CET Greater China

My professor from my home university recommended that I attend CET Harbin, and I don't regret listening to her advice! I was academically challenged in many ways, specifically with giving many presentations and essays. In addition to the homework, the professors engaged us in class and encouraged us to practice our Chinese in culturally relevant discussions. My favorite aspect of the program was how useful the language skills that I acquired were to my needs. CET Harbin does an excellent job at tailoring the classes to what the individual student wants to concentrate on. The other students strictly follow the language pledge, creating a language environment in which everyone helps each other progress. Although I did not participate in many activities, I had a chance to travel around the city, which was beautiful. It is not a big city like Beijing or Shanghai, but has much character and beauty. It was overall a wonderful environment to improve my Chinese level, both academically and aesthetically.

This program was definitely challenging both academically and personally, but overall I am so glad I did it! I am confident that over the 8 weeks of the program I gained new skills, a broader perspective, and an appreciation of difference, and I came to realize and understand the major differences in culture and society between America and China. Our classes were manageable, though the work we had to put in every week could get overwhelming, and getting around communicating just in Mandarin was daunting. I definitely improved my confidence in conversing with native speakers, however, and I learned about the culture and lifestyle of Beijing locals, discovered the most popular areas and activities among my generation of Chinese people, and picked up plenty of area-specific vocabulary that I only learned by being immersed in the city environment. Apart from practicing new vocabulary and sentence structures in class, our teachers took us on trips to interview natives, explore nearby areas, and watch movies to apply our new knowledge, as well as encouraging us to practice speaking with our Chinese roommates and each other as much as possible. Our extracurriculars and excursions with classmates were super valuable in using and applying new vocabulary.

This program was definitely an incredible opportunity. It is very rigorous (ie- spend half the day in class and then several hours of homework), but CET's phenomenal teachers are very friendly and dedicated to their students. The CET office staff is also very supportive. Beijing is a great city to explore on the weekends.
I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this program- it definitely helped my Chinese ability improve significantly and I met some amazing people through CET. If you are looking for a chance to improve your Chinese, I would highly recommend this program.

I could go on for days talking about why participating in CET Beijing was one of the best experiences of my life, but I will highlight a few of the main reasons! Firstly, the language pledge. This was the aspect of the program that I was TERRIFIED about before arriving in Beijing and it ended up being one of my favorite parts of the program. The language pledge is definitely what you make it and it is up to you to push yourself daily. But for those of you who decide you will take on that challenge with your best effort, the results are amazing! Before arriving in Beijing I never would have thought that I would speak Chinese naturally and fluently without even thinking about the English translations. The language pledge is also unique because all of your peers are in that challenge right beside you. Make sure that you have a support system who cares equally about upholding the language pledge and pushing themselves. I promise, you will not be dissapointed! Secondly, the CET staff is extraordinary. The effort and time that each of the CET teachers puts into their work is so evident in the classroom. Not only do you feel the support in the classroom, but also when you leave class. My teachers were always available to meet with me or simply talk to me via WeChat if I had any questions at all! My advice is to utilize them as resources and really get to know them as people outside of the classroom. At the end of the program my teacher invited our class to her home in Beijing which was so special! And lastly, the friends you will make on this trip will become family. I was very worried about making friends, especially when using another language to express myself, but it happened and the relationships were deep and meaningful. There is no one else in the world that understands your experience better than those you experience Beijing with, so cherish those people and those memories! I am blessed and humbled to have met all the people I did during CET Beijing. This program is for everyone, and I promise you will not be disappointed!

The CET Intensive Chinese Language program changed my life. There is no doubt that the academics are challenging and you will experience many challenges. However, this program challenges you in all the right ways. I can confidently say my Chinese ability has improved drastically. If you are planning to further your studies in Chinese having a language pledge is essential. It keeps you accountable, and I think you improve much quicker. The best part of CET was easily the people I met. I made several several friends who I know I will have lifelong friendships with. Since my program was small, we were a close knit group of students which I really enjoyed. We formed a strong support system which was comforting when your in such a new place like Beijing. Although this program is hard, I would do it all over again. I went into this program just expecting to learn Chinese. However, I learned so much about myself personally. I feel a new sense of self-confidence. This program has definitely allowed me to grow as a person and discover new things I'm passionate about. I would absolutely do this program again.

While abroad in Shanghai, I was exposed to its international community of expats studying abroad at my university. Shanghai is the largest city in the world, and as such, there is an enormous contingent of foreign students looking to tap into its growing business environment. On my hall, about three doors down from me lived an international student from Senegal. Bobo, a Muslim African, had been conducting his graduate studies in Shanghai for eight years, and was going through Ramadan during my first month in Shanghai. As part of his religious tradition, he and his friends could not eat until after 8pm every day. While returning from an early evening on the town, I happened upon Bobo and began to chat with him. Just as I felt the conversation growing a bit awkward, I mentioned that I had homework to do, and needed to retire to my dorm for the night. He insisted that I stay and eat dinner with he and his five friends. I took him up on his offer, and continued to eat a traditional Muslim dish out of a tray on the ground, with our hands. We ate, talked about the Senegalese way of life, their government, and their aspirations. After spending the better part of two hours with them, I finally went to my room and finished the homework I had put off in order to learn about a culture foreign to myself. This encounter is special to me in that I learned about a group of people I had no prior knowledge of, and it was in an especially unique place: Shanghai. The experience proved to me that it is grossly important to learn about other people's experiences, and also gave me an alternative view on my abroad country from somebody other than native Chinese person or an American on my program.

The CET program in Beijing is not only an excellent way to improve your Chinese, it can be a life changing experience. In particular, while the class and homework schedule is definitely intense, in my opinion the program provides an excellent balance of academics, planned cultural activities, and time to explore Beijing in a non-structured fashion. All of these are very important if you want to not only improve your language skills, but also gain a better understanding of China. That being said, it is also definitely the case that what you get out of this program depends on what you put into it. You have to make the effort to keep up with your studies, follow the language pledge, seek out opportunities to practice your language skills, etc.

As someone not exactly fit for a study abroad - having had mild depression and anxiety throughout my college years, going to a foreign country where the language nor the people were familiar to me was a very sound choice.
I was scared of whether I could do the internship that I found, something that was exactly what I had asked for, incorporating business and publishing all in one neat package, and I didn't know how I would do in this new environment.
The program was amazing. I was not just a tourist, although I had plenty of time to do that, but the program cared for me in a way that I didn't think about the money being paid - although I tried to remember. They truly love their students.
When I was struggling, they checked up on me. When I needed to talk, they were always there with encouragement and advice. The classes are difficult, but very good. You learn a language for real, and they're serious about leaving you with amazing skills.
I was able to go on trips with plenty of time left to explore with my roommate, who was a lifesaver for me who couldn't speak a full language. I learned the most from her than anyone else. If anyone ever is worried they can't do it - you can. And this program is something I'd really recommend.