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China Summer Camp | FAQ

1 What are the nationalities of the participants you enroll in the camp?
The international summer camp is open to worldwide participants. We had a diversity of nationalities in previous years. Participants mainly came from USA, Canada, UK, Spain, France, Germany, Singapore, and Malaysia. Other students came from Russia, Italy, Poland, Holland, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, etc. Some of the participants are of Chinese ancestry or are Chinese living abroad.

2 What is the average age for summer camp?
We divide age groups into 7-11, 12-14, and 15-20. The average age for the summer camp is 9, 13, and 18 respectively.

3 What are the session dates?
Jun 17, Jul 01, 15, 29, Aug 12. Duration: 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks. Special arrangements can be made upon request. Full camp students should arrive on Sunday before the program starts and depart on the Saturday following the end of the program.

4 Where is the summer camp held?
There are two destinations: Shanghai and Beijing. At the Chinese language school in Jing’an, Shanghai and Dongcheng, Chaoyang, Beijing, respectively.

5 Do you offer accommodation during summer camp? What’s it like?
Full camp students will homestay with Chinese families or live in shared student apartments. All meals are included. Special accommodation could also be arranged upon request. Families and homes share some common important features:
- located in a nice neighborhood and has convenient public transportation.
- provides a private room fully furnished with a bed, desk, wardrobe, and air-conditioning.
-has all the convenient living facilities, clean and comfortable and enables the student to study quietly.
-friendly and helpful to give the students plenty of opportunity to practice their Chinese.
-easily reach the school by public transportation

6 What kind of food do you serve? Do you have a meal plan during summer camp?
Studying and traveling require the best nutrition. Our choice of food is consistently praised by past participants. Breakfast and dinner are provided in host families or student apartments while lunch is served mostly in traditional Chinese dishes and sometimes foreign dishes in school or restaurants in the vicinity (for homestay campers, breakfast and dinner are served by the host family in homemade style). During weekend excursion trips, food will be served at local restaurants. Many different styles of genuine Chinese cuisine can be tasted. These may include Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Sichuan, Hunan, Cantonese cuisines, etc.
A Typical Sample Menu:
-Breakfast: cereal, bread, sandwich, egg, juice, milk, soymilk, etc
-Lunch: Rice with beef/chicken/pork, spaghetti, dumplings, fried rice, noodle etc
-Dinner: Chinese meals (meat, fish, vegetable, soup etc)
Three meals are provided daily to full camp students. Only lunches are provided to day camp students. Special requests like vegetarian, and food allergies can be catered to as long as prior notice is given to us.

7 How are students placed into the right class?
The Chinese courses at MandarinRocks summer camp are offered at all levels from total beginners to advanced. We ask students to grade themselves on a 0-9 scale module and provide past learning experience info for our reference. We will further evaluate students on arrival or first day in the form of writing or interview in order to place them into the appropriate class. Besides language level, age is the other consideration.

8 How about teachers and teaching methodology?
We’ve carefully selected a faculty among all our teachers with rich experience in teen and adult teaching. All of them are Chinese natives with university degrees, experienced and passionate about teaching their native language. All of them speak English or other languages. Classes are conceived to be sufficiently interesting and entertaining to motivate students to the fullest, but we simultaneously optimize class time by encouraging conversation and discussion in a serious and professional manner. Our aim is for students to enjoy themselves while learning as much as possible in a short period of time. The methodology is centered on a communicative approach, utilizing diverse techniques to cover the fundamentals of language learning: grammar, speaking, listening, vocabulary, pronunciation, writing & intercultural competence. For beginners, the teaching content will be conducted in Pinyin while for more advanced students, Chinese characters are an integral part of the learning content.

9 How many students are there in a class?
The maximum size of each class is limited to 10 (average 3-6) to ensure every student gets full attention from the teacher and has ample time for practice.

10 What is the ratio of counselors to students?
It is around 1 to 8. Counselors chaperone all organized activities and trips.

11 What are the activities that you offer?
They include sports activities like martial arts, ping pong, badminton, cultural workshops like calligraphy, Chinese painting, paper cut and other relaxing activities like city tours, movies, acrobatic shows, karaoke, barbeque, etc. The activities cater to different age groups.

12 Who can join the program? I don't know any Chinese. Can I still join?
Many of our students are just learning Chinese and traveling to China for the first time. We look for students who are interested and learning and improving the Chinese language and those with an inquisitive thirst for cultural diversity, and adventure.

13 What languages are spoken?
Mandarin and English are spoken by school staff. Some of our teachers are conversant in other foreign languages like French, German, Japanese, etc. English is not widely spoken on streets in Shanghai or Beijing, so speak as much Chinese as possible!

