CHINA

The best way to learn a language is to live, eat and breathe it... Take part in a course at cosmopolitan Yantai University and learn Mandarin Chinese, the language spoken by one-fifth of the world's population.

You can do this course even if you are a complete beginner with no knowledge of Mandarin. If you are advanced level, or have just a little Mandarin, that's fine too.

►SUMMARY FACTFILE
Start Dates	There are 2 semesters each year beginning on 1 September and 1 March respectively. Although you can choose various durations, your programme must begin on either one of these two dates.
Duration	Minimum 4 weeks, up to a 1 or 2-Semesters course, subject to visas
Requirements	Minimum age 17, no qualifications or knowledge of Mandarin necessary.
Price	From £1,395 for 4 weeks, ranging to £2,995 for 1 Semester (approx. 130 days, 18.5 weeks)   Full Price List and other Currencies
What's included	►Accommodation ►Meeting you at Yantai airport ►Transfer to your accommodation ►Transport to and from your project ►Course Fees & Materials ►Full pre-departure support ►Local in-country team support and backup ►24-hr emergency support.
What's not included	Food, Flights, Insurance, Cost of Visas (if a visa is required, but we'll provide necessary documents and assistance), Return transfer to airport.
Who can do this Project?	All projects are open to all nationalities. Unless otherwise stated, you need to be aged between 17 and 70+

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
Yantai, a peninsula in the east of Shandong Province, lies between the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, overlooking Korea and Japan. Yantai is a large and busy port, and the fact that it is seldom visited by foreign tourists makes it an absolutely wonderful place in which to live and study.  Our Yantai course is run in association with Yantai University, and is the one for you if you're looking to gain a qualification or University points while studying and living in "real China"

In order to be certain that there will be places available, please apply as soon as possible.

WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT:

• An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into the Orient and Chinese culture.

• Knowledge of a language spoken by billions of people worldwide, a language that is growing in importance at the same speed that China itself is growing in importance in world affairs.

• New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional development.

• An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head and shoulders above most others in the job market

• And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!

WHY LEARN MANDARIN?
Learning Mandarin will be of benefit to you both during your life in China and afterwards. Within the country, very few people outside the education system speak English, and while travelling around China there are frequent opportunities to strike up conversations with people who are as curious about you as you are about them! Learning Mandarin will enable to you speak with these people, thus enriching your time here immeasurably, as you find out things about the culture and the way of life that someone without language skills simply would not have access to.

On a larger scale, Mandarin is one of the 5 major UN Languages, and is the most widely spoken language in the world. One out of five people in the world speaks Chinese as their native language! China is changing faster than just about any other place on Earth; even a short stay here will demonstrate this fact.  The recent entry into the WTO has only accelerated this trend. 

In 1997, as the rest of Asia slid into depression, China was forging a path forwards and has continued to develop steadily, embracing world trade in a way that few had predicted. As a result of all this change, it is predicted that China will continue to grow and become a major player in world affairs and business in the coming few years. The ability to speak Mandarin will be of great benefit to anyone hoping to participate in affairs of business or culture on the world stage...

It's also a really fun language to learn, and even more fun to master, as it's so very different to so many Western languages. With Mandarin, not only will you be able to impress the people of China, but probably your family and friends back home too.

Whatever your circumstances, the opportunity to learn more about this ancient and fascinating culture from an insider’s perspective is one not to be missed!

ABOUT YOUR COURSE
Yantai University, where the course is based, is located 10 minutes from the city centre by bus. The University area is a vibrant and buzzing part of town, as it is home to a great many students, both Chinese and from elsewhere in the world. The building itself faces long stretches of beach on one side and Shandong’s stunning mountainous landscapes on the other. There are many small shops and street stalls, a busy market and a selection of Chinese and Korean restaurants running along the coast. You will live on Yantai University campus and mixing with thousands of Chinese students, as well as students from other parts of the world.

The Mandarin Course for foreign students has been running at Yantai University for 15 years. A typical class size is 25 students, and the teaching staff are professors or lecturers who are accredited and experienced in teaching Mandarin to foreign students. The course is designed to immerse international students in the Chinese language and culture through compulsory classes, conversation with native speakers and optional electives. All areas of the language will be covered in your course: reading, writing, speaking, listening, grammar, phonetics and vocabulary. These will be taught via a variety of topics which will relate to aspects of Chinese culture, society and history.

Each semester there are around 100 International Students enrolled on the course at various levels. Many of these students are from Korea and Japan, and there are also often students from the UK, France and the USA. This project will give you the opportunity to meet people from a variety of different cultures; not just from China, but from all over the world!

