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Chinese (Mandarin) In-Country Language Program for 2011

at Hainan University in Haikou

or Beijing Institute of Education in Beijing

26 December 2011 to 20 January 2012

 

Introduction

 

We are hoping to again hold CDU's Chinese In-Country Program at Hainan University in Haikou, as we did in 2009. However, since the program would be set up especially for CDU students, it depends on having sufficient numbers of students.

Beijing Institute of Education, as three of our students did in 2010. In either case the program will run from Monday 26 December 2011 until Friday 20 January 2012, since it must finish before Chinese Spring Festival (Chinese News Year) on 23 January 2012, a major holiday time in China.

Those attending the in-country program may of course stay on to experience this very special time in China, although much of the festivities take place within families, and few businesses and services remain open during that time.

 

Note that the location of the program cannot be finalised until we have received expressions of interest from potential students, so that we can determine if we will have sufficient numbers to run the program at Hainan University.

Accordingly prospective students should not book tickets until these matters have been resolved.

 

Some scholarship money is available to CDU students to defray expenses. Please see under 'Summary of Expenses' below and download the Scholarship application form.

 

Some parts of this web page relate specifically to the program as it could run in Haikou. The program in Beijing would be similar in general nature, but run in that colder, more distant and yet quite exciting environment.

The program at the Beijing Institute of Education is well established, mature, and smoothly operating, and CDU numbers will not matter because the program is already being run for students from the University of Western Australia and perhaps other universities.

 

CDU's in-country programs in Chinese, Greek and Indonesian combine rigorous coursework, taught by friendly and supportive teachers, with cultural immersion and daily interaction with native speakers.

 

Haikou is the capital of Hainan Prefecture and is located on the north end of the Island of Hainan, which lies just south of the Chinese mainland and to the east of Vietnam. This is the part of China closest to Darwin, which is a sister city to Haikou.

The area is tropical, if with moderate to cool weather during the winter, when the in-country program is held. From Haikou you can easily travel to other areas of China, but keep in mind that you will find increasing colder weather as you move towards the north.

 

Overview of the Program

 

The Chinese In-Country Program allows you to complete a full unit of Mandarin Chinese study in just four intensive weeks, an advantage for those who do not have more time to spare. There are classes for students ranging from beginners to various more advanced levels.

 

For the 2011 academic year, the will run during the summer semester, from Monday 26 December 2011 to Friday 20 January 2012, whether in Haikou or Beijing.

 

The program combines an engaging mix of language study and cultural activities. Students should expect up to four hours of language study each weekday morning, a total of up to twenty hours across the week. You can expect some one-to-one sessions with Chinese tutors and some cultural activities to be scheduled during the afternoon, if perhaps just from Monday to Thursday.

 

The program will cater for adults (18 years of age or older), including beginners and students in their third year of university study of Chinese language.

For non-beginners, we generally determine your level from your past history of study, but in case there is any doubt you should contact the coordinator of CDU's Chinese program so that she can work out your appropriate level of study.

There will also be an opportunity for your lecturers to adjust your level of study after the course begins, since all students will be enrolled in the same unit of study, namely LAN211 In-Country Language Study.

 Application and Enrolment Procedures

If you wish to undertake this unit in Summer Semester 2011, the processes and dates depend on the type of student category you belong to. Students should not leave it to the final dates.

I am already enrolled in a Higher Education course at CDU

• Complete an Application for Selection Form and send it to the School of Creative Arts and Humanities as soon as possible (final date is 30 September 2011). You will then be advised of the outcome by the School.
• If your application is approved you will need to complete a H102 - Change of Enrolment Form (.pdf, 211KB) and submit it to the school. At the same time ensure you have arranged your travel, passport and visa requirements. The final date to complete this is 21 October 2011.

I am currently enrolled in an award course at another Australian University

• Complete an Application for Selection Form and send it to the School of Creative Arts and Humanities as soon as possible (final date is 30 September). You will then be advised of the outcome by the School.
• Complete the HE106 - Cross Institutional Enrolment Form (.pdf, 271KB) ensure the form is authorised in writing by your home University, and is returned to Student Services no later than 21 October 2011.
• Ensure you have arranged your travel, passport and visa requirements by 21 October 2011.

I intend to start a course at CDU in Summer Semester or Semester 1, 2012

• Visit changeyourworld.com.au to view courses and apply via www.satac.edu.au for Summer Semester (applications close 30 September 2011 for Summer Semester).
• Complete an Application for Selection and send it to the School of Creative Arts and Humanities as soon as possible (final date is 30 September 2011). You will then be advised of the outcome by the School.
• If your application is approved you will need to complete a Change of Enrolment Form and submit it to the school. At the same time ensure you have arranged your travel, passport and visa requirements. The final date to complete this is 21 October 2011.

Another alternative is to enrol as a miscellaneous student, but this is expensive as you will be paying full fees (ie. there is no HECS-HELP subsidy).

All students will be asked to complete a Supplementary Details Form, which provides a checklist of the various details you must attend to, and which also gives us necessary information about your travel arrangements and next of kin in case of an emergency.

You will also sign an agreement to respect the authority of the Australian and Chinese lecturers and to not engage in unacceptable behaviour which may put the welfare or learning of other students at risk.

Results. You will receive an official CDU grade on successful completion of LAN211 and will be notified in the normal way at the end of the Summer Semester period.

Please take seriously the fact that this in an intensive course for which you are awarded university credit. You must put in the same effort on Chinese language that you would in a course at home.

