Int’l Internship & Volunteer Network Discover Infinite Possibilities     Discover China ~ Independent Programs     The Int’l Internship & Volunteer Network is an excellent platform for international participants to gain an exciting and rewarding work experience throughout China. Let us enrich your life internationally!   Beijing:  Beijing, China’s second largest city, is recognized as the political, educational and cultural center of China. The city offers a mix of old and new from the Forbidden City and the Lama Temple to the Beijing Aquarium and the Wan Fung Contemporary Art Gallery. Shanghai:  With a population of more than 18 million, Shanghai is one of the most populous and developed cities in the People's Republic of China. As a place where East meets West, Shanghai is a fascinating mix of culture, architecture and economy.  At times the city has the feel of Paris or Montreal, while Tudor style buildings give a German flair, and the 1930s buildings remind you of New York or Chicago. In the beginning of the 1990s, the Shanghai government launched a series of new strategies to attract foreign investments. The biggest move was to open up Pudong, once a rural area of Shanghai. The strategies succeeded, and now Pudong has become the financial district of Shanghai.   Today Shanghai's goal is to develop into a world-class financial and economic center of China, and even Asia. Since the handover of Hong Kong to the PRC, Shanghai has increased its role in finance, banking, and as a major destination for corporate headquarters, fueling demand for a highly educated and westernized workforce.   ~ ~ ~ Program & Placement Opportunities Applicant Requirements Start Dates & Program Duration Program Fees & Inclusions Accommodations, Meals & Transportation Application Process ~ Benefits of Participation Other Important Information    ~ ~ ~

Program & Placement Opportunities   IIVN offers internship opportunities throughout China, including Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu. Participants may expect to work no more than 35 hours per week. Following is an example of the various fields that we’ve placed prior participants in:   ·         Marketing ·         Accounting ·         Communications ·         Public Relations ·         Graphic Design ·         Consulting ·         Non-profit Organizations ·         International Business/Trade ·         Language Teaching ·         Nursing ·         Journalism ·         Computer Science ·         Engineering ·         Hotels and Restaurants ·         Medical Science ·         Law ……..and a many more     ~ ~ ~  Start Dates & Program Duration Placements are available Year-Round and vary from one (1) to six (6) months in duration, or longer.   Participants are encouraged to apply three (3) to six (6) months in advance of their desired start date. ~ ~ ~   Visit the link below for details regarding our Pre-Med & Inclusive Volunteer opportunities! Pre-Med Programs Inclusive Programs

Accommodations, Meals & Transportation     Accommodations:  If requested, we are happy to assist the participant with securing accommodation that is convenient to their placement location, within their budget, and meets their needs for amenities/furnishings of their choice. The housing will be confirmed prior to the participant leaving their home country.    The approximate cost of living in Shanghai per month is RMB 5000 Yuan to RMB 8500 Yuan. This includes housing (RMB 2000 Yuan to RMB 4500 Yuan including utilities) and RMB 2100 Yuan to RMB 5700 Yuan for food and transportation.  In Beijing, basic accommodations (housing and utilities are available for approximately RMB 2100 Yuan). Following are the housing options available: A.   Less than  RMB 2000 Yuan per month - Furnished single room with a TV, bed, desk, chair, shared kitchen & shower facility, etc. B.   RMB 2000-3000 Yuan per month - Furnished single room with TV, air conditioner, Internet access, shower facility, washing machine, fridge, and shared kitchen. etc. C.  Above RMB 3000 Yuan per month - Luxuriously furnished room with TV, air conditioner, Internet access, fridge, washing machine, independent bathroom, kitchen, etc. D.  Home Stay Program; RMB 950 Yuan - Participants may acquire discounted accommodation provided by a local family or a young professional.  As an exchange, the participant agrees to teach the accommodation provider or someone from the provider’s family, a language (e.g. English) regularly (e.g. one hour a day). We strongly recommend that participants of this program commit to a minimum of 45 days of teaching the accommodation provider. This housing option best suits participants who are in a program lasting less than 3 months.   Meals:  Our Discover China program participants will be on their own for all meals.  In some cases, the host employer may extend one or more meals to the participant as an additional stipend, and/or one to three meals may be included if the participant has chosen a Home Stay accommodation arrangement.   Ground Transportation:  We are pleased to provide all participants with transportation to/from the airport of the host country to their housing location.   ~ ~ ~

