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SUMMER SESSION CHINA: Chinese Language and Culture Summer 2010 Faculty Director Tentative Program Dates Application Deadline
INTRODUCTION - FACULTY PROGRAM DIRECTOR(S) - ACADEMICS INTRODUCTIONProgram Description and Location
The MU International Center and the Department of Chinese Studies sponsor this Summer Faculty-Led study abroad program, in conjunction with Sichuan Engineering and Technical College (SETC) in Deyang, China. MU Professor Michael Volz will lead the program as the Faculty Program Director. The program focuses on the developments in China's international relations and the impact of modernization and integration into the world community on China's sense of national identity, the shape of Chinese culture, and on the lives of ordinary people. Students will explore Chinese traditional culture through visits to historically significant locations and classes which will allow students to sample traditional arts such as Chinese calligraphy, Tai Chi, and Chinese literature. In China, students with no previous Chinese language experience can learn some basic daily Chinese and study the relationship between the Chinese language and culture. Language students will greatly improve their language skills through Chinese language courses. All students will apply their knowledge through structured and unstructured interactions with Chinese people. Travel will include visits to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xi'an, Beijing, and Chengdu. Students will also participate in excursions to both urban and rural organizations such as schools, factories, businesses, and government organizations, and presentations from Chinese people representative of all walks of life. Program datesMid-May to June 2010 FACULTY PROGRAM DIRECTOR(S)University of Missouri faculty member, Michael Volz, MU Department of Chinese Studies, will accompany the students to China. Instructor Volz is the Chinese Program Coordinator at MU and he led the first group of students on this program in Summer 2008. Faculty-Led Programs enrich the study abroad experience as well as the MU campus by providing students opportunities to study other cultures and disciplines in depth while gaining new perspectives on our own society. Faculty leaders serve as mentors, role-models, and resources, as students explore their host institution and country. "This unique program stresses giving students opportunities to interact with Chinese people (including a home stay), and to practice Chinese in everyday situations." 
- Michael Volz, Faculty Program Director Michael VolzSince my first visit to China nearly 20 years ago in 1989, I have frequently returned to China for work, study, or travel, and have continuously sought to deepen my understanding of the Chinese language and culture. My dual interests in Chinese language and culture and the pedagogy of language instruction were galvanized by the two years I spent as an English language instructor at a college in Sichuan Province in China in the early 1990's. After earning an MA in Second Languages and Cultures from the University of Minnesota, I taught ESL in the U.S. for 8 years, during which time I also made frequent trips to China, both as a teacher, and as the director of an English language camp in China. A year after earning an MA in East Asian Studies at Stanford, with a focus on Chinese Language, I accepted my current position at MU as Chinese Program Coordinator and instructor in the Fall of 2006. I initiated the study abroad program to Sichuan, China and brought the first group of students there in the summer of 2008. ACADEMICSAll students will in enroll in the following course: CHIN 3300 – Topics in Chinese Humanities: Chinese Traditions and Global Integration (3). This course focuses on the developments in China's international relations that have led to its growing influence in the world community, and the impact of modernization and integration into the world community on China's sense of national identity, the shape of Chinese culture, and on the lives of ordinary people. 
