STUDY MANDARIN IN BEIJING - EF College Study Tours

9 days
STUDY MANDARIN
IN BEIJING

FACULTY-LED INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
ABOUT THIS TOUR
Enhance your Mandarin language skills while developing a deeper understanding of Chinese
culture. At EF’s International Language School (ILS) in Beijing, participate in group discussions, written exercises and
language lab sessions. Then, practice new techniques with native speakers and visit some of Beijing’s most exciting sites for
a truly immersive experience.
Through it all, you’ll return home prepared for whatever path lies ahead of you. Beyond photos and stories, new perspectives and glowing
confidence, you’ll have something to carry with you for the rest of your life. It could be an inscription you read on the walls of a famous monument,
or perhaps a joke you shared with another student from around the world. The fact is, there’s just something transformative about an EF College
Study Tour, and it’s different for every traveler. Once you’ve traveled with us, you’ll know exactly what it is for you.
DAY 2: Beijing
DAY 3: Temple of Heaven
DAY 3: Forbidden City
DAY 3: Tiananmen Square
DAY 8: Great Wall of China

STUDY MANDARIN IN BEIJING
9 days
Badaling
Beijing (7)
INCLUDED ON TOUR:
Round-trip airfare
Land transportation
Hotel accommodations
Light breakfast daily and select meals
Full-time Tour Director
Sightseeing tours and visits to special attractions
Free time to study and explore
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
efcollegestudytours.com/ILBA
DAY 4: Summer Palace
DAY 4: Dragon boat ride
DAY 6: ILS Beijing
DAY 8: The Great Wall
DAY 1 FLY TO CHINA
Meet your group and travel on an overnight
fl ight to Beijing.
DAY 2 BEIJING
Arrive in Beijing • Welcome to Beijing,
capital city of China. It was in this city that
Chairman Mao established the People’s
Republic of China in 1949. Depending on your
arrival time, you may have free time to settle
in and explore the city on your own.
DAY 3 BEIJING
EF International Language School
orientation • Meet new friends from around
the world at EF’s International Language
School (ILS) in Beijing. Today, you’ll take an
orientation tour of your ILS campus, go over
your program syllabus and get acquainted
with your fellow classmates.
ILS placement test • Take a test to gauge
your familiarity with Mandarin. Students are
grouped by profi ciency level for the remainder
of the language program. Whether you’re a
complete beginner or near-fl uent, all levels
are welcome.
Sightseeing tour of Beijing • An expert
local guide will introduce you to Beijing, a
treasure chest of imperial monuments. You’ll
see Tiantan, or Temple of Heaven Park, a
huge outdoor complex adorned with relics
from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the
early morning, locals gather together to
practice martial arts by the old cypress trees.
Forbidden City • Cross a moat and
protective wall on your way into the Forbidden
City, whose grandeur was once accessible
only to the emperor. Venture inside and
get up-close to the palatial, golden-roofed
Imperial Palace.
Tiananmen Square • Stand in Tiananmen
Square, the world’s largest public square
and a site of frequent political protests.
Many images of the 1989 protests, which
led to the death of hundreds of Chinese
citizens, still hold a somber place in popular
consciousness. Today, Tiananmen Square
remains a place of international cultural
signifi cance.
DAY 4 BEIJING
ILS Language Program • Improve your
ability to read, write and converse in
Mandarin. Certifi ed instructors work with
students from around the world to practice
grammar and speaking skills through teacherled
reading and written exercises, and group
conversational work.
Summer Palace • Explore the tiered
pagodas on the magical garden grounds of
the Summer Palace. The waters of Kunming
Lake cover the majority of the ground of this
UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll cross the
lake on your dragon boat ride (seasonal)
and see man-made Longevity Hill rise up off
the waters.
DAYS 5-7 BEIJING
ILS Language Programs • Continue your
daytime Mandarin lessons and build language
confi dence.
Free time in Beijing • After your language
program, you’re free to explore Beijing how
you wish. Not sure where to begin Check out
our lists of ILS-offered after-school activities
and free time suggestions.
DAY 8 BADALING • BEIJING
Great Wall of China • No trip to Beijing
would be complete without an excursion to
the Great Wall of China, one of the New Seven
Wonders of the World. You’ll travel to Badaling
for your chance to stand upon this man-made
marvel. Construction began in the third
century B.C. to defend the Chinese Empire
against the invading Mongols, and 300,000
people (many of whom are buried in the wall)
labored on it over several centuries. The Great
Wall extends over an impressive swath of
the continent, cutting across mountains and
valleys for more than 3,000 miles—perhaps
only a tenth of its former length.
Peking Duck dinner • Share a regional
specialty with your tour group at a delicious
Peking Duck dinner, complete with traditional
side dishes.
DAY 9 DEPART FOR HOME
Transfer to the airport and check in for your
return fl ight home.
ACTIVITIES OFFERED BY ILS:
Palace Museum (“Purple Forbidden City”)
Paddleboat in Beihai Park
Beijing’s Wildlife Park
Night markets
Puppet show
Oriental Plaza
Wangfujing market street
FREE TIME SUGGESTIONS:
Olympic Sports Center
The Legend of Kung Fu show
Beijing Zoo
Yonghe Lamasery
Temple of Confucius
798 Dashanzi Modern Art Zone
Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology
WEB EFCOLLEGESTUDYTOURS.COM/ILBA PHONE 877.485.4184

WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY
BARBARA L.
Concordia University
Portland, OR
ERIN H.
Itasca Community College
Grand Rapids, MN
CHELSEA S.
Northern Oklahoma College
Stillwater, OK
VIRGINA M.
Palo Alto College
San Antonio, TX
“The overall experience of the trip was
amazing, unforgettable. I went on the
tour not knowing many of the students
in my group, and came back with really
good friends and amazing memories.
With the guidance of the Tour Director,
I got to experience new culture without
feeling completely lost. I now know that
I can succeed and survive in a foreign
country.”
“I had such an amazing time, and I
learned so much. We saw so many
different sights. My experiences
enriched my understanding of another
culture, and created a realistic concept
of an entirely foreign culture I would
never have been exposed to
otherwise.”
“I can’t believe we had the opportunity
to see and do so many things for what
we paid. I traveled on my own soon
after my trip, and the flight alone cost
more than the entire tour—which
included meals, shows, tourist sites.
I will never ever forget this experience.
You’d be crazy not to take a tour with
EF—they take great care of you.”
“Every student should go. I enjoyed
flying to a foreign country, getting
completely out of my comfort zone and
truly seeing what this world has to offer.
We tried new food, spoke different
languages, and saw so many of the
best sights on our walking tours. I love
history, and being able to experience
what I’ve studied for years was so moving
it left me speechless. If there is ever
an opportunity to go, take it!“
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WEB EFCOLLEGESTUDYTOURS.COM/ILBA PHONE 877.485.4184
ILBA/F13