Program Directed by
Sylvie Littledale
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
Travel abroad to China this summer to immerse yourself in the Mandarin language and explore China’s diverse ecological and cultural landscapes. Explore the nation’s capital in Beijing and dive into community life in a homestay with local families. Then travel west to Chengdu, shadow park rangers in the Giant Panda National Park, and learn about ecological conservation from farmers in a Tibetan community. End your program in the diverse metropolis of Shanghai and return home with stronger Mandarin skills, cultural insight, and global perspective.
- Highlights
• Practice Mandarin in a homestay with local families outside of Beijing
• Shadow a park ranger and support conservation in Giant Panda National Park
• Learn about traditional arts and agriculture from experts in a Tibetan village
• Explore the diversity of Chinese cuisine, tasting dishes from over six regions
• Shadow a park ranger and support conservation in Giant Panda National Park
• Learn about traditional arts and agriculture from experts in a Tibetan village
• Explore the diversity of Chinese cuisine, tasting dishes from over six regions
“The planning, design, and execution of the program exceeded our expectations. I think our daughter will remain lifelong friends with her homestay siblings. We are greatly appreciative of that.”
—Alyssa & David C., Allison Park, PA
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Departure — Travel Day
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in Los Angeles, and fly together to Beijing, China. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Beijing — 3 days
Begin your program in Beijing with an in-depth group orientation, then explore the capital city, from ancient hutong alleyways to the iconic Temple of Heaven. Practice Mandarin during hands-on excursions and workshops, like dumpling making and kung fu lessons, and learn about Chinese history as you hike along a restored section of the Great Wall of China.
Homestay — 3 days
Travel outside of the city of Beijing to your homestay host community and learn about community life with a local family. Share meals together, strengthen your language skills, and get to know the rhythms of family life in China. During the day, go on excursions with your group, participate in hands-on workshops to learn incense making or Traditional Chinese Medicine. Participate in trail maintenance and learn about the cultural significance of the historic trail networks surrounding Beijing. Celebrate the connection you’ve made with your host family with a final dinner before heading to the next stop.
Chengdu & Western Sichuan — 9 days
Fly from Beijing to Chengdu, and get to know this beautiful and laidback city in Southwestern China. Practice your Mandarin in the city’s famous teahouses and explore Sichuan cuisine’s signature spicy dishes. Get to know the young students, musicians, and artists who make Chengdu a major hub of contemporary Chinese youth culture. Head from the city to the Giant Panda National Park and shadow a park ranger to learn firsthand and participate in the wildlife habitat conservation. Drive west into the foothills of the Tibetan Plateau. Learn about sustainable agriculture from local farmers harvesting roses and Sichuan peppercorn. Explore the iconic stone towers of Danba dating back centuries and learn about traditional Tibetan community life among the craggy mountain peaks.
Shanghai — 6 days
Fly to the Shanghai region for the last leg of the program. South of Shanghai, head to the beautiful city of Songyang, explore the “Land of Ancient Villages,” participate in a calligraphy workshop, work with local artisans to harvest bamboo to craft handmade cups, and discover stories from the city’s ancient folklore. Board one of China’s famous high-speed trains to the main city of Shanghai and explore iconic neighborhoods, from the Bund to the former French Concession to the ultra-modern district of Pudong. Learn about the international character of the city and end the program with a celebratory dinner before preparing for the flight home.
Return — Travel Day
Fly from Shanghai to Los Angeles with your group and a leader, then continue on to your final destination. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Featured
Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
What are the main focuses of this program?
Putney’s language immersion program in China is designed to improve high school students’ Mandarin fluency by building vocabulary and confidence in speaking. Students explore China’s history and culture through outdoor activities and daily interactions with locals. Each day, leaders hold dynamic conversational language lessons designed to help students become comfortable communicating during their time in China. Language lessons are fun and interactive, and incorporate active, hands-on elements such as scavenger hunts, games, and informal interviews. To learn more about our Language programs click here.
How much Mandarin experience is required for this Language program?
Two years of Mandarin language study are required for our high school Language China program.
What is the Putney Language Pledge?
All students on our Language China program will sign a language pledge to speak only Mandarin during all program meals, with all local contacts and community members, and during all program activities. To learn more about our Language programs click here.
How does the homestay work?
Homestays during the program are organized outside of Beijing by a local coordinator who Putney has worked with for years. He is well connected in the community and works to identify local host families, interviewing and vetting them to find the best fits for our students. Our host families are incredibly enthusiastic about sharing their culture, customs, and language with our students. Our homestay coordinator works with the family and host siblings to identify shared interests, so that he can best pair them with our Putney students. Our alumni often report that the homestay portion was one of the most impactful portions of their experience and led to measurable progress toward fluency.
