Beijing Programs for Teenagers

[kmogg]

Hi, I have a 13 year old who has been in a bilingual program in San Francisco( Cantonese since she was in Kindergarden, and has added on Mandarin for the last few years.)

She will go to HS next year and they do not offer Chinese. So I am looking for ways to move her forward.

If anybody has leads on either Summer programs or academic year long exchange programs for a 14, 15 or 16 year olds yr olds ( that is well run and includes an appropriate level of supervision and is not excrutiatingly boring) please let me know. I will be in Beijing a week soon and would like to check out anything I can find on the ground for future reference.

We actually did something 2 years ago for a month in Kunming at a language school that had a youth program. It was an interesting lesson in how not to run such a program, and my wife and I and other adult friends were staying in a hotel next to the school and could check in whenever we wanted. so it was still better than nothing. Just would not want to send her to something like that on her own.

Anyway, any leads would be appreciated.

Kevin

[heifeng]

I often see Korean kids (10 yrs plus, but the majority of students are college level) at tianying www.tianin.com. There are not a ton of kids, but mostly I've seen their parents or older sibling escort them to class or sometimes parents even studying with them so that they know the language too. I doubt these type of cram schools have specific full on emersion youth programs , but if you were out here too you could always just pick her courses accordingly. The same would probably be true at diqiucun in wudaokou.

I've also had a Korean classmate that was 16 or 17 at BNU (hard to know exact age since they do that tricky add a year for in womb time or something hehe)

Hopefully this is somewhat helpful:mrgreen:

ok, wait, i just reread your thread...hmm, I guess you are looking for a specific program not individual classes....well, if you need to add more classes onto any program she may be taking either of the above schools would probably accept her.

[roddy]

might be worth looking at what the International Schools / Chinese high schools which also take a number of Chinese students offer - the International Schools in particular will be pricey though.

[yonglin]

I don't know what kind of program you are looking for, but you may want to look at year-long programs provided by AFS or YFU. They're both quite pricey, but I think the immersion experience offered by these is far superior to what you will get studying with other "foreigners" in China. They are directed to kids 15-18, include home-stay (the family is not paid but volunteer) and attending a local (as opposed to an international) secondary school. Both are very professional non-profit organisations.

I went to Hong Kong with AFS 2002/3 (at 17) and it was definitely the most fascinating cultural immersion experience I've had in my life.

[xianu]

There are a number of programs for HS students to study abroad in China over the summer. A number of college summer study programs also make allowances for HS students. Also, being in the San Francisco area, you have it really good. There are many universities which offer Chinese, SFSU and Cal to name a few, plus community colleges all over the place. If you don't want to send her abroad, there is also the Concordia Language Villages Summer Camps in Minnesota (or Wisconsin?) that are basically regular summer camps with all activities conducted in Chinese. (like volleyball or other sports, and crafts). The counselors are all Chnese speaking (some are college or post college students who also study Chinese).

[kmogg]

THank you all. Some good leads. AFS Programs looks interesting and I will have to check the price tag. I think some of the international schools may offer summer programs, but they sometimes seem to have american middlemen and I am wary of the quality... though still worth checking out,

Will also check on the summer camp. San Francisco is a good place and she will probably be taking some of the City college or SFSU courses during HS, Also Chinese American International School has some after school classes. But nothing beats going to China.

Kevin