As a person who already lives in China, I knew I needed to find an intensive learning environment in order for me to improve my Chinese. I chose to come to Keats' Kunming campus for two weeks after doing thorough research on the other programs available in China. Because I wanted to focus on improving my speaking and listening ability, I chose Keats' 1:1, 4-hour, daily lessons for the summer.
I am thoroughly satisfied with the quality of instruction available at Keats. From the moment I landed in Kunming, I felt welcomed and supported if I needed anything. Regarding instruction, from the first day, my teacher was immediately gauging my Chinese level as well as my goals that I had for learning in my two-week period of living at the school. My teacher Li老师 was amazing because she listened to my concerns when it came to learning Chinese, and she also made sure that she was listening to how I use the language in order to give me advice to reach those goals.
Not only was every lesson adapted to my goals for my time here (including in-depth speaking, practice and focused, listening, practice to improve my ability to use Chinese in my daily life), but my teacher also listened out for speaking habits that I had and made sure to correct them in order to help me improve my spoken Chinese. She is extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and was amazing in supporting me every step of the way!
Along with the daily language courses, I also took a 2-hour Guzheng class 2x a week that the school offered. As someone rhythmically challenged, the teacher was extremely patient with me and helped me learn a lot about Guzheng as well about the musical notation used for it. The advisors also helped schedule my classes, and when I felt unwell, they offered for me to shorten the class or even to reschedule it for a time that could work better when I recovered.
Additionally, even though I did not go to many of the offered activities, every student that I spoke to about the activities enjoyed them. Everyone that studies at Keats is very open and eager to make friends so you can always build a friend group and do activities that the school offers or go on your own and explore Kunming. Additionally, if you prefer being alone, you can also do that as well. The dorm rooms are quiet and whenever it's not meal times, the library room or the dining area are perfect for self-study or even co-working.
Honestly, I think anyone that wants to come to China in order to improve their Chinese, or to have an environment in a Chinese city that allows you to learn as much as you can in an intensive classroom setting, should choose Keats. I think this school is definitely worth the money, and everyone from the teachers to the advisors here wants you to succeed and improve to the level that you are aiming for. I look forward to future classes at Keats at their different campuses around China.
