Program Reviews

I have enjoyed my stay immensely! Chengde is a very welcoming city, full of historical sites to visit (beautiful temples!) and a wonderful natural scenery. It is also one hour away from Beijing, which can be visited via train.

My chinese classes at Keats School have been comprehensive. Zhang laoshi is very understanding and kind. We've worked on improving pronunciation and on writing characters, useful chinese for everyday conversation (such as shopping, going to the doctor, booking tickets etc) and basic grammar. We have also been able to study chinese poetry, such as the works of Li Bai and Du Fu, along with the rules of composition. My understanding of both language and culture has improved thanks to the lessons and the stay, and I feel more confident speaking. In general, I was able to solidify my knowledge and build upon it, and the teacher provided lots of varied material to study from.

I applied for the volunteer program and tutored an 11-year old in English. His family was very welcoming, and helped introduce me to life in Chengde. This was also a very positive experience.

Overall I am very happy with how this month turned out, and would absolutely recommend the experience!

La experiencia en el curso 1 a 1 en Keats School en Pekín fue maravillosa. No sólo me permitió perfeccionar mi chino en solo un mes, sino que además el programa tiene un diseño exquisito, pensado para acompañarte en todo momento, atenderte en todo, introducirte en la cultura, sociedad y sistemas que de otra forma serían de difícil acceso. En resumen, una maravilla, una experiencia inolvidable y que recomiendo a todo elnque quiera introducirse en China y estudiar seriamente de la mano de profesionales muy cualificados.

I felt so at ease. Kunming is a very safe place. Keats school is very good, you can arrange your own level during class. Teachers, staff: everybody is so kind and helpful. Just go for it! It will change your life. You get a better understanding of China and its wonderful people.
The housing at Keats is basic yet comfortable. You have your private bathroom. Nice bed, good mattress!
And above all: with the window closed, you lock out the streetnoises!
Monday to friday you get three meals a day. As a vegetarian I was really pleased with the nice dishes. Weekend excursions are optional. I can recommend to go with the flow.
Evening activities are interesting: I' ve done handcrafting, made a bookmark for the first time in my life! Also Mahjong was a novelty and very entertaining.

I loved my time at Keats and enjoyed every moment! The school is in a perfect condition, everyone is very kind and well prepared. It was also so much fun to get to know all the other students from all around the world. Keats is a place where you can meet people from so many different countries and have the opportunity to get to know how life in all these countries works and what the cultural differences between all these are. The activities we did together were always highly fun. A stay at Keats is not only good for your Chinese speaking skills but also for your personal development overall. I will definitely come back to Keats!

I had an incredible time here at Keats Chengdu, from the learning to the excursions and immersion into the Chinese culture. I loved my teacher Claire’s teaching style, which I found extremely engaging and tailored to my level. Within a short span, I feel that my Chinese language level improved so much! Through the many excursions, culture nights and other activities, I truly felt immersed in the Chinese culture and was able to learn many new things. I also had the chance of meeting many people from all across the world! Such a fun experience overall and I’d highly recommend!

Studio e insegnamento:
Ho iniziato a studiare cinese in concomitanza con il mio arrivo a Kunming, ho quindi iniziato il mio percorso a Keats con nessuna conoscenza di base della lingua.
La mia professoressa, Han Laoshi, è stata davvero fenomenale, riuscendo a farmi migliorare in breve tempo. Dopo quattro settimane di corso, ero già in grado di comprendere conversazioni basiche e di esprimermi, sepppur in maniera ancora rudimentale; tuttavia, lo ritengo un successo, considerata la mia lunghezza del mio soggiorno di studio.

Alloggio:
La camera in cui sono stato ospitato era abbastanza accogliente e offriva il minimo indispensabile per un soggiorno finalizzato allo studio. La scuola si trova nello stesso stabile degli alloggi, il che rende la partecipazione alle lezioni molto agevole.
Colazione, pranzo e cena vengono serviti nella sala mensa della scuola dal lunedì al venerdì; la cuoca cerca sempre di variare il menù e di servire pasti completi. Essendo in Cina, il riso non manca mai.
La scuola cerca di intrattenere gli studenti offrendo attività sempre diverse e interessanti ogni giorno della settimana.

