Language is key to understanding the diversity of China's people and cultural traditions.
In keeping with Dragons’ approach to authentic interaction and communication between peoples of disparate cultures, college students on this program engage in a unique approach to language study in China. On this month-long summer program, we explore the evolution of Mandarin within historical and cultural contexts, while also experiencing both rural and urban Chinese homestays. These experiences provide unparalleled opportunities for linguistic and cultural immersion in multiple Chinese communities.
We spend nearly two weeks living with families in Bangdong, an ethnically Han village about three hours by road from the small city of Lincang. Located in western central Yunnan Province, this village is a quiet farming community in the hills above the Lancang (Mekong) River. Most of the residents of Bangdong grow and process tea, a product with a long history in Yunnan, with some now shifting their attention to coffee beans. While in Bangdong, we live with homestay families (one student…
In keeping with Dragons’ approach to authentic interaction and communication between peoples of disparate cultures, college students on this program engage in a unique approach to language study in China. On this month-long summer program, we explore the evolution of Mandarin within historical and cultural contexts, while also experiencing both rural and urban Chinese homestays. These experiences provide unparalleled opportunities for linguistic and cultural immersion in multiple Chinese communities.
We spend nearly two weeks living with families in Bangdong, an ethnically Han village about three hours by road from the small city of Lincang. Located in western central Yunnan Province, this village is a quiet farming community in the hills above the Lancang (Mekong) River. Most of the residents of Bangdong grow and process tea, a product with a long history in Yunnan, with some now shifting their attention to coffee beans. While in Bangdong, we live with homestay families (one student per home), help with household chores and tea production, and join in the routines of the village. During this first portion of the program, our group learns about regional economy, impacts on the local environment, and contemporary social issues like rural-to-urban migration. This learning comes alive through experiencing and observing village life. Our schedule includes daily Mandarin classes (3-4 hours of instruction per day), with classes often held outdoors or in the courtyards of village homes.
In addition, we also will dive into extended homestays with urban Chinese families in the accessible, dynamic city of Kunming. The urban homestay experience provides a stunning contrast to the slower-paced, more traditional lifestyle of the villages; these two very different homestays combine to provide us with a balanced and authentic China experience. While in Kunming, we take advantage of the myriad cultural and educational resources that this dynamic city has to offer. We meet daily at the Dragons Program House for continued Mandarin instruction and classes with local professors, NGO workers, business professionals, artists, musicians and practitioners of traditional healing arts.
On this language program, we combine in-depth and rigorous language study with out-of-the-classroom experiential activities. With carefully selected Mandarin language resources, teachers craft relevant lessons to build upon each student’s individual explorations of the language while placing the meaning of language in cultural context. Our instructors offer precise, relevant language guidance while also providing a vision that encompasses the broad scope of this program’s ultimate goals of linguistic, cultural, and personal discovery.
