They teach English, math and Chinese history. The resident director teaches Chinese Society and Culture. Students study Mandarin Chinese at the beginning, intermediate or advanced level for a minimum of ten class periods per week. Students who have previously studied Mandarin are placed based on the results of a placement test administered upon arrival in Beijing and their previous records. Language teachers are native speakers of Chinese, trained in language teaching technique by School Year Abroad.
Daily homework is required.
Brief compositions and written and oral examinations test student progress. In addition, the intermediate and advanced level courses include lectures in Mandarin Chinese on Chinese history and culture. Advanced tutorials may be arranged for native speakers according to individual skill levels. All students take the Preliminary Chinese Proficiency Test at the end of the course. This course is taught by an instructor on leave from one of our home schools in the United States.