Program Reviews

Since I started to learn Chinese in my home country, I knew I would go and visit China one day. Back then, I didn't know how quickly my wish would be fulfilled. Because of given circumstances, I took the chance and chose to take the internship program at Hutong School. I must say, I do not exaggerate when I tell you: I had the time of my life!

Starting from the beginning, I have to say, that this school was the only Chinese language school located in China that fulfilled all my wishes and needs from the beginning: not only that I had the chance to gain professional work experience, I also could decide whether I would like to take additional Chinese classes. Moreover, they offered accomodation, trips around the city, and 24/7 service was included.
Honestly, this school was the only school that offered all this (and even more) for a reasonable price.

After my arrival, I had (and still have) a great time! Of course, China is a beautiful country that is totally worth to go, with their wonderful and interesting culture, history, sights and landscapes (and food!!). However, the staff from Hutong School do their best to make my time here even better. My work from the internship placement is diverse and interesting, my colleagues are lovely and help me out whenever I messed up something (which happens a bit often, but noone complained yet and I won't complain that noone complained yet!)

The Hutong School team always tries to help me out with any issues I have and they make my time here as comfortable as possible. I heard stories from other students who told me the same so I can tell: They're really there for you!

Last but not least: My Chinese lessons. To be honest, I'm not the most hardworking student, but my teacher never loses her temper and her lessons are always varied and interesting. I learn a lot about the Chinese culture from the first hand.

The only thing I could complain would be the accomodation. I share a great apartment with two very nice roommates, a nice (but small, but the sizes varies) sleepig room and two bathrooms(!), which prevents a lot of struggle, especially when there are only girls in a shared apartment! :) Nevertheless, some of my other schoolmates (if only a few) didn't really like theirs.
Further, the kitchenware wasn't too much. At least not enough to cook a big meal. Since I really like to cook, I am not too hapy with this (though it's very cheap to buy this on your own).
However, I hear that the staff already works on both issues so I don't think, this will be a huge problem for future students.

To sum it up:
Do I like China? Oh yes!
Do I recomment Hutong School? You bet!
Would I go to Hutong School again? Absolutely!

I spent a month in the Beijing branch, improving my Chinese. The atmosphere is pretty good at Hutong school. The school is not that big and there are enough activities so that it's pretty easy to meet other students and spend time with them.

The majority of students are probably in their 20's, staying for 1 to 3 months and have no prior knowledge of Chinese. If you're looking for a good time in a gap year/exchange period, Hutong school is a good place to be, however for me, it was also important to improve my chinese.

If there is a group for your level (for beginners there always is), you have 2 hours of speaking class and 2 hours of character class. The groups are usually small enough (2-5) to make for an intensive experience. If you want private classes, you can have 1 hour of private class instead of 2 hours of group class as well.

What I really liked about Hutong school is that the teachers/staff are quite flexible towards your lesson program. For example: If you are somewhat advanced in speaking but neglected learning characters, you could take 3-4 hours of character class and after you catch up, change back to normal. This is extremely useful for the non-beginner student who knows in which areas he's lacking, and something you can't get in a cookie cutter course at a Chinese university.

The private classes are also excellent. It really gives you a chance to make your own lesson. The standard group classes follow a textbook approach, but in your private class you can do whatever you like, from discussing movies to conversation drills, to grammar exercises. The teachers are really great, as they are willing to try a lot of things.

After I decided that I wanted to study Chinese, I decided to take part in the Intensive Chinese Course for 2 months at the Hutong School in Beijing. It was a great decision and was the best eight weeks of my life. The teachers are very good and it's amazing how much you learn in 8 weeks. The small groups made it very easy to learn. The employees of the Hutongschool are always there for us and they are helpful in many areas. The activities at the school outside the classroom are very entertaining and well worth your time. You meet people from all over the world and I have many friends from all over the world!

