Newswise — Furman University will offer an intensive two-week Chinese language and culture camp this summer for high school students who have taken at least one year of Chinese or the equivalent.
The Startalk Chinese Language Camp at Furman will run July 11-25 and has 24 full scholarships available.
The camp will offer students challenging and fun classroom and hands-on activities to take their Chinese skills to new levels. Students will study and live with native Chinese language teachers, interact via webcam with high school language partners in China, and engage with undergraduate Chinese-speaking camp counselors.
This year’s theme, “Virtually There,” will encourage students to plan a virtual trip across China, exploring the history and architecture of bustling Beijing to remote Xinjiang. Students will interview and discuss their plans with their language partners each evening, role play characters from each of their sites, and compile a final portfolio of their virtual trip.
Each scholarship is valued at over $2,500 and covers all participant costs during the program, including instruction, class materials, housing, meals and activities. Students are responsible for transportation to campus or to the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.
All participants will receive a webcam to keep in touch with the Chinese language partners they will be assigned from Suzhou, China.
The students will make their own documentaries, create a travel guide of their virtual trip, participate in a ropes course, prepare a Chinese meal and perform skits during the farewell banquet.
Participants regularly will interact with their Chinese language partners as they prepare class assignments. Weekends will revolve around fun, language-focused outings, including a hike in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains.
Students will receive guidance on how best to maintain their Chinese language skills after the camp concludes and will have an opportunity to interact with their institute teachers during the year via webcam.
The program has received a National Critical Language Initiative Startalk grant.
For more information, contact Furman’s Asian Studies Department at (864) 294-2545 or e-mail [email protected].
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