New! Summer 2013 Beijing Academy

June 24 — July 18, 2013 

Middlebury-Monterey is the gold standard for residential language and cultural immersion programs. Our new Beijing Academy features the same renowned curriculum and format as our US-based academies to provide students the once-in-a-lifetime experience to immerse themselves in the language and culture of one of the world’s most fascinating cities.

Steeped in the richness of the past and at the center of modern day China, Beijing is the ideal location to study Chinese. We’ve partnered with CET Academic Programs and the Beijing Institute of Education, both of which are highly respected educational institutions with deep roots in China. These strategic partnerships allow us to deliver Middlebury College’s renowned immersion curriculum in a safe, fun and enriching environment. Apply Now!

Questions? Call: 855-748-4732

Frequently Asked Questions

Program Eligibility and Overview

• Open to rising 10th graders and above with at least one year of Chinese 
• Language instruction by Middlebury-Monterey and CET Beijing teachers
• The same immersion pedagogy and Language Pledge as US academies
• Curriculum includes formal classroom instruction, electives, residential learning opportunities and field trips
• Activities and excursions include interactive visits to both sites and wondrous cultural and historic locations.
• Day trip outside of Beijing on the third weekend of the program.
• A pre-departure orientation is held in San Francisco for US-based students with departure to Beijing later that day. Dates and Fees

Partner Organizations

CET Academic Programs is a US-based study abroad organization that has been designing and administering innovative educational programs since 1982 and operating in China for 30 years. It is among the largest American program providers operating in China today, enrolling more than 650 students.

Beijing Institute of Education hosts CET’s Chinese Language program and is the site of Middlebury-Monterey’s Beijing Academy. It’s small, sequestered campus in a quiet neighborhood with easy access to the entire city. The only other American students on campus are CET’s students, all of whom abide by a Chinese-only language pledge. CET’s students may take advantage of top notch facilities, including comfortable, renovated dormitories and an excellent cafeteria for three daily meals. 

Faculty Bios

Bernard Geoxavier, Language Director

Bernard began working with MMLA in the summer of 2010 as a Chinese teacher at the Bard College-Great Barrington Summer Language Academy. After beginning graduate studies in China at the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) - Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies (HNC), he continued working on Chinese language instruction with Middlebury Interactive Languages online Chinese Level One Course. He has been a charter member of the National Language Service Corps since 2009, contributing to a national database of foreign language speakers to be called upon as needed. Previously, Bernard taught middle and high school level Mandarin Chinese at Belmont Hill School. Bernard holds a B.A. from Middlebury College and a joint M.A. from Johns Hopkins University and Nanjing University.

Shuang Gou, Teacher

Shuang began with MMLA in 2010 as a Chinese instructor in Oberlin. In 2012, she returned to work for MMLA at Pomona Currently, Shuang is building the first year Chinese program at the Bush School in Seattle, Washington. Previously, she served as an Assistant Professor of Chinese at the Defense Language Institute and a Teaching Assistant at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She also taught ESL classes at the Seattle Central Community College and Chengdu University of Information Technology. Shuang holds Bachelor’s degrees in English and Chinese from the Chengdu University and the Renmin University of China respectively. Additionally, she holds a Master’s degree in Language Education from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Tonglin Xia, Teacher

Tonglin joined MMLA in 2012 as a teacher at Swarthmore College. For more than a decade, Tonglin lived in England, where he created and grew the Chinese-language program in the middle and high school at The American School in London. Tonglin currently teaches Chinese at Norwood School in suburban Washington, DC. He is an 8th Grade Advisor, volleyball coach, and moderator of the China Club. Born in Beijing and raised in China, Tonglin has a teacher’s certificate from Xianyang Teachers College, Shaanxi Province, and holds a B.A. from Daito Bunka University in Tokyo.

Questions? Call: 855-748-4732