Keats Chinese School Reviews

Arriving in Chegde for one week of Language Classes went very smoothly. The Keats School has everything arranged for an easy landing. My teacher picked me up at the Train Station Exit and took me to the dorm. He got me oriented in the neighborhood - where to eat, where to shop, how to take the bus. Then I met my student for the week- a delightful 10 year old boy and his lovely Mom. Keats has an option where you can teach English to a local person and save on tuition. Taking this option turned out to be a great move as I was the only student at the school this week and otherwise it would have been so lonely. The family had me over for lunch twice, including a very fun time making dumplings from scratch. The son also took me to Chengde’s Night Market, which was a blast. My teacher, Gui Lai, was quite quiet at first, but he warmed up and we ended up having a lot of fun adventures together during the week. The classroom instruction was very useful and I learned a great deal. Guilai carefully evaluated my level and the first two days were review. Then the instruction got harder and I really had to focus. The book and recording are great. Genuinely applicable to living life in China. As for adventures- very satisfied. I mentioned that would like to go to the Kangxi Ceremony and 15 minutes later we had tickets ! Guilai and I also went hiking at sledgehammer peak and the next day explored the scenic and vast Imperial Summer Resort. My initial misgivings about the loneliness of being the only student and the discomfort of being in a foreign place evaporated quickly and I ended up having a fabulous time. Chengdu is a fun and lively city and the people are kind. Highly recommend!

Six weeks at Keats School, Kunming — summer 2026

I studied Mandarin at Keats School in Kunming for six weeks over the summer of 2026, doing a mix of group classes and one-to-one tuition, and it was one of the better decisions I've made. I arrived at roughly HSK 1–2 level and left working comfortably at around HSK 4 — I haven't sat the exam, but that's where my classes and my teachers had me by the end. That's a genuine jump, and it happened because the programme is built properly rather than because I did anything heroic. If you're weighing up immersion schools in China, here's what actually made the difference.

The teaching

Over my time there I had three different teachers — 王老师, 孔老师 and 韩老师 — and I'd genuinely struggle to pick a favourite. What impressed me most was that they were all clearly good at different things, and rather than that being a problem, it turned out to be the strongest part of the programme. One drilled me relentlessly on tones and pronunciation until things I'd been mangling for months finally clicked. Another was excellent on grammar structure and would build out patterns systematically so I could see how the language actually fits together. The third was the best conversation partner of the three and pushed me to keep talking through the discomfort of not knowing a word, which is a skill in itself.

The group and one-to-one classes complemented each other well. Group sessions gave me people to practise with and a bit of healthy competitive pressure; the private lessons were where the real progress got made, because the teachers tailor them entirely to your situation. Whether you're preparing for an HSK exam, trying to survive daily life in China, relocating for work, or something else, they'll build the vocabulary and content around that rather than marching you through a textbook.

In my case, I was getting set up to start a master's degree in China, so my lessons were steered towards academic and professional language, university admin, and the kind of conversations I'd actually be having once I arrived. I left feeling vastly more confident about it — not just about the Chinese, but about being able to function and live there.

Activities and school life

Keats runs activities more or less every day, and they serve three purposes at once: getting to know Kunming, getting into Chinese culture properly rather than superficially, and getting to know the other students. Calligraphy, cooking, tai chi, trips out into the city, evening get-togethers — you're never short of something to do, and crucially you end up with a group of people around you rather than studying in isolation. The social side of an immersion programme matters far more than people expect, and Keats clearly understands that.

The food

The canteen food is good. Genuinely good — authentically Chinese rather than watered down for foreign palates, with proper regional variety and portions that are consistently generous. Not having to think about lunch and dinner for six weeks, while eating well, is worth a lot when your brain is already full from a morning of class.

Kunming and Yunnan

Kunming is called the Spring City for a reason. The climate is superb — mild and pleasant when much of China is either baking or freezing — and it makes a real difference when you're studying hard.

Yunnan itself is the other half of the argument for Keats. The province is extraordinary, and weekends give you enough time to see a serious amount of it. My recommendations: Tiger Leaping Gorge for the two-day hike, which is one of the best walks I've done anywhere; Dali for the old town and the lake; and Puzhehei for the karst landscape and boat trips through the lotus fields.

Above all, try to time your trips around the ethnic minority festivals. I was lucky enough to catch both 花脸节 (the Face-Painting Festival) and 火把节 (the Torch Festival), and they were the highlights of my entire stay — genuine local celebrations rather than anything staged for tourists.

Verdict

Excellent teaching, lessons built around your actual goals, a proper social programme, good food, and one of the best provinces in China on your doorstep. I'd recommend it without hesitation.

