China: Language and Culture Immersion Study Programme 4 17 January 2015 Language learning lies at the heart of this China study programme. Practice your Chinese language skills (Mandarin or Cantonese) during daily activities, at whatever level, whilst exploring Guangdong Province on the South China Sea coast. Accompanied by a Mandarin-speaking group leader, visit key historical and cultural sites. Check out China s booming cities, including the former colonies of Hong Kong and Macao. Learn about Guangdong's economic boom and the impact this has had on the local people and environment. This study programme will be led by an accomplished research fellow with vast experience in teaching languages, languages acquisition and curriculum development for second language learning. Programme objectives: Experience first-hand Putonghua (Mandarin) and local dialects still active in the cities and countryside of Guangdong. Learn how old foreign concession areas are preserving or promoting their rich architectural and historical heritage. Visit famous historical sights and see how modern tourism industry is promoting these regions. Compare life in Guangdong with that in the two former colonial outposts of Macao and Hong Kong. Build the capacity to implement the Australian Curriculum s cross-curriculum priority of Asia and Australia s engagement with Asia across learning areas. Curriculum resources to support studies of Asian languages: AEF engages and partners with education stakeholders to expand opportunities to progress Asian languages and studies in Australian schools. http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/languages China For country information, visit www.dfat.gov.au/geo/china University of Melbourne Asia Education Foundation, 2014
Itinerary This programme is subject to change. Every attempt has been made to ensure that all of the information in this itinerary is correct at the time of printing. However, Asia Education Foundation reserves the right to adjust the programme in response to variations in transport timetables and other changed circumstances. Date Location Programme Day 1 Sunday 4 January Depart home ports Depart from your nearest international airport, arriving in Hong Kong late afternoon. Attend group briefing with your AEF group leader. Day 2 Monday 5 January Hong Kong (island side) Full day: orientate yourself with a walking tour of Hong Kong Island s Central District, including a visit to the University of Hong Kong s Mandarin Language Centre. The centre strives to be a worldclass hub for the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language and an international institute for research and collaboration in the promotion of Chinese heritage and cross-cultural exchange. Evening: attend group dinner and meeting. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included Morning: transfer from Hong Kong to Shenzhen on the Pearl River Delta using local transport services. Day 3 Tuesday 6 January Hong Kong/ Shenzhen On arrival in Shenzhen, participate in a walking tour of the Dongmen area. Witness Shenzhen's modern cityscape, a major financial centre and now considered one of the fastest-growing cities in the China. Transfer from Shenzhen to Guangzhou using local bus services and on to Shamian Island. Day 4 Wednesday 7 January Shenzhen/ Guangzhou Explore Shamian ( sandy surface ) Island with a walking tour. The island is a gazetted historical area that serves as a tranquil reminder of the colonial European period, with quiet pedestrian avenues flanked by trees and lined with historical buildings in various states of upkeep. University of Melbourne Asia Education Foundation, 2014 Programme Itinerary: Page 4 of 4
Date Location Programme Morning: spend the morning visiting a local school to investigate bilingual language policy. Day 5 Thursday 8 January Guangzhou Afternoon: participate in a briefing with Australian Government representatives about Australia China relations. Follow this with a walking tour of the city s key sites. Evening: attend a group meeting to reflect on programme activities. Over dinner, we will have time to reflect on the visit. Day 6 Friday 9 January Guangzhou/ Kaiping Transfer from Guangzhou to Kaiping using local bus services. On arrival in Kaiping, participate in a walking tour of key city sites such as the Li Garden and Zili Village. Day 7 Saturday 10 January Kaiping Enjoy a full day of programme activities including exploration of the many watchtowers that are locally known as Dialou in Kaiping. Now listed on the United Nations World Heritage List, Kaiping is fast becoming a prominent tourist attraction. Dialous have a combination of architectural design and styles including Baroque, Islamic, Gothic and Roman. Day 8 Sunday 11 January Kaiping/ Zhanjiang Morning: depart early from Kaiping to Zhanjiang using local bus services. Afternoon: participate in a walking tour of the old French concession (Guangzhouwan) areas. Day 9 Monday 12 January Zhanjiang Tour the surrounding countryside of Zhanjiang, including a visit to Cujin Park, Chikan Museum and Huguangyan Park. Day 10 Tuesday 13 January Zhanjiang/ Zhuhai Travel via local coach from Zhanjiang to Zhuhai. Originally one of the Special Economic Zones, Zhuhai is also known as the Chinese Riviera. Key sites during today s programme will include New Yuanmingyuan Garden and the Royal Stone Archways. Learn about the importance of the Pearl River and the impact of water pollution in this region. University of Melbourne Asia Education Foundation, 2014 Programme Itinerary: Page 4 of 4
