Middlebury Chinese School

[Tomas Tomas]

I'm doing the Chinese program this summer, but basically as a beginner. I tried to find a facebook group or something online but there doesn't seem to be one.

[Meng Lelan]

Facebook isn't popular at the Middlebury language schools. There was some attempts at Facebook among the masters program in the Chinese School but nobody ever posted there.

[Tomas Tomas]

Oh ... well I'll be there this summer, am really looking forward to it.

[Meng Lelan]

I thought the first year program was quite good there from what I was observing. Though I got really "meh" looking at the second, third, and fourth year curriculum.

[Tomas Tomas]

I see.

I am basically using it to prepare myself for a 2-year study of Mandarin full-time in China.'

I took a semester of Mandarin in law school and lived in Singapore and HK for about 5 years, but my language skills are pretty basic.

I'm finishing the 2 Heisig books before I start Middlebury.... almost done with the second one.

[Tomas Tomas]

I am (first time there).

[roddy]

Merging - it's best not to have two topics on the one school.

[Meng Lelan]

So, the Middlebury summer session has ended for 2013, do we have any updates and thoughts here?

[Crystalavender]

I ended up taking Chinese Culture, which is exactly like how you described Chinese Cinema to be like, papers every class and lots of reading. that was a killer. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience, i love middlebury! it's a beautiful place. 3 out of 5 of the teachers for the MA program are new this summer, all very nice and knowledgable.

[Meng Lelan]

Glad you liked the program, hopefully you'll write up more later with more details. The only teacher I liked was Cecilia Chang but I see she did not return this summer. Most of the teachers there don't teach every summer.

[Meng Lelan]

This is really weird. Today I got in the mail a letter (obviously a mass mailing) from the Middlebury Chinese School asking for monetary donations. Really, I put my money into Chinese School tuition last year and had a bad experience there and now they are asking for donations? Something is not right about this.

[Crystalavender]

Cecilia Chang is back this summer!  Meng Lelan, I'm going to take your advise and sign up for her Reading Development in CSL course.

[Meng Lelan]

That's right she is back this summer. She emailed me a month ago and asked if I would be coming back and I told her I am interning all summer, so no Middlebury. If I could take all three of the summer classes with her at Middlebury I would. And if they would tell the Vermont police not to freak out at Chinese wushu weapons. Be sure to report back here in August.