Other Important Information   Upon confirmation of your participation, we will begin working with our partners in your chosen city to find an internship that meets your needs perfectly! In some cases, placement may take up to six (6) months from the time the completed application is received! Visa:  Interns may apply for a Tourist Visa, the Business Visit (F-Visa for commerce activities and internship) or an X-Visa (for those studying more than half a year in China and taking part in the internship simultaneously). The F-Visa holder is able to stay in China for a maximum of 6 months.  Participants will receive a Letter of Invitation from the host employer that will assist with acquiring the F-Visa. Recipients of the Tourist Visa or F-Visa may renew the visa no more than twice.   Stipends:  In most cases, we are able to secure a stipend on the participant’s behalf, however, we are unable to guarantee that one will be extended, as it is at the discretion of the host employer.  If a stipend is extended, it varies based on type of placement and the host employers practice.  For example, a placement as an English Teacher could be RMB4000 Yuan per month and it also may include free housing.  A placement in Marketing may offer a stipend of RMB3000 Yuan per month on top of a commission, etc... Typically, participants may expect a minimum stipend of RMB1500 Yuan per month. *Note: stipends are not offered for Medical and Banking placements!   Program Inclusions:  In addition to the standard IIVN program inclusions, our Discover China program also includes; Intern Buddy Program (if desired) – In order to assist participants with their transition to life in China, a qualified and well-trained local university participant/buddy will be assigned to help the participant become familiar with the local culture, environment, language, traffic, lifestyle, etiquette, etc…  Intern Mentor Program – In order to ensure that the participant is able to make the most of their internship experience, a professional from your host employer will be assigned to guide and direct you during your program duration. Language Exchange Program - Every participant is encouraged to join the E-Community, where you can find a language exchange partner to practice your Chinese or other languages. Our receiving organization would also love to help with your language exchange partner arrangement if requested. ·         How does the language exchange work?  Simply put, it works just like a “barter”. You exchange teaching your language for the language you’d like to learn. Who do you want to exchange with? What language would you like to exchange for? How do you want to learn and practice?  This is completely up to you and your language exchange partner!  You and your partner may do the language exchange by chatting, email or instant messaging by arranging a time to practice. You may also do it using the various online messengers such as MSN, Yahoo, and Skype via voice chat, email chat and text chat. Again, you and your partner are bosses on this! ·         What Language Exchange does for you? The Language Exchange enables you to find the right person to exchange languages with you, by getting millions of worldwide language learners together and ready to exchange at the same platform. This platform is organized by your receiving organization and empowered by the Internet. ·         What advantages does the language exchange provide? 1.      Easy and immediate access to a native speaker 2.      Freedom to choose a partner and a way of learning 3.      Practicing with a native speaker 4.      Money and trouble saved from going to a host country 5.      Making friends and acquiring knowledge 6.      Pleasure of learning, sharing and teaching ·         What do you need to do?  Enroll (no charge) and become a member of the language exchange community. Then you are ready to release your language exchange ad and search for a partner who wants to practice your language. ·         How to make the best use of the language exchange? 1.      Work out a win-win exchange agreement with your partner. For instance, take turns to be a teacher. 2.      Make a time schedule with your partner, and keep practicing based on it. The more practice you do, the better you can speak. 3.      Develop a specific practice plan for your partner and yourself. For example, make a list of topics you’d like to practice with your partners. 4.      Keep encouraging each other while practicing.   ·         Tips about learning a language:  It takes time, perseverance and a lot of practice to master a language. 1.      A foreign language may seem boring and daunting at the beginning, but when you hold on and keep digging into it, you will get so much fun and rewards. In other words, the deeper you dig, the more interesting and rewarding it will get! 2.      Learning a language is like playing a badminton or piano. It takes a lot of repetitive practice.   ·         Safety Tips: 1.      We strongly recommend you not to give other members your address, telephone number or language exchange password. 2.      We strongly recommend you not to meet your partners in person even though you’ve been exchanging language for a long time, and you think you know him/her very well. The more insistent somebody is about meeting you the more careful you should be. If you do arrange to meet, we strongly recommend you to go with the companion of a trusted adult. 3.      If a member sends you a message which makes you uncomfortable, you should stop communicating with that member immediately! We encourage you to promptly advise us if this situation occurs!

