Undergraduate Global Engagement

formerly the office of Global Programs

Please note that this program is on hiatus during the Summer 2024. We will be discussing plans to offer this program during the Summer 2025, potentially in person. Please email the UGE Adviser, Allie Rubinowitz, at ar4252@columbia.edu for more details.

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Immerse yourself in the Chinese language this summer! This program offers four levels of intensive language study from first through fourth-year Chinese.

"I couldn’t have been happier with the summer online. [The professors] work tirelessly to construct a new course, [and] was also able to execute each lesson as though they had been teaching it for years. This summer has been
the first Chinese class where I have felt like I could take my time and
as a consequence I felt proud of my work."

- Summer 2022 Virtual Program Participant

Program Overview

This intensive Chinese language program offers all levels of Chinese from elementary to advanced. Classes will be taught by the faculty from the Columbia Chinese Language Program who will offer live, highly interactive instruction. All four skills-- reading, writing, speaking and listening-- are emphasized and integrated into the curriculum.

SUMMER 2023 PROGRAM DATES:

8-week program: June 5, 2023 — July 28, 2023

4-week program (1st semester course): June 5, 2023 — June 30, 2023

4-week program (2nd semester course): July 3, 2023 — July 28, 2023

Eligibility and Application

ELIGIBILITY

• Must be a currently enrolled undergraduate student in good academic and disciplinary standing. Graduate students and post-graduates may also apply
• Minimum 3.0 average language GPA
• Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA

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HOW TO APPLY

Click the “Start Your Application” button above. If the button doesn't appear above, the program is not yet accepting applications. You will be asked to set up a short profile, allowing us to send you relevant information about your application. Once you’ve created a profile, you will see a checklist of items that you will need to submit. These generally include:

• Application questionnaire(s)
• Personal Statement
• Transcript(s)

Please note applications will be reviewed on a rolling admissions basis.

Academics

CHINESE LANGUAGE COURSES

We recommend that students enroll in a full year of Chinese during the summer. However, those who may be interested in enrolling in one semester of Chinese (4-week program) should contact the UGE Adviser noted at the bottom of this page to discuss enrollment options.

Based on your application, you will provisionally be placed in one of the courses below. Final placement occurs after you take a placement test.

Note: The University reserves the right to withdraw or modify

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Chinese 1101-1102UN. First Year Chinese I-II,10 points.

Instructor: Yike Li
Prerequisites: None
Texts: Approaching China (Columbia University staff, published by Peking University Press)

Introduces basic sentence structures and vocabulary in colloquial Chinese and focuses on developing basic skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The Pinyin system and traditional characters are used.

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CHNS 2201-2202 UN. Second Year Chinese I-II, 10 points.

Instructor: Lingjun Hu
Prerequisites: One (1) year of college-level Chinese or the equivalent
Texts: Jingua Chinese (Columbia University staff, published by Peking University Press; traditional and simplified characters)

Consolidates and develops language skills used in everyday communication. Texts are presented in the form of a narrative that provides language situations, sentence patterns, word usage, and cultural information. Comprehensive exercises rely on highly structured practice in vocabulary, grammar, listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Semi-formal and literary styles are introduced in later lessons as transition to more advanced levels of Chinese language study. The first half of the course emphasizes skills for conducting everyday tasks such as shopping, making telephone calls, seeing a doctor, or looking for a job. The second half focuses on aspects of Chinese culture: the social norms of politeness and gift-giving, traditions such as inter-generational relationships and marriage ceremonies, customs such as special foods and holidays. While providing practical training, the course aims to raise the student's linguistic competence in preparation for advanced studies in Mandarin.

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CHNS 3003-3004 UN. Third Year Chinese I-II, 10 points.

Instructor: Zhirong Wang
Prerequisites: Two (2) years of college-level Chinese or the equivalent
Texts: Advanced Chinese for Humanities (Columbia University staff, published by Phoenix Tree Publishing)

This course uses various texts related to Chinese culture, literature, philosophy, history, and thought to help students improve their overall Chinese language skills. It introduces many formal and written expressions to help students gain a deeper understanding of the differences between oral and written Chinese expressions and to improve students' oral skills at the discourse level. The course's primary goal is to develop students' overall communicative competence. It also ensures a smooth transition from non-authentic to authentic resources.

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CHNS 4015-4016 UN. Fourth Year Chinese I-II, 10 points.

