All students seriously interested in Chinese language and cultural studies should definitely have the experience of living in a Chinese-speaking area for a period of time.
Prospective majors or language students who are planning to study abroad must attend the fall semester study-abroad information session organized by the department or discuss their plans with department faculty as far in advance as possible.
Study Abroad in Mainland China
The number of programs in mainland China which offer language instruction to foreigners has grown “like bamboo shoots after the spring rain” (雨后春笋般). While some programs are good, others are of questionable quality, so students should be very careful about where they apply. Some of the better programs are listed below.
- Associated Colleges in China (ACC) a.k.a. Hamilton College in China (fall, spring, summer)
- Princeton-in-Beijing(summer only)
- The Middlebury School in China (fall, spring)
- Inter-University Program for Chinese Study (IUP)(fall, spring, summer)
Other resources for study abroad in Mainland China include:
- CET (fall, spring, summer)
Study Abroad in Taiwan
Taiwan is also an excellent destination for students interested in improving their Chinese language skills, learning about Chinese and Taiwanese culture, or studying economics or business in Chinese.
There are many language programs in Taiwan, of which the most intensive and rigorous ones include the International Chinese Language Program (ICLP) at National Taiwan University and Harvard Taipei Academy (summer only). Students who are looking for a less intense study-abroad experience may also consider CET Taiwan (fall, spring, summer) or various language and culture programs organized by American Councils for International Education in collaboration with local universities in Taiwan.
Funding Sources
Students who are on financial aid can use their aid package for semester study abroad programs. Many study-away programs also offer financial aids. For summer study abroad, students can apply for the external and/or internal funding sources listed below.
Our department administers the Linen Fellowships for Summer Study in Asia which fund selected students’ summer intensive language study or research projects. Students who are interested in applying for Linen Fellowships should enroll in the GLOW course “Asia-Related Funding Opportunities.”
External Funding Sources
- Languages.State.Gov (federally funded programs for the study of foreign languages)
- Freeman Asia (need-based scholarship for summer study in Asia)
- Critical Language Scholarship (fully funded summer study in designated intensive language programs)
- Gilman Scholarship (limited to Pell grant recipients to support study or intern abroad)
- Gilman-McCain Scholarship (John McCain International Scholarship for the Children of Military Families to support study or intern abroad)
- Blakemore Freeman Fellowships (postgraduate one-year fellowship for intensive language study)
Williams Funding Sources
- Wilmers Language Grants (summer funding for language study in a foreign country)
- Wilmers Travel Fellowships (summer funding for research projects that need foreign travel)
- Linen Fellowships for Summer Study in Asia (for language study or research projects)
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