Because the Chinese educational system is based on a system of tests where students are expected to memorize characters and long passages rather than think critically, some teachers may be accustomed to teaching in this manner as well. Depending on the instructor, there may be less discussion involved and more lecturing. Orientation A two-day orientation session, conducted at Fudan University at the beginning of the program, introduces students to the country, the culture, and the academic program and provides practical information about living in Shanghai. Several local field trips are integrated into the curriculum and have included the Jade Buddha Temple, the site of the first Communist Party meeting, the stock market, and the countryside. Cultural activities may include various lectures on Chinese culture, taijiquan lessons, as well as visits to the acrobatics and opera.
Practical vocabulary is reinforced through dialogues and pattern drills.
Interactive classroom activities such as debates and role-playing are used. Special emphasis is placed on Shanghai's role in Chien's international relations from the Opium War to the present. Readings from a core text are used to stimulate in-class discussion, debate, and student presentations. Guest lecturers may be used and weekly site visits are planned to complement these topics. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development.