Instructor: Ling Yan
Prerequisites: Three (3) years of college-level Chinese or the equivalent, at least
Texts: Articles by contemporary and modern writers; Readings from current newspapers and magazines; Simplified characters used

Furthers students' language skills in semi-formal, formal, or written styles through reading and writing, while improving fluency in oral communication. Weekly individual oral presentations and written reports are required.

GRADES AND TRANSCRIPTs

GRADING POLICY

For more information about the Grading Policy, please click here for the Columbia-Led summer programs.

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TRANSCRIPTS

Credit is not granted to students who do not complete the full program.

All courses taken on the program are converted to an American grading scale and transmitted to students as follows:

• Columbia Students: Grades appear on SSOL and your transcript as semester grades from courses taken at Columbia. For more information, please see the section on Academic Credit in Steps to Study Abroad.
• Barnard Students: Grades appear on eBear and your transcript as any semester grades from courses taken at Barnard. For more information, please see the section on Credit and Transcripts for Barnard Students on our Barnard student pages.
• Non-Columbia Students: can request electronic transcripts online through the Columbia University registrar.

Program Schedule

During this intensive program, students should expect to meet daily from Monday through Friday during the program duration. The program schedule will be as follows:

9:00 AM — 11:00 AM	Language class
11:00 AM —12:00 PM 1:30 PM — 2:30 PM	Drill sessions
2:30 PM — 5:00 PM	One-on-one individual sessions rotating among three different instructors. Each student will have a one-hour maximum time slot during this timeframe.

People

The Program Director, Lening Liu, holds a Ph.D. in linguistics and has been a faculty member in Columbia University's Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures since 1995. Currently, Professor Liu is Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Director of Columbia's Chinese Language Program. He also serves as the co-director of the Certificate Program of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages. He has taught in the Summer Language Program in Beijing since 1997.

The head instructors for the language courses are:

• Ling Yan, Senior Lecturer in Chinese at Columbia University

• Lingjun Hu, Senior Lecturer in Chinese at Columbia University

• Zhirong Wang, Senior Lecturer in Chinese, Associate Director of the Chinese Language Program

Trained language tutors from Columbia's Chinese Language Program are assigned to support students on an individual basis.

Find Out More

Watch a recorded information session from February 24, 2022, to learn more:

Program Director Lening Liu:

Financial Considerations

Summer 2023 Tuition and Fees*: Please see our cost breakdown for detailed information.

*Tuition and fees are subject to the Board of Trustees' approval and may change.

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PROGRAM DEPOSIT

All students who are accepted to the program will need to confirm participation with a non-refundable deposit. Columbia students do not need to submit a deposit but will be charged a $1,000 withdrawal fee if they withdraw after confirming.

FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS

If you are on financial aid, check to see if it can be applied to studying abroad. In general, summer financial aid is not available to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering students, but may be available to School of General Studies students. Non-Columbia students should check with their home schools for funding availability.

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Weatherhead East Asian Institute Funding

Columbia University's WEAI offers funding for research, language acquisition, unpaid internships, and dissertation write-up during the summer and academic year to selected Columbia students committed to professional and academic engagement with East and Southeast Asia. Eligibility varies depending on the particular funding opportunity.

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The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. To be eligible for the Gilman Program, applicants must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant during the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program or internship.

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Additional Fellowships and Scholarships

The resources on our Financial Considerations page > Fellowships and Scholarships for Studying Abroad are directed primarily to students looking for scholarships to fund summer study abroad opportunities. We encourage you to begin your research early! Many opportunities will have deadlines in the fall or early winter.

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WITHDRAWAL POLICY

To learn about the financial consequences for withdrawing from the program, please read the Withdrawal and Refund policy.

Global Columbia Collaboratory

All participants in summer programs will have access to the Global Columbia Collaboratory, a non-credit virtual exchange experience that helps students learn more about global challenges, enhance their global competencies by connecting and cooperating across a global network, and empower students to make a difference in the world as global citizens. In the Collaboratory, students can engage with fellow students and the broader Columbia network to:

• Participate in regularly scheduled theme-based global seminars from faculty and experts drawn from Columbia’s global networks;

• Exchange perspectives and engage together in reflection on the global challenges framed by the global seminars; and

• Engage in collaboration and ideation on projects and ideas that impact today’s society.