What types of service projects do students participate in on this program?
During the Language China program, all students participate in a few service activities, such as trail maintenance, designed to deepen their connection to the local community and culture.
How many service hours can students expect to receive?
Students on our Language China program can expect to receive a digital service certificate after the program that confirms their participation in 10–15 service hours. The certificate will specify the exact number of hours completed, based on our host community’s identified projects for the group.
What is an Independent Project?
All students on Putney programs pursue an independent project as a way to more deeply engage with aspects of local culture that are of particular interest to them—in China you might study different styles of Chinese calligraphy, make a photo journal about Tibetan architecture, or learn several traditional cooking recipes from your host family.
What is the technology and cell phone policy?
To encourage full engagement and immersion in the Putney Student Travel experience, we limit the use of cell phones and other devices on our High School programs. Students are allowed to use their phones in transit to and from the program. During in-country orientation, leaders facilitate a call home, then collect and securely store all phones for the first half of the program. At the end of this tech-free period, leaders return student phones for the second half of the program. During the tech-free portion of the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
How physically active is this program?
This is a physically active summer travel program that involves hiking, light outdoor work, and city walking during students’ time in China. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
Does this program visit high altitudes?
Yes, this program visits a few high altitude destinations. At certain points during the excursion into Western Sichuan, the group travels through areas over 8,000 feet (~2450 meters) in altitude, and some moderate hikes reach elevations as high as 10,000 feet (~3000 meters).
What are the accommodations for this program?
The group stays in a range of different accommodations throughout the program, including hotels, hostels, rustic guesthouses, and private homes. Leaders reside with students for the duration of the program.
What are meals like in China?
Meals are taken in restaurants or family homes. Most meals consist of varied regional cuisine with dishes often including a balance of grains, vegetables, and proteins.
What type of student is most successful on this program?
Putney’s Mandarin immersion program is designed for high school students (grades 9–12) who are aiming to improve their Mandarin language skills through real-world cultural immersion. Students who are excited about cultural immersion and diving into new experiences will thrive on this program. This program also features a strong focus on conservation and biodiversity, making the program a great fit for students interested in environmental science and conservation.
What makes China a good location for a Putney Student Travel program?
China is home to over a billion people and covers a vast and diverse landscape, making it an ideal destination for language immersion and cultural exploration. During the program, students are able to fully immerse themselves in communities from the eastern coast to the western highlands, experiencing the cultural and linguistic diversity of China. Our local partners in China are experts in sharing Chinese culture through down-to-earth, hands-on learning, including through the generous hospitality of our host families. We partner with environmental education specialists in Western Sichuan who provide opportunities for our students to dive into wildlife conservation, rural sustainable economics, and China’s biodiversity. Putney has a long history of student programs in China, first traveling there in 1986 to live with Chinese families in an agricultural commune still closed to Westerners in Shandong Province.
How does the China program compare to Putney’s other Language immersion programs?
Language China is our only language immersion program with a focus on Mandarin language learning. This program is also designed to explore many diverse regions of China and includes a strong conservation component during our time in rural communities in Western Sichuan. Language China is our only language immersion program that includes community service hours and a service certificate.
What outcomes, skills, or growth can students expect to gain from this experience?
Students return home from this program having gained confidence and skill in speaking Mandarin, able to communicate with more depth and accuracy, having fostered strong connections with native speakers. Our program and leaders support students as they work toward language fluency, but also cultural fluency, with workshops and lessons designed to provide students with the real-world context for the language tools they learn. Students complete an independent project at the end of the program and leave with specialized knowledge and practice in a focus area of their choosing. Additionally, students gain confidence and independence as travelers and peers, walking away with new friendships and an expanded global perspective.
A Day in the Life: Western Sichuan
Due to the traveling nature of this summer program abroad, each day is different. Here is a snapshot of a day in Western Sichuan.
- Morning
8:00am
Enjoy a family-style breakfast at your guest house
9:00am
Join your group for a language lesson to practice agricultural terms
10:00am
Travel up to the rose fields with local farmers and learn the harvesting process
- Afternoon
12:00pm
Eat lunch at a traditional restaurant serving Tibetan cuisine
1:00pm
Visit a local family home and learn how to dry the roses you collected
4:00pm
Participate in a traditional rose ceremony with the local community
- Evening
6:00pm
Try Sichuanese Hot Pot for dinner with your group
9:00pm
End the day with nightly group meeting
“She gained more confidence in herself, gained very close friendships, became less nervous about speaking a second language, and learned so much about traveling in a group. The program gave her a great sense of accomplishment.”
—Shaun & Alexandra A., Boston, MA
