No certificate is awarded to orientation participants. For example, you should be aware that fees at international schools are very high. Anyone considering bringing children of any age should summarize their goals, concerns, etc. Full year participants pay a slightly larger programme fee for an additional semester's support from Council Exchanges China. Please see the fees section here .
Otherwise conditions are basically same for both options.
Please bear in mind that single semester participants must pay for their return airfare, whereas full year participants will receive the return portion or their airfare from their institutions. I'm not sure whether I want to Teach in China for a semester or a full year. If you are not certain of making a full year commitment, apply for the semester option. It should not be difficult for you to extend your stay from one semester to a full year if you decide to do so during your time in China. Mandarin study depends very little on location.