美国学生:在中国的一年

For many high school students, the new school year brings new books and different teachers, but the same old routine. Not so for 63 students mostly from the US. This year will certainly be one to remember.

As students with Beijing with the School Year Abroad exchange program, they'll be studying Chinese and living with local host families for the next 9 months.

Some students have studied Chinese language before in their schools back home, but others have little or no background in the language. Assistant Program Director Shi Lili, has been with the program since it started in 1994, and says the students here learn quickly.

"You will see. Now is the beginning - by the end of the year everyone will speak very fluently in Chinese."

Li Yan, a Chinese teacher with the program, explains how students are able to learn so quickly.

"First off, I think they have motivation to study. They have the environment - they live in Beijing, and live with host families, so they have to survive - to speak Chinese."

On their second full day in China, I joined the students on a trip to the Lama Temple to ask about their first impressions of their new home. Here's Aubrey Prona

"I met my host family, they were very nice. They don't speak English, so that was freaking me out a little, but I could handle. We were at this restaurant and there were all detailed HD photos of these weird looking dishes. I just looked at some random dish and thought 'What am I doing here? I'm in Beijing China, this is insane.'"

This is Emily from Hawaii.

"My parents thought I was a little crazy coming here because I can't speak Chinese at all, but I'm Asian so people tend to think 'Oh,  she is Chinese.' But then when they try to talk to me, I don't know how to say anything. Honestly, it makes me feel really nervous to go out."

Here's Michael Adrian Chavez.

"It's actually my first time out of the country, my first time going to California to go to Beijing, my first time in a big city. So it's been a lot of changes but it's for the best. I've been to a lot of people, even relatives, and said 'I'm going to China!' and they've said 'Oh, I'm sorry' and I said 'No, it's a voluntary choice', especially with a lot of traditional New Mexicans. But again, that's one of the reasons I came here - so I could combat that."

As the students settle in, China may seem strange and foreign. But chances are that feeling won't last long. Shi Lili remembers what happened after the US bombed China's embassy in Belgrade in 1999, and local Chinese gathered to protest outside the US embassy in Beijing.

"Some of our students from America joined them, wearing shirts that said 'I stand on your side' and threw rocks at the embassy. We knew this later."

During the year, the students study Chinese history and extracurriculars like Chinese instruments and Tai Chi. They'll also study math and english to keep up with their counterparts in US high schools, but for most of them this year will be all about steeping themselves in Chinese culture.

For CRI, I'm Seth Coleman.