14 What should students bring for the camp?
Personal travel documents, enough summer clothing to change for a week, hat, flip flops, sunglasses, sun protection, rain gear, personal medicine/hygiene products, a small school bag, and some pocket money.

15 How much money should students bring on themselves?
We suggest 100-200USD/week for personal spending or more for shopping for souvenirs and gifts.

16 What currency is used in China? Can I use credit cards?
Chinese Yuan (RMB) is the national currency. Any foreign currency including US Dollars is NOT accepted. There are currency exchange services in most banks. Credit cards are accepted in most business establishments, but some only accept credit cards issued in China, so it’s still best to bring sufficient cash.

17 Can I bring a laptop/pad and cell phone?
Yes, you can. But you need to take care of your valuable belongings yourself. No locker or safe is available in school or accommodation.

18 What electricity is used?
The local electricity supply is 220 volts 50 cycles AC. You will need to supply your own international standard adapter if you plan to power and recharge your electronic devices.

19 We will go to China by ourselves. Who should I contact once we are there?
All pre-arrangement will be made by us. We will arrange airport pick-up based on your flight information. For those who are already in Shanghai or Beijing, you can contact our office directly.

20 How safe is the program?
Both Shanghai and Beijing are very safe cities. Violent crimes are very rare even in the poorest neighborhoods. In our program, students (under 15) are chaperoned by experienced counselors all the time, from having meals, afternoon activities and weekend trips. Any private outings are subject to the parent’s prior written consent and our approval. The specific days, frequency and times are carefully determined by us for each student. All students are required to be back in their room before 10pm, regardless of age.

21 Do I need traveler's insurance?
We want you to bring home good memories, but no matter how hard one tries, there might be some things people just can’t plan for. It’s a must that campers possess valid medical and travel insurance throughout the program.

22 How much freedom can students get? Can students go out to explore on their own?
We arrange plenty of outdoor activities and sightseeing for students in our program. Our counselors will chaperone all these activities. Students aged over 15 can freely explore the city on their own in their free time off the school class, organized activities or trips. We are aware that some younger students are more mature than age and do enjoy a certain level of freedom at home and expect to be able to meet with friends and go off-campus in an unsupervised fashion. For this reason, we allow our students under 15 a limited number of unescorted trips off-campus during our program. The specific days, frequency, and times are determined by us. This is possible if and only if we receive written consent from students’ parents or guardians.

23 I will accompany my child to join the camp. Is it possible?
Yes, parents can join the camp together with their kids. In the morning when kids are taking Chinese lessons, parents can take a Chinese course with adult learners. They can eat lunch and join weekday activities with kid(s) too. Family accommodation can be arranged and family camp can be customized.

24 Can relatives/friends visit participants? Can they go out with relatives during camp?
Yes. Friends or relatives are welcome to visit students at the school. They can stay for lunch, or even join the activities or excursions with students for a fee proportionally. With consent from parents or guardians, students can leave the camp with their relatives, but they should notify us and get approval before they leave and notify us when coming back.

25 Is the Internet connection available?
Internet access is everywhere in the city. In school, there are computers you may use for checking the news, and emails free of charge (time is limited so that everyone has the chance to use the computer). There is a free wireless connection in the entire building too. In host families or student apartments, there is cable or wireless internet. Students who bring their own computers can connect to the Internet conveniently after a simple setup. There are public internet cafés available as well around the school.

26 How and where do I apply for a visa?
No specific visa type is required by the Chinese government to study Chinese at a language school or attend summer camp. As a general practice guideline, students are suggested to apply for L (tourist) visa in your local Chinese embassy or consulate and it’s the most convenient.

27 How can I book and join your summer camp?
1. Submit the booking form online
2. We will contact you via e-mail or phone in 2 working days
3. Pay a 500USD deposit within 7 days to confirm the booking
4. Pay full payment before the booking/payment deadline
5. Advice and information will be provided before your departure
6. Succeed! Start summer camp experience!

28 When and how do I pay?
A deposit of 500USD for each student and each accompanying parent, deductable from the total (NON-REFUNDABLE), must be paid within 7 days after your submit booking (you will receive an invoice from us). This deposit is not an additional cost. The balance must be paid at least 1 month before arrival. Students currently in Shanghai or Beijing can pay by credit card or cash in person at school. Students from other cities or abroad can only pay by bank transfer. Bank details are contained in the invoice we issue to you.

29 It's passed the application deadline, can I still enroll in your program?
Late applicants are accepted on a case-to-case basis. You can inquire us for availability.

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MandarinRocks (Shanghai)
Tel +86 21 62550715
Fax +86 21 62883988
E-mail: info@mandarinrocks.com

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