communication_guidelines

**Staying in touch…without making it a crutch**
=== In order to fully benefit from all of the things that will make our exchange with Shanghai Foreign Language School successful, it is important to follow some important communication procedures with your families. We are going to use different methods to communicate that will let your families experience what we are doing and let them know you are doing well without feeling the need to frequently speak to you by phone. Maintaining frequent contact back home will greatly diminish the learning experience that prompted you to participate in this trip. It is extremely important to keep your focus and attention on being immersed in the Chinese culture and language. ===

Communication guidelines
=== · We are asking that parents refrain from calling you or the chaperones unless it is an extreme emergency. The time difference is 13 hours, which creates challenges calling China at a convenient time. It is important to consider how the news of an emergency (family illness, loss of a pet, sibling taking your room while you’re gone) will affect you and your ability to process it in a foreign environment. ===

· Updates from the group will be posted online frequently to inform people back home of our trip. You will be able to post messages or contribute to this group page.
=== · You will have access to e-mail but it is important to carefully consider how you use it. Any communication that could cause concern back home without informing the chaperones can create unnecessary anxiety and possible problems. It is important to share any concern that you have with the chaperones first, and then we will try to address it. If it is determined that a call home is warranted then we will do this together. ===

· We will explain to your parents that the adage, “No news is good news” applies to our trip. The chaperones will call home in the event of an emergency or major change in the program.
=== · You are allowed to bring mobile phones but it is important that they be used only to contact chaperones while in China and not for contact home that is unauthorized. The primary concern is that you will use it as a crutch to get you through a tough moment (argument with host sibling, food issues, embarrassing moment) instead of trying to adapt to the situation and problem solve with the help of chaperones. Again, we will ask parents to help us refrain from receiving unauthorized calls from you and encourage you to talk to us directly before we talk to them. ===


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不给小费 fei\
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厕所 ＝ 洗手间 = 卫生间 wei\ sheng jian
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有些 没有 手纸＝卫生纸
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常说中文，你的中文才会说得好
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你好，老师好
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 * ==分3组zuV: groups,==

one group lead, 组长 zuV zhangV
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十块美金 是___块 人民币 ren/ min/ bi\？
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