How practical participation relates to cultural understanding is a central question for short educational visits. Drawing on transcultural communication and experiential learning, this retrospective qualitative case study examines curriculum adaptation at a ten-day camp hosted by a Beijing vocational college in July 2026 for 40 Russian adolescents aged 11-16 years old. It draws on curriculum documents and accounts from five staff members, with particular attention to the 25 beginners, although recollections cannot consistently be assigned to one language class. Teachers described demonstration, interpretation and student assistance enabling task completion alongside difficulties using vocabulary and explaining cultural meanings beyond the immediate activity. Finished objects offered opportunities for expression, including one reported combination of Chinese characters and Russian motifs. Institutional contact continued after departure, but participants’ subsequent use of the experience remained undocumented. The case contributes a conditional account of curriculum adaptation: Classroom support can enable participation, while opportunities for learners to interpret cultural material and revisit it in other settings require separate consideration. This connects experiential learning’s concern with reflection and further use to transcultural communication’s attention to the reshaping of meaning. It suggests that successful making and expressed enthusiasm cannot, by themselves, establish negotiated meaning or lasting learning. The analysis identifies conditions to examine in applying these perspectives to brief visits; staff recollections do not establish learning gains or a causal progression between outcomes.
References
[1] Zeng, C., Geng, Z., Tang, J. (2026) Modeling the social-ecological factors influencing the sustainable development of the international Chinese language training industry: evidence from 20 countries. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 13(1), 801.
[2] Huang, Z., Huang, A., Yin, Z. (2025) Adaptive journeys: accelerating cross-cultural adaptation through study tours. Behavioral Sciences, 15(7), 973.
[3] Chen, S. X., Yu, L., Tse, S. W. T., Zhang, Y. (2025) When travel teaches: unpacking student outcomes in educational tourism. Tourism Management Perspectives, 58, 101385.
[4] Dou, X., Fan, A., Cai, L. A. (2023) Affective learning in short-term educational travel abroad: an exploratory mixed-method study. Tourism Management, 94, 104649.
[5] Li, G., Zhang, C., Xu, D., Wang, L. (2024) How emotions catalyse learning through study tours: evidence from Panda Ambassador. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 60, 322-333.
[6] Choi, S. H., Bae, J. I. S. (2022) Intercultural competence: Does a short-term international educational trip matter? Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 22(2), 105-125.
[7] Byram, M. (2003) On being ‘bicultural’ and ‘intercultural’. Intercultural Experience and Education, 2, 50-66.
[8] Huang, Z., Huang, A., Yin, Z. (2025) Adaptive journeys: Accelerating cross-cultural adaptation through study tours. Behavioral Sciences, 15(7), 973.
[9] Wang, Z., Ye, S., Bei, L. (2024) Leisure and cultural identity: an empirical study based on root-seeking summer camp for ethnic Chinese new generation. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1330613.
[10] Hoskins, C., Mirus, R. (1988) Reasons for the US dominance of the international trade in television programmes. Media, Culture & Society, 10(4), 499-515.
[11] Wang, J., Zheng, M., Huang, Q., Wu, Z. (2021) How does cultural distance affect tourists? Literature review and research prospects. Tourism and Hospitality Prospects, 5(3), 1-37.
[12] Zhao, W., Chan, C. S. (2023) What interpretation service are cultural tourists willing to pay for? A choice-experiment approach for cultural heritage sites in China. Tourism Management Perspectives, 46, 101091.
[13] Chen, D., Yang, D., Xie, H. (2022) Construction and empirical analysis of the study travel service ability. World Regional Studies, 31(2), 428-439.
[14] Anbin, S., Yang, S. (2022) Unravelling the China question for global communication: historical excavation, theoretical exploration, and practical experimentation. China’s International Communication and Relationship Building, 15-30.
[15] Zhang, X., Sheng, Y., Jiang, D. (2022) On the origin of transculturalism: a study into the Western academic context and its Chinese translation. Journal of Transcultural Communication, 2(2), 218-228.
[16] Zhang, Q., Mohamad, D. B. (2025) Mapping identity dynamics in heritage tourism: a bibliometric and theoretical review. Cogent Social Sciences, 11(1), 2598726.
[17] Du, J., Cui, M. (2021) Intercultural dialogues in third spaces: a study of learning experiences of museum visitors. Journal of Transcultural Communication, 1(1), 79-101.
[18] Kolb, A., Kolb, D. (2018) Eight important things to know about the experiential learning cycle. Australian Educational Leader, 40(3), 8-14.
[19] Dakin, F., Rai, T., Paparini, S., Greenhalgh, T. (2023) Supporting your support staff during crises: recommendations for practice leaders to develop a relational workplace. BMJ Leader, 7(2), e000780.
[20] Feng, Y., Ren, L., Wong, C. U. I., Liu, X. (2025) What makes a youth study travel product popular in China? An enquiry from the perspective of industry suppliers. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 37(2), 113-125.
Share and Cite
Hou, X., Liu, Y. (2026) Adapting a Vocational College Study Tour for Russian Adolescents. Global Education Bulletin, 3(4), 39-49. https://doi.org/10.71052/grb2025/WQGF4578