Bringing with them an enthusiasm for Chinese, a new cohort of international students stepped inside the gates of Peking University to begin their Chinese-studying journey.
 

The 2016 PKU Chinese Language Summer School welcomed 223 students from over thirty different countries to Peking University to study Chinese and to get to know China.
 

The Chinese Language Summer School encompasses four different courses, one lasting eight weeks, one lasting six weeks, and the other two lasting four weeks each. The first group of students registered on the 4th of July, with another group arriving and registering on the 7th of August. 

▲ Orientation

▲ Registration

This year, the Chinese Language Summer School improved the placement test by allowing self-assessment, reducing the duration of the test from 1.5 hours to just half an hour. After completing the exam, the International Students Division (ISD) gave a detailed introduction to living and studying in Beijing, offering some reminders to the students, particularly regarding health and safety. 

Erling Midtgard is a Norwegian student who took part in the program last year and felt that he had benefited so much from it that he came back again this year to participate once again. Erling shared some of his experiences with the group, and expressed his hope that all the students would gain a better understanding of Chinese culture and experience life in China by getting out and about, looking around, and talking with Chinese friends.

▲ Experience Sharing

To help students quickly settle into their lives at PKU, the International Students Division selected a number of PKU students as language partners who can help them find their way around campus and with whom they can practice their Chinese in small groups. These small groups also allow students from China and abroad to share ideas and improve mutual communication.

During the program, the ISD and School of Chinese as a Foreign Language also organized a lecture series called “Dialogue with Experts”, in which leading professors from Peking University and other top universities give lectures on Chinese history and culture, language learning methods, and cross-cultural communication. These lectures can enrich the students’ experience of PKU and improve their understanding of cultural differences between China and other parts of the world. 

▲ Dialogue with Experts

Each year, the Chinese Language Summer School attracts hard-working students with a passion for Chinese from all over the world. By arranging language partners, cultural lectures, and sightseeing activities, it is hoped that the students are able to enjoy their life and studies in Beijing. 

The program is gaining popularity year by year. This year the program hosted 223 students, which is an increase of 28.6%. Many of these students come from world-renowned universities, such as Stanford University, Cambridge University, Princeton University, Columbia University, and the National University of Singapore.

 

Website of Chinese Language Summer School: http://www.isd.pku.edu.cn/clssen/index.php

Writer: Claire H. Evans

Photographers: Huang Yumei & Zeng Qiang 

 

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