Description

The Business, Language, and Culture study abroad program in Shanghai, China is designed for students majoring in business with no Chinese language background and those who have studied Chinese for several semesters. The program offers Chinese language training at both standard and intensive levels coupled with coursework, taught in English, in business, marketing, economics, international relations, and area studies. Students learn about contemporary business issues affecting China, and the affects of China as a rising power in the business world today.

Academic Program
CIEE has been operating study abroad programs in Shanghai since 1981. Established in 1998, the CIEE Study Center in Shanghai has been hosted by East China Normal University (ECNU) since 2001. The Business, Language, and Culture program is designed to help participants gain a deeper understanding of China as it emerges to take a leading role in the global economy. Students are introduced to the Chinese language, the history of China's economic reforms, China's macroeconomic impact on other economies, and the local business practices that shape and mold the economic development of the nation.

The program is appropriate for students with a major or minor in international business, management, marketing, or economics, and is open to students with no previous experience in the Chinese language, as well as those with up to seven semesters of previous college-level Chinese. Students can choose either the standard or accelerated Chinese language track at all levels, in addition to one or more elective course related to the focus of the program.

Academic Culture
Students taking the standard language track attend required Chinese language classes two hours per day, Monday through Thursday, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Students taking the accelerated language track attend language classes four hours per day, Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The language classes are small, with an average of four students and no more than eight students, so active participation is very important. Classes are typically co-taught by head language instructors who introduce new content and assistant language instructors who focus on accuracy and consistency of pronunciation through daily drills and other exercises in smaller sections when necessary. In addition students meet weekly with their peer tutors in structured tutorials for a minimum of two hours per week and more tutorial hours can be arranged upon request. Students taking the accelerated language track also meet with their instructor in one-on-one classes for an additional two hours per week. English language elective courses take place once per week for three hours in the morning or afternoon.

Class size ranges from five to 20 students. Chinese language electives meet twice per week for two hours each day. The average class size is four students. Course-related field trips for electives are scheduled on Fridays and occasionally weekends.

The semester is 15 weeks long and includes a one week orientation at the beginning, 12 weeks of instruction, one week group field trip, one week program break for independent travel, and typically one national holiday.

Highlights

* Continue your business program with a range of business courses taught in English
* Study Mandarin Chinese through standard or accelerated tracks at all levels with support from peer language tutors and language clinic instructors
* Learn outside the classroom through a week-long field trip to business hubs in China, with visits to multinational and local companies, excursions to factories, and lectures by scholars and business leaders
* Live with a Chinese host family or on-campus with a Chinese or program roommate
* Internships and exposure to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in China

Culture
Cultural Activities and Field Trips
A variety of field trips complement classroom work, including visits to local Chinese companies, and government agencies, as well as museums, art exhibitions, and plays. Weekly cultural activities include an acrobatics show, river cruise along the Bund, bike ride through the former French Concession, a student talent show, sporting events, and group meals with Chinese roommates and families.

A number of optional, extracurricular classes are available, including Chinese cooking, calligraphy, martial arts, music, mahjong, and Shanghai dialect.

The program exposes students to locations outside of Shanghai with a daytrip to the city of Yiwu, the largest small commodities market in the world.

Weekend Field Trip
The fall semester weekend field trip is to Suzhou in the neighboring Jiangsu Province. Students may visit the Suzhou Industrial Park, the largest project between China and Singapore governments.

The spring semester weekend field trip is to Hangzhou, capital of neighboring Zhejiang Province, which Marco Polo visited in the 13th century and described as "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world." Today Hangzhou is renowned for the natural beauty of its mountains and the West Lake, and is also known for its textile and hi-tech industry.

Weeklong Field Trip
During the semester students participate on a weeklong field trip to a major and developing business in China, and includes company and factor visits as well as cultural activities. In the fall semester students visit the Bohai Rim in northern China, including cities such as Qingdao, Dalian, Tianjin, and Weihai.

In the spring semester, students learn about the developing southwestern region of China and the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for MNCs operating in China. As part of service-learning, students have the unique opportunity to travel to a rural region of interior China, such as an ethnic minority village in Yunnan Province, and participate in a building project with Habitat for Humanity or similar organization designed to help improve conditions in impoverished rural communities.

The week-long field trips area intended to go beyond tourism and its goals are both educational and cultural. Students are expected to complete pre-departure readings; attend classroom lectures, films, and discussions; and conduct fieldwork assignments during the trip. Students participating in an organizational internship for credit may elect to remain in Shanghai instead of participating in the week-long field trip.

Immersion
One-On-One Classes
In addition to daily classes, students taking the accelerated language track meet for one-on-one class with their language instructor for thirty minutes twice weekly.

Peer Language Tutors
Participants are paired with ECNU students for structured, one-on-one Chinese language tutorials for a minimum of one hour twice weekly. Additional tutorial hours are available upon request. Tutors are undergraduate or graduate students who major in teaching Chinese as a foreign language.

Chinese Language Clinic
Full-time Chinese language instructors assist students with special or unique problems in language study by arranging an optional language clinic that meets for one and a-half hours, four evenings per week from Monday through Wednesday and on Sunday in the campus residence hall.

Target Language Activities CIEE head teachers organize group meals and other activities for the students, their language teachers, peer tutors, and Resident Staff to encourage students to utilize their Chinese in an informal setting. Students attending the optional activities are expected to speak only Chinese.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

Cost in US$:

Please check the CIEE website for current program pricing.

Program Fees Include:

The CIEE program fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, tuition, full-time program leadership and support, housing, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, transportation and accommodation during the week-long academic field trip, peer language tutors, Chinese Language Clinic, guest lectures, pre-departure advising, visa fees, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

*Students placed in homestays will receive breakfast and dinner during the week and most weekends.

Experience Required

yes

• Overall GPA 2.75
• 0-7 semesters of college-level Mandarin Chinese or the equivalent
• 3 or more semesters of college-level microeconomics or macroeconomics, accounting, finance, management, or marketing
• Note: East China Normal University will not accept students who are citizens of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Taiwan ROC, Hong Kong SAR, or Macau. This includes those who are U.S. permanent residents. Students of Chinese ancestry who hold U.S. passports are welcome.
• Students with eight semesters or more of college-level Mandarin Chinese or who communicate at the superior level may not be appropriate for this program

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays
• Dormitory

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups

Scholarships are Available

We have several scholarships that students can apply for. Contact CIEE for details.

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Other
• Transcript
• Written Application

CIEE's Mission Statement

Since 1947, the Council on International Educational Exchange, known as CIEE, has been in pursuit of its mission, "to help people gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world. Our services to young people studying, working, teaching, and traveling abroad are more important than ever.

Year Founded

1947