Mandarin 4 Week Language Intensive

When I was looking for summer programs in China, I was primarily focused on how much Mandarin I would be learning throughout the course of the trip. I chose Where There Be Dragons mainly because it offered serious language study--3-3.5 hours of Mandarin lessons almost every day. When I got there, I realized that I learned even more Mandarin outside the classroom, just from walking around different towns/villages, talking to my instructors, and ordering food.

What I didn't realize was how much I would enjoy the parts of the program that went beyond learning Mandarin, like the rugged travel/hiking portions of the trip. I am by no means any type of hiker in the U.S., but with beautiful scenery and great friends to hike with, I made some amazing memories. Homestay was also a big component of the trip. My two homestay families were excellent care-providers and taught me so much about Chinese language and culture. They even helped me review what I had learned in Mandarin class some days, and showed me around their hometown. It was such a valuable experience to take a break from learning Mandarin out of a textbook and instead learn more terms and phrases used in daily exchanges. This allowed me to conduct smooth transactions with locals throughout my trip, as well as preparing me to take on AP Mandarin this year.