Mandarin / study abroad program in Swarthmore?

<p>I just realized that the most important thing i'm looking for in my college selection is study abroad/language program!!</p>

<p>I am going to start learning Mandarin as soon as i'm done with this college application crap and hope to become something close to being Mandarin-fluent by the time I graduate from college. And also I really wish to study in China through something like exchange student program. </p>

<p>How are Swarthmore Mandarin classes?
Does it have any study abroad program?
And if you can, would you please compare its programs with those of other schools?</p>

<p>Thanks A LOT!</p>

<p>Swarthmore is strong in foreign languages, with recent additions over the last decade or so of Japanese, Arabic, and Chinese. Chinese is now the most popular language at Swarthmore, followed by Arabic:</p>

<p>[Languages</a> Change in Popularity Over the Years :: The Daily Gazette](<a href=“http://daily.swarthmore.edu/2009/9/17/languages-change/]Languages”>http://daily.swarthmore.edu/2009/9/17/languages-change/)</p>

<p>The Chinese program offers major and minors “in course” and in the honors program. </p>

<p>The first three years feature the main courses plus half-credit conversation sections. The Intro course has 17 students this fall, divided into two sections and three conversational sections. That is followed by a second year Chinese (13 students this fall, divided into two conversaton sections) and third year Chinese, which is also divided into two small sections and two conversation groups this fall. There is also an Advanced intro track with a course designed for native Chinese speakers.</p>

<p>Fourth year Chinese gets into a rotating selection of literature courses that advance language skills through reading, writing, and discussing Chinese literature. </p>

<p>There is also a Chinese pedagogy course that sends advanced students off to teach Chinese.</p>

<p>Here are links to the Chinese department and the Asian Studies department:</p>

<p>[Chinese</a> Section, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Swarthmore College](<a href=“Chinese :: Swarthmore College”>Chinese :: Swarthmore College)
[Swarthmore</a> College :: Asian Studies :: Why Asian Studies?](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/asianstudies.xml]Swarthmore”>Asian Studies :: Swarthmore College)</p>

<p>Here are photos of some of the things the Chinese students do, including dim sum meals in Chinatown, celebrating Chinese New Year. As you can see, there is a sizeable group:</p>

<p>[News</a> and Events – Chinese Section, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Swarthmore College](<a href=“Chinese :: Swarthmore College”>Chinese :: Swarthmore College)</p>

<p>Swarthmore also has a highly regarded Linquistics department, so you also have the option of a Linguistics/Language “LingLang” special major.</p>

<p>Swarthmore has superb study abroad offerings – as good as I’ve seen. They have a pre-approved list of hundreds of the top programs. They currently list 11 different programs (China and Taiwan) on the approved list for Chinese Language study. A language-based study abroad program will require intensive language immersion to be approved by Swarthmore. The programs include options for living with Chinese students, living in off-campus apartments in Beijing, and live with Chinese families (my daughter lived with a family for a month in Beijing).</p>

<p>Here’s the page so you can explore the programs:</p>

<p>[Swarthmore</a> College Office for Foreign Study](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/ofs/planning/nonenglishspeaking.html#China]Swarthmore”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/ofs/planning/nonenglishspeaking.html#China)</p>

<p>Here’s a blog from a Swarthmore student in China last fall:</p>

<p>[Robert’s</a> Writings](<a href=“Robert's Writings”>Robert's Writings)</p>

<p>Here’s a blog from five Swarthmore students who did Freeman Scholarship summer programs in Beijing this past summer:</p>

<p>[Swat</a> Beijing Summer 2009](<a href=“http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/Beijing2009/]Swat”>Swat Beijing Summer 2009)</p>

<p>My duaghter did an English speaking study abroad program that spent five weeks each in Argentina, China, and India. She lived with a family in Beijing and in university dorm in Shanghai. Typically, there is a Swattie each year who does these IHP programs. Here’s the group’s “letter home” from summarizing their time in China that fall and some blog entries on stuff they did in China:</p>

<p>[International</a> Honors Program: Fall 2006](<a href=“http://www.ihp.edu/page/c21c_fall2006/#be_ch]International”>http://www.ihp.edu/page/c21c_fall2006/#be_ch)</p>

<p>[magical</a> urbanism Factory 798 and China’s Burgeoning Art Scene](<a href=“Affordable Video Production in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney”>Affordable Video Production in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney)
[magical</a> urbanism On Hutongs and Highrises](<a href=“http://www.magicalurbanism.com/?p=154]magical”>Affordable Video Production in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney)
[magical</a> urbanism In China’s Second Largest City](<a href=“Affordable Video Production in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney”>Affordable Video Production in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney)</p>

<p>There are also community service opportunities through Swarthmore’s Lang Center in Philadelphia’s Chinatown. Here’s a blog by a Swarthmore student who started a radio/podcast series (similar to War News Radio), telling the stories of youth in Chinatown.</p>

<p>[Chinatown</a> Youth Radio Philadelphia (ChYRP) | ???](<a href=“Private Site”>http://chyrp.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/)</p>

<p>I am taking chinese classes at swarthmore. i think they’re good, pretty standard, maybe a bit more rigorous than other programs–kind of depends on the teacher. i haven’t done study abroad – here’s the website [Study</a> Abroad – Chinese Section, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Swarthmore College](<a href=“Chinese :: Swarthmore College”>Chinese :: Swarthmore College)</p>

<p>you do study abroad through an outside program i think.</p>

<p>we have chinese table on mondays and fridays where you can speak chinese with other students and we also have things like the chinese new years party where everyone in all the classes get together and do some performance.</p>