Additional Program Options: One-on-One Chinese E-Learning Course:  RMB 85 Yuan per hour - This option is a haven for worldwide language learners and is offered exclusively to participants of the Discover China program. This course aims to help the participant with the Chinese language before your arrival in China. The course will be customized based on your current starting level and the desired level you want to achieve. A professional Chinese tutor will be assigned to work with you via the internet and instant messengers (e.g. MSN, YAHOO, and SKYPE).

Chinese Language Learning:  Following are a variety of Chinese Language Learning opportunities to meet your needs:   Internship Chinese Course Culture Course for Interns Survival Chinese Course    Internship Chinese Course - This course is designed specially for international participants who come to China to carry out their internship for a short period of time, usually several months.   Objectives - This course aims to equip participants with the fundamental language competency to surviving and working in a Chinese-speaking environment.   Content - From the language perspective, all the content in this course can be easily used to solve the problems that an international intern will most frequently confront and have to deal with right after he or she lands in China. It is divided into two categories – Daily-life Chinese and Working Chinese. Given the limited time that interns have, all the content has been extracted essentially and pragmatically.   Class Types One-on-one Tutoring 2-3 Group Class     Duration, Schedule & Course Fees   One-Week Crash Course Total hours: 36 From Monday to Saturday Morning Session: 09:00 – 12:00 *each hour includes a 10 minute break. Afternoon Session: 13:00 – 16:00 *each hour includes a 10 minute break. Price One-on-one Tutoring: RMB 4988 Yuan 2-3 Group Class: RMB 2880 Yuan Saturday Course Duration: 6 Saturdays, each with 6 hours (36 total hours) Morning Session:     09:00 – 12:00 Afternoon Session:    13:00 – 16:00   Price One-on-one Tutoring: RMB 4988 Yuan 2-3 Group Class: RMB 2880 Yuan   Culture Course for Interns - This course is specially designed for international interns who come to China to carry out their internship for a short period of time, usually several months.   Objectives - This course aims to help the interns know more about China and its culture so as to make their experience more culturally colorful.   Content - Given the limited time and the richness of Chinese culture, the content has been essentially extracted, which covers various aspects such as history, etiquette, nationality traditions and customs, festivity, etc.   Duration, Schedule & Course Fees   Saturday Course 6 Saturdays with 6 hours each Total hours: 36 Morning Session:    09:00-12:00 Afternoon Session:  13:00-16:00   Price One-on-one Tutoring: RMB 4988 Yuan 2-3 Group Class: RMB 2880 Yuan     Survival Chinese Course Beginner Intermediate Advanced   Beginner Series - The Beginner Series courses include three bands – Band One, Band Two & Band Three. These courses suit participants who have had no or little Chinese foundation. Objectives - Upon completion of the beginner series courses, participants are supposed to master more than 1,000 basic words and 200 sentences. This will enable participants to understand and carry out daily-life communication in such situations as, greeting, self-introduction, shopping, taking a bus or taxi, making phone calls, making appointments, asking for help, ordering food from restaurants, seeing doctors, booking tickets, asking directions, etc.  Schedule for the Beginner Series Courses   Band One - suits the participants who have no or little language foundation. Objectives - Upon the completion, the participants are able to pronounce the Chinese characters correctly by using Chinese phonetic symbols (i.e. Pinyin), master about 350 characters, some basic grammar points and sentence patterns, and carry out conversations efficiently in some daily-life scenarios such as greeting, self-introduction, making a phone call, asking directions, taking a bus or taxi, ordering dishes in a restaurant, shopping in a supermarket, etc. Band Two - This course suits the beginners who have already learned the Chinese Phonetic symbols (Pinyin) and possessed around 350 daily words.     Objectives - In the language points, the participants are supposed to master about 300 new words, 40 grammar points and sentence patterns. In the language application skill, the participants are able to express some feelings, and conduct simple conversations on topics like grocery shopping and entertainment.       