog, valerieenguyen.wordpress.com (or just .com)