Fortunately you can do this not only through classes and homework but also through organised excursions and your informal mixing with Chinese people in streets, shops, markets, canteens, and so on.

 Accommodation and University Life

Whether the program is held in Haikou or Beijing, accommodation should be available at the institution. Judging from past rates, we would not expect individuals to be able to obtain accommodation (not including meals) for as little as Australian $300 for a 28 day stay.

Accommodating couples or families may not be as straightforward, but we were able to arrange for it in Haikou in 2009. Please state your accommodation needs on the relevant forms.

 

• For more information on studying and living at Hainan University, read the English sections of Hainan University's Handbook for International Students (PDF 311KB) Some of the information in earlier sections is more relevant to long term students, but you will find a great deal of useful information in later sections.

  Travelling to China

 

Students must arrange their own travel to China. In case the program can run in Haikou, we will here provide some information we have been able to obtain from the web, but since flight schedules may change you will need to check out the details for yourself.

 

Flying from Darwin to Haikou via Singapore seems reasonably straightforward. At the time of the in-country program Jetstar Asia appears to have one flight daily between Darwin and Singapore and flights four times each week between Singapore and Haikou, while Tiger Airways has a daily flight between Singapore and Haikou.

Please visit the respective websites for more information. Note that using budget airlines Jetstar and Tiger Airways means that you must go through immigration and customs at Singapore, pick up your luggage to check it in again for your continuing flight.

Australians do not require a visa to enter Singapore for such short stays, but if you hold a passport from certain countries you may need a visa. Please consult a travel agent to be sure about this matter.

 

We have not been able to locate any other international flights to Haikou other than the Tiger Airways flight from Singapore, but Haikou can also be reached from various cities in China via Air China, China Southern Airlines and Hainan Airlines, which may be convenient if you plan to do visit other places in China before or after your course.

 Passport and Visa

Students are responsible for having an up-to-date passport and obtaining their own visas to visit China. Australians who do not yet have a passport can find information on how to obtain one at The Australia Passport Office website. It does take time to organise your passport so please action this as soon as possible.

 

With regard to Chinese visas, please see the website of the Chinese Embassy in Australia. Those who have visited China previous will find that the visa application form has recently changed, and now two forms are needed to obtain a student visa.

Note that obtaining a student visa has normally involved obtaining certain forms and a letter that your Chinese university will send to you after we notify them of your enrolment.

Residents of the Northern Territory (but apparently not other states) have been able to obtain their visas by post, although this takes time. This is why applications to the program normally need to be finalised two months ahead of time.

Health and Security

It is a requirement of Charles Darwin University that all students of an in-country program must have health and travel insurance, including coverage for accidental injuries, hospitalisation and medical evacuation.

 

CDU will automatically cover all enrolled students for the duration of the course as long as you are flying directly to and from the location of your course as part of your travel plans. Our insurance cover cannot cover you if you arrange for any side trips prior to or after the in-country program.

To be covered by the University's travel insurance policy, a 'Movement Request for Official Travel' form needs to be signed and completed prior to travel. This form will be provided to you.

The University has access to private travel insurance that can be utilised by students and the general public. The policy product is called "In-A-Suitcase" and is provided by ACE Insurance Limited.

This may be a useful option, however, we also recommend that you consult other companies to compare policies to find something that best suits your personal circumstances.

 

It is also important that you read the detailed Health and Insurance advice on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Smartraveller website.

 

Come to China prepared with ample supplies of any medicines and prescriptions you take regularly. It is also your responsibility to inform us of any allergies or medical conditions that may affect your participation in the study program.

 

Other useful websites include:

 

• The Travel Doctor (TMVC)
• USA Center for Disease Control and Prevention Health Information for Travellers to Southeast Asia
• Travel Health Advisory Group - China

 

There are no special security issues regarding travel to Haikou, Beijing or most other places in China, but you should exercise the same common sense measures as at home and other travel situations, such as not going out alone at night and keeping out of arguments, political or otherwise.

 

For general advice on security in China check the Australian Government's Travel Advice for China on smartraveller.gov.au.

 

For China more generally there is much useful information on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Country Information for China.

Summary of Expenses

LAN211 is an accredited HECS-HELP liable unit and as such you can select to pay for it upfront, or defer your fees as per any other unit of study at CDU.

 

However, in addition to this fee, you will need to cover your own cost for travel, accommodation (see 'Accommodation and other costs') and living expenses.
You can expect a welcoming function and some cultural excursions to be paid for by the host institution, but for any extra excursion, trips or activities that are voluntary, you will need to pay fees to the organiser or service provider if you choose to participate.

You may want to note that a common tradition in China is for students to host a dinner for their lecturers at the end of their course, but this should not be expensive: in Haikou in 2009 it cost students about $10 Australian each.

 

The Northern Territory government has kindly contributed funding for scholarships to defray expenses, and grants of $1000 will be awarded to a number of CDU students. A limited number of scholarships are available, so interested students should apply early by downloading the Scholarship application form.

 Important dates

Application for Selection due: Friday, 30 September 2011

LAN211 Enrolment due: Friday, 21 October 2011

Classes commence: Monday, 26 December 2011

Contacts

Ms Zongmin Chen Associate Professor of Chinese Language Orange 6.3 Casuarina Campus Contact: 08 8946 6094 E-mail: zongmin.chen@cdu.edu.au

School of Creative Arts and Humanities School Admin Leader Dee Te Aho / Anne Walters Orange 6.1.02 Casuarina Campus Contact: 08 8946 7045 E-mail:cah@cdu.edu.au

 

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