Band Three - The course is suitable for people who are able to use simple Chinese to express their feelings. Objectives - When the course is finished, the participants are supposed to master over 400 new words, 50 grammar points and sentence patterns. In the language skill, the participants are enabled to conduct conversations on various topics including custom, transportation, hours renting, repair service, meeting the clients, etc. Moreover, you are able to express your feelings in more detailed and fluent manner.     IntermediateSeries - These courses are suitable for people who travel, live or work in China. The admission on the Intermediate Series Courses requires that the participants  possess about 1,000 words in Chinese, and are able to conduct simple daily-life communication.     Objectives - The Intermediary Series courses include three bands – Band Four, Band Five & Band Six. When the Immediate Series courses are finished, the participants are to possess a vocabulary of around 2000 words, and should be able to speak fluent Chinese in daily life using various sentence structures.   Schedule for Intermediary Series Courses   Intermediary Total Hours Tuition Fee One-on-one 2-3 Group Band Four 60 US$986 US$666 Band Five 60 US$986 US$666 Band Six 60 US$986 US$666       Band Four - This course is suitable for the candidates who have a foundation of Chinese, and are able to conduct simple daily-life communication.     Objectives - This course aims to strengthen the participants’ ability in listening and speaking by covering around 350 new words, 50 grammar points and sentence patterns.   Content - The content covers various topics conversations, which include making friends, introducing personal experience, arranging a travel, communicating with the supervisor about the work, etc.       Band Five - This course is suitable for those who are able to express themselves to some extent, and want to further improve their expression ability in Chinese.     Objectives - When this course is finished, the participants are supposed to possess about 400 new words, 50 grammar points and sentence patterns. In the communication skill, they are enabled to express their ideas in various ways.   Content - This course focus more on the communication skills in how to share views with friends, how to express personal opinions on some common topics such as transportation, local special products, fitness exercises, housing, entertainment, etc, Band Six - This course suits those who are able to express their ideas freely and in various ways.   Objectives - When this course is finished, the participants should possess around 400 new words, 40 grammar points and sentence patterns. Beside the language points, the participants’ are able to conduct communication on some academic topics such as Chinese culture, Chinese way to have dinner, Confucius, Chinese philosophy in keeping healthy, etc.       Advanced Series Introduction - The advanced level includes two courses– Band Seven and Band Eight. Upon the completion of these courses, the participants will further upgrade their communication skills and have a better understanding of Chinese society.     Band Seven - This course is suitable for those who have possessed approximately 2,000 words and are able to speak fluent Chinese in daily life.     Objectives & Content - In the language knowledge, the participants are supposed to possess around 1000 new words and commonly-used phrases. Besides the language itself, the course focus more on communication skills through the discussion of current issues in society, such as the economy, culture, and other facets of Chinese society. The texts are mostly selected from magazines, newspapers and literature.       Band Eight - This course is suitable for those who have possessed approximately 30,00 words and are able to use frequent Chinese to conduct communication on daily life and some academic topics such as economy, history and ethnic custom, etc.   Objectives & Content - In the language knowledge, the participants are supposed to possess around 1000 new words and commonly-used phrases. Besides the language itself, the course focus more on communication skills through the discussion of current issues in society, such as the economy, culture, and other facets of Chinese society. The texts are mostly selected from magazines, newspapers and literature. When the course is finished, the participants are able to speak fluent Chinese in daily life and work situations.     Schedule for Advanced Series Courses   Advanced Total Hours Tuition Fee One-on-one 2-3 Group Band Seven 60 US$986 US$688 Band Eight 60 US$986 US$688   ~ ~ ~   Apply for a Program Return to Home Page