In addition, students will enroll according to language level in ONE of the following classes: CHIN 2001 - Everyday Spoken Chinese 1 (3). For students who have studied one year of Chinese, this course will reinforce and extend their ability to use the Chinese language for spoken communication. Students will spend class-time studying situation-specific Chinese, and then be given opportunities to use what they have learned in real-life situations. The course is intended to supplement, not replace, Chinese language courses taught on campus in Columbia. CHIN 3170 - Everyday Spoken Chinese 2 (3). For students who have studied two years of Chinese, this course will reinforce and extend their ability to use the Chinese language for spoken communication. Students will spend class-time studying situation-specific Chinese, and then be given opportunities to use what they have learned in real-life situations. The course is intended to supplement, not replace, Chinese language courses taught on campus in Columbia. CHIN 2330 – Chinese Language and Culture (3). For students with no prior Chinese language study, this is a humanities class about the Chinese language. The class includes information about the development of the Chinese language over time, the variety of dialects spoken in China and around the world, and an exploration of the relationship between the Chinese language and Chinese culture, including different genres of classical Chinese literature. The course content will include visits to locations significant in the development of Chinese language and literature. Students will also be given an introduction to Chinese calligraphy and will learn some basic daily Chinese. Academic creditStudents will enroll in two courses for a total of 6 credit hours. You will be enrolled in actual MU courses and your grades will calculate into your GPA when the credit transfers to MU. Although you are guaranteed to receive credit for successfully completed courses, you must work with your academic advisor(s) to obtain pre-approval as to how you might fulfill degree requirements. EligibilityThis program is open to MU and Non-MU undergraduate students with a GPA of 2.5 or greater. Preference will be given to International Studies majors and East Asian Studies minors. No previous Chinese language study is required. EXCURSIONSStudents will travel with the group but they will have opportunities to explore some sites independently during their time abroad. Visits to locations with historical and present day significance in each of the following cities: 
Students will also have the opportunity to participate on weekend field trips to a Taoist mountain and a World Heritage Qing dynasty town. LOCATIONHost Program
The MU International Center and the Chinese Studies sponsor this Summer Faculty-Led study abroad program, in conjunction with the Sichuan Engineering and Technical College (SETC) in Deyang, China. SETC will arrange all student accommodations during their stay in Deyang. Accommodations and MealsIn Shanghai and Beijing, students will be housed in 3-star hotels in double rooms shared with another program participant. In Deyang, students will be housed in college dormitories. Students will have the opportunity for a brief home-stay with a Chinese family in Deyang. Host City and Surrounding Areas
Beijing and Shanghai are both modern, bustling cities with huge populations. Shanghai is a port city that only began to be developed under Western colonialism in the 19th century. As such it serves as an appropriate starting place for our exploration of China's interactions with other nations. Beijing is not only the current capital of China and site of the 2008 Olympics, but also preserves some of China's oldest history. Xi'an was the capital of the Qin dynasty, 2500 years ago. The first emperor of this dynasty is buried there, along with thousands of life size clay soldiers to guard his tomb. Deyang, where we will be spending most of our time is a small city (by Chinese standards) several thousand miles away in Sichuan province with a much slower pace of life. It has seen a great deal of modernization in the last several decades, but there are still few Westerners there. Students will be staying on the Sichuan Engineering and Technical College campus which is a short distance (5-minute bus ride) from Deyang's city center. FINANCESProgram CostsMU attempts to make the costs of studying abroad affordable. As a program participant, you will be charged MU Educational and Technology fees (for the corresponding number of credit hours), and the Program Fee (which includes accommodations, field trips, local transportation, some meals, HTH Health and Sickness Insurance/MEDEX, and administrative costs). You will need to budget extra funds for round trip airfare, extra travel, and personal expenses. See the Program Budget Please note: Amounts listed are anticipated costs based on Summer 2009 amounts and are subject to change as a result of international economic factors, tuition increases, changes in the number of student participants, etc. Updated costs for Summer 2010 will be available in November 2009. Final Costs will be published April 2010. Financial Aid/Scholarship Resources
Most financial aid that you normally receive for your classes at MU should apply to the cost of the program. Non-Residents will be billed for MU Non-Resident fees and are eligible for any Non-Resident scholarships. Additional grants, loans, or scholarships may be available to offset the extra costs incurred on this program. Please visit the MU Financial Aid Office for more information. The International Center also offers study abroad scholarships for MU students. Scholarship applications are included in the MU Study Abroad Application. APPLICATION
CONTACT INFORMATIONStudy Abroad AdvisorJennifer Kirchgasler Faculty Program DirectorsMichael Volz TRAVEL INFORMATIONForeign Embassy(ies) in the USADepartment of State Country Specific InformationTourismBROCHURE |
for more details about the cost of participating in this program.