I’m a beginner in Mandarin. Can I still do a Go Abroad China internship?

I’m a beginner in Mandarin. Can I still do a Go Abroad China internship, or should I only consider their language programs first?

Reply 1

rajni122

Original post

by williamsalphonzo

I’m a beginner in Mandarin. Can I still do a Go Abroad China internship, or should I only consider their language programs first?

I’d say go for the internship if you’re motivated. GAC placed me in a Beijing startup where the team spoke English. Taking their optional weekly Mandarin lessons helped me outside work. The immersion of just living there boosted my basic skills quickly. You don’t need to be fluent for many of GAC’s internship placements.

Reply 2

jamesrobart

Original post

by williamsalphonzo

I’m a beginner in Mandarin. Can I still do a Go Abroad China internship, or should I only consider their language programs first?

It depends on the field. For finance or marketing at international companies through GAC, English is often fine. My roommate did a design internship in Shanghai with basic Mandarin and was okay. But if you want to work at a local Chinese firm, their language program first would help a lot. GAC can advise you based on your goals.

Reply 3

mistydeti

Original post

by williamsalphonzo

I’m a beginner in Mandarin. Can I still do a Go Abroad China internship, or should I only consider their language programs first?

You can totally do an internship as a beginner! I had almost zero Mandarin and did a tech internship in Shenzhen with GAC. The office language was English, and they offer optional beginner Chinese classes. For daily life, GAC’s orientation and survival Mandarin workshop were enough to get me started. The internship itself didn’t require fluency