THE BOOTCAMP

Our approach:

Many foreign language students have difficulty learning. Their textbooks teach monotonous drills, grammar rules, and random lists of words. Textbooks alone can never bring it all together. In addition, most language courses within China are designed by the locals with very little regard for instructional design and so called "western methodology". This one aims to be different.

We think that there are two main reasons why some people fail abysmally to learn a new language: They're not motivated enough and they don't have sufficient exposure to the real thing. For those attempting to learn Chinese, it goes beyond that: most people experience the frustration of "learned today, forgotten today". Our boot camp aims to change that.

Our teachers are used to teaching foreigners one-to-one and have a clear understanding of the structural differences between the two languages.

The program:

The course is designed with fluency in mind with 6 periods (45 minutes each) of classes per day, 6 days a week. Over the 2 weeks period, the students will have 72 periods of classroom study as well as 2 or 3 hours a day of other activities designed to help you use your newly acquired words. All courses focus comprehensively on the Chinese language; they all emphasize speaking, listening, reading and writing. Courses are taught, in most cases, almost completely in Chinese. Homework is assigned and there are regular quizzes and examinations.

There will be a total number of 18 participants divided into 3 groups according to their respective levels giving us the low number of 6 students per class. We sincerely believe that a small number of students is key to a better classroom experience.

3 teachers are in charge of the classes and will be on hand at all times to help with any questions you might have. Each week, they will teach a different component of the course to maximize your exposure to different voices and accents.

once a week, we will have special activities with local artists to be exposed to Chinese painting and calligraphy.

Location & accommodations:

Total immersion and isolation are key to the success of this endeavor. With that in mind, we have decided to hold this boot camp up in a mountain resort in Hebei province (adjacent to Beijing).
Previous Bootcamps were held at the "phoenix-dragon" lodge up in the mountains but we are unsure of the availability for this summer. We will however try to book the most comfortable out of the way accommodations we could find in an area where people would not feel crowded for 2 weeks. The lodge has common rooms, a big yard and plenty of space to get away from the crowds when needed. Accommodations will be shared.

Please refer to the individual Bootcamp pages for information on pricing, dates, etc....