Wheaton in China is one of many exciting study abroad opportunities available through Global and Experiential Learning at Wheaton.
Wheaton in China is a summer study abroad program that features an immersion study of Chinese language and culture with related lectures and workshops, field trips and guided travel. The program begins with an orientation week on Wheaton’s campus devoted to cross-cultural training and concludes with a post-trip self-assessment and reflection project after students have returned from China. Language and cultural courses and electives are taught both by Wheaton faculty and local experts.
This summer Wheaton in China students lived and studied at a Chinese university campus in Tianjin. At the beginning of the program, however, students received a week-long homestay with a local Chinese family, completely engaging them with the Chinese culture. Additionally, each student was matched with a “shadow” friend from the local university for the entirety of the program.
“What made this trip really amazing,” said Amanda Margo ’18, “was that I was able to see more of China on a deeper level, rather than just on a surface level. . . . Just seeing that difference between what you thought and what it really is like in China was mind-blowing.”
Students participated in three types of classes taught by the local teachers—daily whole group classes, small group classes, and one-on-one conversation time twice a week. They had hands-on experiences at Tea Ceremony and Chinese Calligraphy workshops organized and hosted by the local university professors and experts.
In addition to seeing some local historical sites on weekdays, they were also able to visit the Yellow Cliff (Huangyaguan) Great Wall, situated in the mountainous area of Ji County in Tianjin City, over one weekend. Students also took two day-trips to Beijing where they were able to visit the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Beijing Olympic Village as well as a local family visit in Beijing. To top it off, they also had the invaluable opportunity to visit several different churches in Tianjin and participated in a service project at an orphanage organized and sponsored by local Christians.
Interested in learning more about this and other study abroad opportunities at Wheaton? Visit Global and Experiential Learning >