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Last summer the Foreign Languages Program introduced its first intensive study tour to China, in Qingdao City, Shandog. its success generated interest and enthusiasm among students and teachers alike.

It was not surprising, then, that during this past summer session 68 MUIC students, accompanied by Ajarns Zhang Bo and Prateep Wongverayut, traveled to China, this time to Beijing, in order to engage in intensive study at the College of International Cultural Studies, Capital Normal University, from July 30 to August 30. Sixteen students with a declared minor in Chinese attended classes in oral and written skills in order to fulfill their minor requirements. The other 52, who are taking Chinese classes at MUIC, took placements exams and were assigned to their appropriate levels, ranging from elementary to intermediate.

Each weekday morning was devoted to formal instruction in the language. The afternoons, however, entailed tutorial sessions with students from several universities in Beijing, one of the more popular and productive features of the program. Another important aspect of their month-long learning experience was the presence of approximately 300 other international students from Europe, North America and Asia. Consequently, our MUIC students were afforded the opportunity not only to improve their Chinese language skills but also to develop important cross-cultural sensibilities.

Weekends, on the other hand, were reserved for sightseeing, including visits to the Great Wall (picture), the Summer Palace and Wu Tai Mountain in Shan-Xi Province.