Program Reviews

Hi,

I am already a year back in my home country and there is no day, at which I didn't miss Beijing. The people I met there, the atmosphere. Don't know if there is any place similar.

As it is common in Asia, even though we had a kitchen, we hardly ever used it. Most of the time we (me and my friends) went out for dinner and lunch.

I liked Beijing that much, because two cultures clashes together. In one minute you are surrounded by the most modern skyscrapers and than you turn around and you are in a very traditional Hutong Area.

Like the homepage of Hutong School Asia already tells you, the people in this program become family. Still I hold contact of some of them.

Sometimes it occurs that you are not happy in the beginning, but the Hutong School Crew tries the best, to help you out. Don't bother to call or text them. Although they are busy most of the time, they will take their time to help you.

I really enjoyed the whole experience and I totally recommend it. During my internship I had the opportunity to meet people from different parts of the world and to learn about other cultures. The work assigned at the internship was up to my expectations and corresponded to the description of the website.

I shared my apartment with really nice people and I meet other persons at Hutong School activities. There is a huge range of them: from learn how to do spring rolls, see the Beijing Opera, do paper cutting and even practice Tai Chi.

The people from Hutong School were always there when I needed them. I had some visa issues, but I received help from them to solve it. And when something at the apartment wasn't working, the next days was someone fixing it.

First of all, I want to say that I had an amazing time in China and Hutong School was a great help for me as a China newbie. Therefore I can recommend the program for everyone who will visit/live in China for the first time.

Organization:

The contact with Hutong School was quick and friendly. All my questions before coming to China were answered so I wasn't worried getting on a plane to China. Airport pickup worked well and I was brought to my apartment directly before getting the police registration done and have a short introduction at the school. The school is located at a convenient location in Beijing (Sanlitun) I think the prices of Hutong School are a bit high. But they take all the hassle of organizing a stay in China off your hands so it was worth it for me. They are a professional and trustworthy organization so you don't have to worry to pay the deposit for the program upfront. I read a bad review which I found via Google beforehand and was a little bit worried. However, don't believe the review that says that Hutong School is a scam because it isn't. All Hutong School students I have met and talked to would recommend the program.

Language Classes
The Mandarin classes were always great fun. The group size was always really small, usually between 2 and 4 students. I had classes with two different teachers during my stay. The first one was really nice and also taught us a lot of small talk which was useful for every day life and small talk but wasn't in the textbook. The second teacher was very nice too but didn't have the same English proficiency like the first one which made it harder to ask questions and clear things up when needed. What I didn't like was the textbook they used for beginners. I think the structure doesn't make sense and slowed down my learning progress. I have seen better textbooks for beginners which I used afterwards to review my Mandarin skills when I got back home after my stay in China. Also, if you take part in the internship program or you have a job in China the time for studying Chinese is very limited. I had classes late at night which was tiring because you are exhausted from your day in the office and the hot weather in Beijing. The students should be aware that the learning progress is limited if you only take evening classes. Friends of mine who took the intensive program at Hutong School had an incredibly fast progress in their Mandarin skills, simply because they had all day to study and practice. So really think about your priorities before choosing one of the programs.

Internships
Like with every internship it can either be a valuable experience or you are used as a cheap helper for the tasks nobody else wants to do. It is the same with the internships Hutong School finds for you. I had a great internship with interesting and challenging tasks and supporting managers who really made sure that I learn something during my internship. However, I also heard from many other Hutong School students that they had boring jobs and sat around all day. I think Hutong School only has a limited influence on which tasks are assigned to interns within the individual companies. So it is also up to you to ask in the first Skype interview with the company what your tasks will be and how they see the role of interns in general. I think the value of the internship also always depends on the length of the stay. However, Hutong School always offers to find another company for you if you are not happy. Or you can still decide to do the intensive Chinese program. All in all, the internship staff of Hutong School is always very encouraged to find the best fit for you and make you happy.