Cittá
Kunming è una città che offre tanto a chi ha voglia di scoprire. Attività varie ad ogni ora del giorno, persone nuove e la cultura dello Yunnan non aspettano altro che farsi conoscere. I cittadini di Kunming mi sono sembrati sorpresi nel vedere dei turisti stranieri, ma si sono sempre dimostrati gentili e disponibili nei miei confronti.

Gruppo e amici
A scuola arrivano ogni settimana persone nuove, il che arricchisce l'esperienza formativa. Personalmente, ho conosciuto molti studenti, alcuni sono poi diventati miei amici durante lo scorrere delle settimane.

I really recommend to learn Chinese language at Keats school! This was my first time to come to Chengdu. And I was a beginner of Chinese. There are reasons why we should learn Chinese at Keats school. First, the lesson is one on one. So, we can ask questions easily and teachers improve our pronouns carefully. Hong laoshi taught me how to pronounce patiently. This was so helpful for me. Because, I want to be able to speak Chinese. And second, students can take part in the a lot of activities at Keats school. For example, to see pandas, night markets, museum and so on. Chengdu is famous for pandas, unique cuisine and culture. We can experience various cultures in Chengdu with teacher. My teachers taught me Chinese language during these activities. Finally, school serves 3 meals Monday to Friday. We can have a wonderful meal time with classmates and teachers. We can make friends who are from all over the world easily. The time in Keats school changed my life. I really appreciate!

My experience studying Chinese in Chengdu at Keats was very positive and enjoyable. The class was well organized and adapted effectively to different learning levels while covering all important lessons, including speaking, listening, grammar, vocabulary, and real-life communication practice. The teachers were professional, patient, and supportive throughout the course. Teacher Hong and Teacher Wang were especially excellent, as they explained difficult topics clearly and created a comfortable and engaging learning environment. I also appreciated how the program combined structured classroom learning with practical daily conversations, which made studying in Chengdu both effective and memorable. Overall, Keats provided a high-quality learning experience that helped build confidence and improve Chinese language skills significantly.

I studied at Keats School in Kunming with my tutor Du. Before coming to China, I knew almost no Chinese, so I was nervous at first. But Du made me feel comfortable straight away, and we got along very well. Every week we learned around 100 new words, and I was surprised that I could actually remember them. As a beginner, I appreciated that there was not a lot of heavy homework. Most of my learning came from reviewing flashcards and practicing naturally during class and daily life, which worked really well for me.

One of my favourite parts of studying at Keats was the outdoor lessons and cultural experiences. We visited places like the Cultural Village, Green Lake, flower markets, and local cafés. These experiences made learning Chinese feel real and connected to everyday life. I also loved getting milk tea almost every day. The city felt safe, lively, and full of character.

During my time there, I also went through some personal difficult moments, and Du was incredibly kind and comforting. I will always remember her patience and support, not only as a teacher but as a person.

My stay at Keats School itself was very comfortable. I loved my room — it had everything I needed, including a double bed, bathroom, thy cleaned once a week and a window facing the road. Willow was always very helpful whenever I needed anything and made me feel at home during my stay. The food was also wonderful, with delicious home-cooked meals every day that made the experience feel warm and welcoming. The other students were also so lovely and it was great to share meals and go on excursions with them.

Studying in Kunming was such a memorable experience for me, and I’m very grateful for my time at Keats School.

This week was a very special experience. The teachers were incredibly invested in our progress and structured the lessons in a way that made everything feel logical and achievable. I learned a lot — not just the language itself, but also fascinating insights into Chinese culture, traditions, and the thinking behind Mandarin. The way tones and characters connect to meaning really opened my eyes. Everything was organized very well, and the atmosphere was warm and encouraging. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to dive deeper into this beautiful language and culture!