A day in the life at Hutong School: My classes were in the morning and then I met up for lunch with my classmates and roommates and then went back to class. The classes always flew by because they was so much fun! After just 3 weeks we could understand Chinese much better. After class we went to dinner and depending on the activities the school had planned; such as cooking classes, KTV, lectures or film evenings. On the weekends, we went sightseeing. A highlight of every month was the welcome party for the new students...we were always up till the early morning for those occasions. A special highlight for us was that we were experienced the Chinese New Year in Beijing and had lots of fun celebrating!

When the eight weeks came to an end it was very hard to go back to Germany, but I've already decided that in 2 years if I have to spend my compulsory year abroad, I will go back to the Hutong School in China.

Another student noted that the biggest highlight of the program were the teachers. That they were really nice and became not only instructors, but friends as well. I agree, but I must add that, for me, the Secretariat staff was just as lovely and dedicated. I thank them all for the trouble they took to help me every time it was needed.
I didn't take an Intensive Course but a half-Intensive Course or so in order to make it affordable for me. Quite enough to make noticeable progress; I thank the staff in charge for allowing me this option.

When there were any difficulties or misunderstandings they were handled politely straight away.

Two hundred characters is a very long request. I prefer to write in telegram form, this saves time for the writer and the reader.

One could write a book. The more that is written the more it can be misread and misinterpreted.

There are some people who have developed the art of writing and or speaking all day and longer with out saying anything. However, this is valuable to some.

When the lock in my room malfunctioned it was repaired the same day even though it was a Sunday.

The cleaning person was polite and thorough in her service.

The teaching staff were very professional. They knew how to present learning material to foreigners.

It was the best internship i ever had, with a really good internship host, I got a lot of new knowledge and experience. But not only in my profession but also culturel thanks to Hutong there gave me a lot of culture experiences.

A normal day would be starting with going to the Hutong School to have two houres of chinese lessons and then to work from 10:25 to 18:00 and then home. And the two days a week I didn´t have lessons in the morning I would go to culture aktivities in the evening and sometimes in the weekends.

I ran into som trouble regarding my visa, but the Hutong School staff really helped me out and if there where any problems at all they would always try to help.

All in all I had a great stay, 3 months, and I´m very happy to have chosen Hutong School, Shanghai Branch, for my stay in China.

Unlike other people that have found their internship through the Hutong School during their stay at university, I came to Shanghai after completing my Master's Degree in Italy.

I had already experienced Northern China in the past for a language scholarship, so I was really interested in finding my way into a new environment, this time to build some office experience. Even though I haven't made use of the language classes (very helpful if it's your first time in China), I have found the networking opportunities and the staff extremely important to get settled at first and through the first weeks.

Especially, the internship that I have started through this company went on to become my job after a few months, so I can say that I am very satisfied with the service they offered me. I personally recommend anyone to take part in the cultural activities on offer as well, as they can help you get familiar with local culture and the city in general.

The concept developed by the Hutong School is the perfect way to combine valuable professional and social experiences!

I stayed for one month in Beijing - which is way too short - for an internship in the internet sector. I had challenging responsibilities that makes the internship both intense and so interesting!

The biggest asset and value-added of the Hutong School relies on the social community that is naturally created from the 1st day already. You quickly meet other students and you will do a lot of things all together: eating, drinking, visiting, go party, etc.!

By the way, Beijing is a great city: it is a nice combination of historic and new districts, art, culture, food, and entertainment!

An unforgettable experience !

I came to Shanghai with absolutely no understanding of Chinese culture, customs or language. The staff at Hutong School were friendly and helpful, they made it very easy for me to adjust and in just a month I was already holding conversations with the locals (just about). It was a fantastic experience and I'd definitely recommend it for anyone looking for something new, a real challenge or just a change of pace. JC

Really enjoyed both times I went to Hutong School in Beijing. The teachers are highly motivated, helpful and good at activating the students when in class. Classes are kept small so you get to practice speaking the language a lot. Moreover, the school provides courses for virtually all students no matter what level one is at. The many cultural activities arranged by the school provide you with an opportunity to explore parts of Chinese culture which would be difficult to explore on your own as a tourist.