Accommodation (Beijing)
It is simple but works well. All apartments are located central so you can get around quickly. You definitely pay more with the program than finding an apartment yourself. But you also don't have to deal with landlords, internet companies, repair service, etc. If you have a problem you call Hutong School and they fix it for you. It is all very simple and hassle free!

Social Experience
Probably one of the best things about Hutong School. From the first day you are not alone in China. You meet people from around the world so quickly: your flat mates, your class mates, other Hutong School students from hanging and going out together...
Hutong School also organizes many cultural activities and trips to other places in China. It is a great opportunity to meet other students of the school and make new friends while learning something about China.

Overall conclusion
I can recommend Hutong School to everyone who goes to China for the first time. They eliminate all the hassle (and therefore fear) of going and living in China. The only downside is the price of the program. It is really expensive! They do a good job and they want to earn money too. But with some China experience and language skills you can also organize a lot of things yourself. For me it was always a dream to go to China, therefore it was worth the price. But if you have been to China before and have some experience you can also risk the adventure of organizing it yourself and saving a lot of money. For "China beginners" it is a great program to get a first impression of an amazing country without having to worry about anything!

It was already a great start when Evan from HS picked us up at the airport and took us around Shanghai the whole day. It's good to know that you can count on somebody like him, no matter what problem you have.

The apartments are great, you have everything you need, social contacts as well because of the shared apartments. It's great to live together with the other HS students and share experiences.

During classes you get a lot of attention from the teacher because of the small amount of students in each group. They really train you well by giving you homework daily and doing some tests now and then.
Also pronunciation is a main point we practiced very good and delivered great results.

In HS there's the awesome opportunity to take part of some activities like chinese painting, calligraphy, cooking, ... that are most of the time for free, that's great! Also the weekend trips are well prepared and the price for that is fare for what you get (great guide included!).

In general my experience was more than awesome. HS is a great language school where people from all over the world meet and have a great time together.
There's a wonderful mood that's hanging around this school.

Thanks a lot!!

From the start till the end they will help you if you have any problems or questions. If you want to visit something after you courses and you don't know how to get there or you just don't know what to visit, just ask them and they will explain you the way and give you more information about the do's and don'ts.

Studying at Hutong School is more than learning Chinese. It's an opportunity to make friends and travelling partners. When I was there last summer, I made amazing friends! It's more pleasant to travel around in Beijing in group.

If I had the chance to go back, I won't hesitate a minute!

If you don't have a lot of time or energy to find your own apartment and your own internship place than Hutong School is the way to go.

You pay the price for a good apartment, service, classes and of course FUN! Thanks to Hutong School there was always something to do and new people to meet!

I partially have to thank them for experiencing Shanghai in a really comfortable and safe way!

Especially I thank some of the employees for their constant attention and friendliness!

My 3 months stay in Shanghai was a fantastic experience! A big part of that is due to Hutong School, from the moment I arrived until the moment I left, I could always count on them.

Hutong School found a great internship for me, I learned a lot during the 3 months I worked in Shanghai. I combined my internship with Chinese classes. The lessons were a lot of fun and the teachers were really nice.

Through the cultural activities I learned more about the Chinese culture in a fun way and at the same time I also got to know the other students.

Shanghai is a fantastic city to live in and the apartments of the Hutong School are amazing!!

I am definitely coming back !

I did an internship that Hutong School arranged for me at an interior design firm. The internship was a great experience, the Chinese classes that they provided were lots of fun and the people I've met are awesome. I ended up staying in China and I'm still enjoying the ride! Currently working in Shanghai.

Hutong School represents a great opportunity to travel and discover China in a safe way. They offer you a lot of different services to make you feel comfortable in your daily life.

The internship was really interesting and the local company team welcomed me without any problem. Hutong School team is also reliable, do not hesitate to ask them any question you have. They were able to help me regarding my tourism trip organization in China.

They propose high-quality lessons with different levels to facilitate your introduction and learning experience.

If you like China and you want to have a true professional experience that is valuable on your cv, PLUS a great housing, PLUS nice activities organized, PLUS a wonderful support from the staff on many aspects, PLUS language classes, this program is for you.