Date Location Programme Day 11 Wednesday 14 January Zhuhai/ Aomen Depart from Zhuhai and travel to Aomen. Afternoon: tour Aomen s (Macau s) two islands, Taipa and Coloane. Morning: gather resources to use in your classroom before departing Aomen. Day 12 Thursday 15 January Aomen/ Hong Kong Transfer from Aomen to Hong Kong, and then participate in a group meeting to reflect on programme learnings. Evening: attend a group farewell dinner. Share the experiences of the last 10 days with your fellow colleagues and discuss how they will translate into your teaching practice in 2015. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included Day 13 Friday 16 January Hong Kong/ Home ports Morning: depending on your departure time, you might have time to do a little more exploration of the vibrant city-state of Hong Kong. Depart Hong Kong for home ports (refer to your individual flight itineraries). Study programme land costs We aim to provide you with the very best value for an incredibly intense schedule of activity. Allow $3,450 per person, twin share, for the study programme s land costs. Accommodation Accommodation will be in 3 4 star hotels. Hotels are often unrated, but comfort, cleanliness and proximity to local facilities are the guiding factors in our choice of places for you to stay. Accommodation will be on a twin-share basis. Sharing a room with a fellow traveller is often a welcome part of the experience and if you are on your own, we can partner you with another participant. There are limited opportunities for single accommodation (with a supplementary payment of $1025), so book early if this is your preference. Flight costs Participants can book and organise their own airfares to China or utilise the group airfares held by AEF via its preferred travel provider. Those participants making their own way to China are expected to meet the group at the first hotel listed in the study programme itinerary (provided closer to departure). Group leader You will be accompanied by one or more of the AEF s trusted, knowledgeable and helpful group leaders to make sure your programme runs smoothly. Our leaders work with our in-country service providers, hosts, guest speakers and the relevant authorities to ensure that your experience fully meets our promise and as our group leaders are specialists, they are able to provide professional learning guidance in workshops and discussion groups. University of Melbourne Asia Education Foundation, 2014 Programme Itinerary: Page 4 of 4
Meals We aim for an authentic dining experience, adjusted where necessary. Most meals are included, but there are also opportunities for you to explore the local restaurants. Wherever possible we try to meet special dietary requirements but we can t always guarantee personal preferences. Tax deductible Contact your tax advisor to find out whether your study programme expenses are tax deductible. Many of our travellers have found that they can claim against tax and significantly reduce the cost of the trip. Meals We aim for an authentic dining experience, adjusted where necessary. Most meals are included, but there are also opportunities for you to explore the local restaurants. Wherever possible we try to meet special dietary requirements but we can t always guarantee personal preferences. Transport We take care of all the transfers and ground transport detailed in the itinerary; we will also cover the internal flight arrangements for those using the group airfares via our preferred travel provider. During your leisure time, transport is at your own expense but we find that in any case, most of our guests prefer to walk and soak up the local atmosphere. In summary Inclusions Exclusions 3 4 star accommodation ground transport not listed in the itinerary experienced group leader meals not listed in the itinerary airport transfers (only if you are travelling on the group airfares) private coach tips and gratuities entrance fees and other expenses linked to optional activities ground transport as listed in the itinerary photography and camera expenses meals included in the itinerary visas entrance fees to sites listed in the itinerary English-speaking guide for programme activities extras bills at hotels for laundry, telephone calls, refreshments etc personal travel insurance We need a minimum of 12 participants for this tour. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis, so book your place as soon as you can. Be assured that your safety and wellbeing are our prime concern. We choose accommodation and restaurants with your comfort and enjoyment in mind, and we use only licensed travel providers. Further information For more details please phone (+613) 8344 4800 or email studyprogrammes@asialink.unimelb.edu.au. Registrations close Friday 31 October 2014 University of Melbourne Asia Education Foundation, 2014 Programme Itinerary: Page 4 of 4