If you’re one of the many Beijing expats painfully picking up putonghua, then you’ve probably wondered if there was a quicker way to become fluent than attending evening classes or studying the occasional flashcard. As foreign students at the School Year Abroad (SYA) China Program quickly learn, living with a Chinese family, especially a family that doesn’t speak English, can really kickstart your understanding of the language - it also provides a fascinating insight into China and the Chinese that most laowei regrettably miss out on.

SYA China, located on the campus of Middle School No.2 (attached to Beijing Normal University), opened its doors in 1994, and was the first educational establishment in China with government permission to place students in host families for an entire academic year. The major objective of the 12-month program is to rapidly develop students’ Chinese, and allow them to experience, understand and enjoy the diverse nature of Chinese culture. All students in the program, who are predominantly from the US, are taught Chinese by Chinese teachers, and also receive regular classes in a wide range of other academic subjects.

For some students, especially those who have never left their home country before, the term rapid immersion can seem like a bit of an understatement as they depart Beijing airport and hours later sit down to eat their first meal with an average Beijing family. However, all families are carefully vetted by the school first, and students soon become acclimatized. Indeed, the homestay is the beating heart of the SYA program in Beijing, giving students a unique opportunity to experience the daily rhythm of Chinese life and Chinese family relations.

Talking to SYA students, a marked lack of homesickness quickly becomes apparent. Although many are accustomed to living abroad, and move around the globe on a frequent basis, for the majority China is the country most radically different to their own. However, all seem to be relishing their time here. Kimberly Shastid, from Kentucky, elaborates, “There are three things I love about living in Beijing. Firstly, the chance to meet new people. There are so many people here that you hardly ever meet the same person twice. Secondly, the prices. Everything is so cheap compared to the US. Thirdly, I enjoy the freedom. It’s nice being able to take a cab anywhere you want and have your host parents’ trust.”

All the SYA students seem to have quickly adjusted to life with their host families. Kimberly continues, “It’s actually pretty easy living with a Chinese family. My host mother is very kind to me and treats me like a daughter. She is really talkative and even complains about her neighbours to me! The biggest difference between my real parents and host parents is that my host mother always asks me what I want to eat for every meal – in the States my parents just cook what they want and make enough for everybody!”

As with most foreigners who first arrive in China, certain aspects of Chinese life did initially give rise to equal amounts of irritation and amusement amongst this year’s SYA crowd. Spitting, staring and the state of public toilets, all regular gripes amongst the expat community, are mentioned, as is the tendency of many Chinese to overcharge anyone with a foreign face. All in all, however, the students are far more critical of other laowei in Beijing than native Beijingers. “Many foreigners never learn the language – they just stay enclosed in their own little bubble. This is the same for many students at the international schools – they miss out because they don’t really integrate into Chinese society,” says one girl.

There are obviously still things that some students miss from back home. Doug Proctor from Washington DC talks about his favorite cereal, Captain Crunch, with misty eyes. His classmates mention baths, the ocean and big department stores. The longer they live in Beijing however, the less the students seem to miss the little luxuries, and the way they view their own country tends to change.

Zander Pease from Boston explains, “In some ways you learn to value your own country more. We certainly don’t envy the Chinese school kids with their high pressure education system and lack of personal freedom. They work so hard it’s crazy. On the other hand I’ve come to realize how materialistic my own country can be. Living in China has given me a real appreciation of money – I even started bargaining when I went back home! The West can certainly learn from the Chinese in terms of family values, hospitality and general politeness and sincerity.”

Sitting down to eat dinner with Nawa Lanzilotti from Hawaii and her host family, the close relationship between host parents and host daughter is both apparent and touching. Nawa lives with the Zhao family in a small apartment about a 15-minute bus ride from the school. This is the second year that the Zhaos have had an SYA student to stay with them, and they too seem to be loving and benefiting from the experience.

Mrs. Zhao explains the reason why she and her husband, a musical instrument maker, applied to be a host family, “Actually it wasn’t our idea, it was our daughter’s. She didn’t tell us she had applied to the SYA, so when we first got a phone call from the school it was a bit of a surprise! Being an only child our daughter wanted someone near her own age to communicate with and practice English.” Over the past year and a half Mrs. Zhao says she and her husband have learnt a lot from their two American host daughters. “We’ve taught each other. The way my husband and I think about certain things and handle problems has changed because of our experience. I have really enjoyed passing on the beautiful aspects of Chinese culture to my host daughters, and in return they have given me special things too.” She is now studying English every day so that when next year’s host daughter arrives, they won’t have to rely so much on body language in the early stages of the stay.

In order to give students an experience of China beyond Beijing, SYA organizes a number of study trips, usually by train, to places of historical and cultural importance. Travel destinations change each year, and in the past SYA has visited almost every province and major city in China. During the first semester, travel focuses on places of historical significance, including important urban centers. During the second semester, the focus shifts to more remote destinations, with an emphasis on trekking, rural village homestays and learning about China’s ethnic minorities.

On these trips outside Beijing, SYA frequently arranges activities with local schools so that students can get a taste of what life is like for their Chinese counterparts in various areas of the country. This year’s students have recently returned from three weeks in Yunnan, and will be traveling to Tibet at the end of this semester. In the past this trip has focused on Tibetan culture and religion in the Amdo or Kham regions, including homestays in Tibetan villages and camping with Tibetan nomads.

Jeff Bissell, Resident Director of the SYA China Program, explains, “I arrange these school trips with a few things in mind. We want to go to places and do things that will give kids a view of China that reflects more accurately the way most people here live. Two thirds of Chinese live in rural areas, and the students need to understand how these folks live too if they really want to claim to know something about this country. Because our students are quite proficient in Mandarin they are able to enjoy a significant amount of contact with local people wherever we go, and the potential for them to learn a great deal about peasants in Sichuan or monks in Yunnan is pretty high.”

He continues, “Most SYA students would admit that trips are both physically and psychologically challenging. This is intentional; most of our students come from relatively comfortable backgrounds, and my perception is that American kids are less tuned in to the fact that people around the world live differently, more simply, and less comfortably. It is good for them to see and experience this first hand. Together with the relatively challenging hiking and trekking this can make our trips quite a transformative experience for many.”

Despite its fairly demanding nature, travel to other provinces, together with host family life, is the highlight of most SYA students’ time in China. Kimberly Shastid fondly recalls a journey last year to south west China’s Guizhou Province. “We stayed in a village called Gaoyan. I liked it because the mountains were hidden behind fog in the mornings, because the kids in the village like dancing the macarena, because my host mother let me help her cook, because my little brother gave me his last piece if candy, because they grew their own food, and because my host grandmother put her hand on my knee.”

It seems like more than a few students will be reluctant to leave China when their stay is up. When asked what she’ll miss the most about life in Beijing, Kimberly replies without hesitation, “The food – my host mother’s food. Before I got to China I thought the Chinese ate fortune cookies, but now I realize how ignorant I was. I can just imagine myself ordering Chinese food back home and being disgusted by how non-Chinese it’ll be. I’ll really miss chopsticks and communal eating too.”

Given the continued breakneck development of the Chinese economy, the increasing popularity of Chinese language study and the school’s discerning approach to study abroad, it’s a safe bet that the SYA China Program will be welcoming an ever-growing number of foreign students in the coming years. Even if your formative years are well behind you, and the your language skills are a bit lacking, remember that the best way to master Mandarin is to just get out there and speak it – after all, we’re all foreigners living in one huge Chinese family.

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Expat Students -