Some of the courses currently on offer include: Spoken Chinese, Chinese Comprehension (Pinyin, Grammar and Writing), Reading, Chinese Listening Comprehension

Course Length:
You can choose to do a length of course that suits you, i.e.:

• 4 weeks

• 8 weeks

• the full course, which lasts for one semester. In China, a semester will vary between 3 months and 4 and a half months in length.

The minimum course time is 4 weeks. We will discuss your preferred course length with you on application.

Course Dates:
There are two semesters every year and the dates each year are approximately as follows, but may vary in some years very slightly:

• 1 September until 24 December

• 1 March until approximately 5 July

You can begin your course at either of these times, regardless of how long you wish to stay, but you must start your programme on one of these two start dates.

Winter holiday runs from 25 December to 28 February and if you're doing a programme that includes this period, you can spend this time travelling around China, or doing a self-study course, or private tutoring, whatever you choose to do.

Levels of study & course credits:
Classes are available at various levels, so no matter what your level of Mandarin is, there will be a class to suit you. We can offer beginner, elementary, intermediate or advanced classes. Around 50% of the students on the course are Beginners. The University will assess your level of competency in the language when you arrive and will allocate you accordingly. Regardless of how long your course lasts, you will obtain a certificate at the end of your study time.

Each semester you will also obtain around 20 credits, and these can often be credited to your university course in your home country. [If you wish to take advantage of this option, you must check that your university will recognise this qualification before you leave, as it does vary between institutions.

Daily Schedule:
The course takes place from Monday to Friday, running from approximately 8am to 3:40pm. You will have homework in the evenings, in much the same way as you would during a similar course in most countries, and you will be expected to complete this to the deadline set by your teachers. Your weekends will be free and this will allow some time for relaxing, travelling and sightseeing

Why Choose Yantai?

• If you want to live in "Real China", out of the way of Western Influence

• If you can commit to set start and finish dates

• If you'd like to live and mix with students from around Asia and the world in a University environment.

• If you want an intensive course that will give you a real qualification and/or University points.

There are also a number of shorter holidays throughout the year where some projects will be closed. You are very welcome to join a project during holiday time, however you will not be able to work if your project is closed.

"A typical day would be- go to class at 8 until 11.40 and, depending on the day, studying reading & writing, spoken Chinese, listening and/or comprehension. The teachers are all really qualified. I was in a Korean class where the teachers only taught in Chinese and although that may sound a bit of a challenge, which it is at first, it helps you improve 10x faster and you get to mix with different cultures more and make some cool friends. Once you arrive here you are looked after well by the university and in fact I am coming back next year to continue studying Chinese for a further 4 years to obtain a degree. I think that about describes how good it is..." Louis Potter

 
Got any questions? Please email us:
info@travellersworldwide.com

During your course, you will live at Yantai University Hostel with the other students who are on the course. Currently, the hostel is a four storey building located on Yantai seafront, but the University is in the process of building a second hostel and once this is completed, you may stay in either location.  

You will share your room with another person, either a Travellers Volunteer or another foreign student who is on the course at the same time as you. If you prefer privacy and would like a room to yourself, we can arrange this for you, but there will be a supplementary cost involved. Each room has two beds, a bathroom solely for the use of that room, a table and chairs, plus a telephone and TV. The hostel is a five-minute walk away from the University building in which you will take your classes.

On this project, your food is not included in the price of the placement. This is in order to give you flexibility in where you choose to eat and also in planning your budget regarding how many times you choose to eat out in restaurants and how much you want to pay.

There are seven dining halls on campus that serve meals throughout the day and most students choose to eat most of their meals on campus in one of these dining halls. Meals are paid for in cash and are extremely cheap, particularly compared to Western prices.  For example, at time of writing, a meals cost between 2 and 5 RMB (currently there are approximately 15 RMB to £1 Sterling or US$1.80). There are also many restaurants and street stalls in the surrounding area, serving a variety of delicious Chinese and Korean dishes. One of the many pleasures of living in foreign countries is the opportunity to try out different restaurants and the vast array of different types of food. A good tip in any foreign country is to find out where the locals eat - the food there is usually excellent and reasonably priced!

TRAVEL:
To read about Travel arrangements and what happens when you arrive in your new country, please click here.

Support & Backup: To read about the excellent Support & Backup we provide before you leave and during your programme, please click here.

Got any questions? Please email us:
info@travellersworldwide.com

Suite 2A, Caravelle House, 17/19 Goring Road, Worthing,
West Sussex, BN12 4AP, England
Tel: +44 (0)1903 502595    Fax: +44 (0)1903 708179
Email:info@travellersworldwide.com