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A Normal Day in Beijing


Slightly less jet-lagged and excited for our second full day in Beijing, we headed to Capital Normal University (CNU) to learn about the CET Beijing Language Program. Once on CNU’s campus, we received a very warm welcome from Adrienne Losch, the residential director, and Zhu Li, the program’s academic director and herself a graduate of CNU.

In a joint presentation, they provided us with an overview of the intensive language program and its goals of improving participants’ language proficiency through an interactive curriculum and language pledge. The program offers all levels, from complete beginners to the fifth level (equivalent to at least four years of Chinese language study at an American university). Every student receives at least 24 class hours of Chinese language study each week – a mix of lectures, language classes, and tutorials. Zhu Li proudly shared that the average student jumps three levels in oral proficiency by the end of the semester. For comparison, the average for a U.S. institution after one semester of language study is one level.

We learned that every visiting student lives with a local Chinese student at CNU, as the Chinese roommate provides a bridge to the campus community, offers exposure to different accents and colloquial language, and receives additional funds to take the visiting student on various cultural excursions around Beijing. There is an application and interview process for Chinese students interested in serving as roommates, and those who are chosen have to make their own pledge not to speak English to their roommates! Later on the campus visit, we actually had the opportunity to meet with two Chinese students who are currently roommates to visiting Americans, and the conversation was endearing. One of the young men shared that he had become close to his American roommate and had already made plans to visit him in New York City.

We were particularly impressed with the in-depth cultural exposure, practical experience, and personalized attention that CET Beijing provides for its students. Every two weeks, students in the lower-level classes have a “language practicum week,” during which they have the opportunity to delve deeper into an array of topics through speaking with locals. For instance, during one practicum week, students conducted interviews with senior citizens, gaining greater insight into how the one-child policy has affected care for the elderly in China.

Of perhaps greatest interest to NAFAns, a number of the students who participate in CET Beijing do so while on fellowships, most notably Gilman, Boren, and Fulbright. In the case of Boren and Fulbright, students participate in CET over the summer as a stepping stone to gain the needed language proficiency for their programs or research. Critical Language Enhancement Awards have allowed Fulbrighters to study with CET Beijing, and given the program’s personalized attention and emphasis on in-depth cultural exposure and exchange, the program’s mission nicely complements that of Fulbright.

After the presentation, Adrienne took us on a tour of the CET Beijing facilities at CNU, showing us some classrooms, the dorm, and the dining cafeteria. We were then treated to our own snazzy dining experience in a private room of one of the restaurants on campus. Yongqin Xi, who works in the Foreign Student Office at CNU, joined us for a scrumptious lunch.

With happy stomachs, we then embarked on our own cultural adventure to the Summer Palace, which was an imperial garden in the Qing Dynasty. Highlights included a stroll through the Harmonious Garden (note: no open flames allowed), a paddleboating trip on Kunming Lake (our legs are still a bit sore), and ice cream while sauntering around Wenchang Tower (matcha ice cream, anyone?).

Our packed day concluded with dinner with Nancy Chen, the Education Specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. Nancy chatted with us about China’s educational landscape and priorities, indicating that a central part of the government’s goal of achieving global prestige involves drastically increasing the numbers of foreign students studying in China. By 2050, the government hopes that China will have the largest number of foreign students in the world. This goal goes hand-in-hand with the desire to innovate; Nancy emphasized that “innovation” is a buzzword in China and that the country is very interested in developing dynamic partnerships with U.S. institutions.

As the administrator of the Fulbright program in China, Nancy also provided us with insight into the finalist selection process. The reviewers in country are all Americans who work at the embassy and select the finalists based on a rubric. While the committee receives a ranked list from the NSC, the rankings don’t necessarily factor into their decisions. When asked about how political sensitivity may affect the projects that they select, Nancy mentioned that it’s all about how the proposal is framed. She encouraged our students to take subjects of interest to the Chinese and focus on one aspect of the issue that is not being studied. She provided the example of artificial intelligence, indicating that China hopes to be the center of AI by 2030 but that in the country there are no discussions regarding the ethical implications of this technology.

While we were immersed in this discussion, a chef was meticulously slicing Peking duck on a cart next to our table. We were served the duck in two stages: first, the skin with sugar for dipping and then the meat with very thin pancakes, spring onions, cucumber sticks, and other fillings. The traditional dish made for a great final course to a stimulating day!

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