The house allows for close interaction on a daily basis with the live-in faculty member from Beijing Normal University. The primary language of communication is Chinese.

Each resident’s cooperation with the live-in faculty member and the other inhabitants is essential to the success of the Chinese Language House. All students help plan for, and participate in, activities during their stay. A long-running activity has been the Cooking Group, a rotation utilizing the house's kitchen for group meals. Each year new goals and objectives are developed through conversations among the DAMELL Chair, Chinese Language House Committee, live-in faculty member, and Student Liaison.