Every year, several hundred secondary school students from around the UK spend three weeks in China learning Mandarin Chinese and exploring different aspects of Chinese culture and history as well as making friends with local Chinese students. These intensive lively courses are both exciting and challenging.

For the students, adapting to some of the local customs and food can be tough - but the experience is rewarding and an excellent opportunity for personal development and raising cultural perspectives. Many of the students return to the UK enlightened by their China experience and go on to study Mandarin at GCSE level or even at university.

The Mandarin Chinese Immersion Summer Schools are run by a local university or school in major Chinese cities, such as, Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Kunming, Xiamen. A typical week on a Summer School in Beijing, for example, might include 15 hours of language classes, a visit to the Forbidden City, seminars on cookery and Chinese Opera, tai ji and calligraphy classes, as well as kite flying and a chance to stay with a local Chinese family.

In the UK, the Mandarin Chinese Immersion Summer is funded by the DfES. Through this programme, we are supporting the learning of Chinese in the UK.