I was a complete beginner, only knowing how to say hello and thank you in Chinese. I arrived at this school and was immediately supported in my learning by wonderful teachers. The pace was completely adapted to my own rhythm, and the 4 hours of one-on-one classes went very smoothly. This experience was wonderful and I really want to come back next year. I'm going to keep learning all the vocabulary I haven't fully retained yet by working on it in France, with the idea of eventually taking exams as my progress continues. That wasn't my goal at first — at 56 years old — but in the end I think it would be a shame not to have my progress recognized.
The teachers are gentle and understanding, and they allow for steady progress in both writing and speaking. I thank them for that, for their gentleness and empathy. And I wish you all an experience as incredible as mine.

Original:
J'étais entièrement débutante ne sachant seulement dire bonjour et merci en chinois. Je suis arrivée dans cette école et j'ai tout de suite été soutenue dans mon apprentissage par de merveilleuses professeurs. La progression a été tout à fait à mon rythme et les 4h de cours en individuel se passaient de façon très fluide. Cette expérience a été merveilleuse et je souhaite réellement revenir l'année prochaine. Je vais continuer en apprenant tout le vocabulaire que je n'ai pas encore complètement enregistré en travaillant en France dans la perspective de passer éventuellement des examens au fur et à mesure de mes progrès. Ce n'était pas mon objectif. 1er à 56 ans mais finalement je trouve que ce serait dommage que mes progrès ne soient pas mis en valeur.
Les professeurs sont douces et compréhensives et permettent une avancée régulière, tout autant à l'écrit qu'à l'oral. Je les en remercie. Pour leur douceur et leur empathie. Et je vous souhaite de vivre une expérience aussi incroyable que la mienne.

My Chinese learning experience in Beijing has been excellent. The school's classrooms are spacious and bright, and I was staying very close to the school, making it very easy to commute in the morning. The school's supporting services were very attentive, and they even helped me secure tickets to the National Museum, which are very difficult to book during the summer. I came with my own study method, reading Chinese books and dissecting each word one by one. Despite this, the teaching teacher was extremely professional and responsible, explaining knowledge points clearly, patiently correcting my mistakes, encouraging me to speak Chinese and provided me valuable insights regarding my Chinese grammar. I only stayed one week but my listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities have been substantially improved.

After three weeks in Kunming taking a one-on-one programme at Keats School I could only express my gratitude to all the team. An special mention must be done to my teacher Li Laoshi. She is both profesional and funny teacher that makes things flow very easily and allowed me to get a complete picture of my own situation giving me all kind of inputs I need to continue improving my Chinese... hopefully at Keats.
Being said so, I do recomend everyone interested in Chinese language to join Ketas at its Kunming headquarters. It's such a great city to be the whole year round. Weather is great. Food is amazing. People are friendly and helpful.
Looking forward to my next visit. Hopefully soon!!

I spent two weeks learning Chinese at Keats in Chengdu and it was an incredible experience. The school provides food, accommodation, excursions and other services. Everyday there were vegetarian options. All the teachers were very prepared and professionals. The classes were super helpful, and my teacher, who was very prepared, made learning fun and interactive. It never felt like a chore, and the classes were always engaging. I would definitely recommend Keats for anyone wanting to learn Chinese in a supportive and effective way in a wonderful city full of history and things to do.

I spent a week a complete beginner at Keats School in Chengdu. I had a great time studying with Teacher Liu who was very patient and encouraging, and was also able to adapt the content to topics I was interested in. I learnt so much in such a short time! Outside of class there was lots to do in Chengdu, including trying Sichuan foods, visiting Mt Qingcheng, and of course seeing pandas. The accommodation at Keats was nice and the food was excellent. They provided 3 meals/day. Location was close to a metro station. I would like to come back one day soon!

I had such a great experience with this program! Being able to actually live in China while learning Chinese made it feel so much more natural than just learning in a classroom. I got to practice every day and experience the culture at the same time. My teacher was also so nice and friendly, we had so much in common and could talk for hours on any interesting topic, I had some of the best conversations with her! I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better immersion experience, and I would definitely recommend this program:)

I attended one on one lessons for three weeks along with tai chi lessons twice a week. I am super impressed by this program. Not only did I excel in Chinese and become confident speaking and writing the language but I also was helped with planning my trips around China after the program by life advisors. The Tai Chi lessons were incredibly beneficial and allowed me to quickly understand the martial art without much time spent learning. On top of all this the location is incredible with great food, shopping, and leisure within a 15 minute walk in any direction. Would definitely attend again.

Anyone who wants to learn Chinese in China and discover one of the country's most beautiful regions is in exactly the right place at Keats in Chengdu!

The school is clean, cozy, and comfortable, which makes a longer boarding stay very pleasant. The Tantes cook delicious Sichuan food three times a day, there is a green and sunny rooftop terrace, and the metro to the city center is within walking distance—ideal!

The language lessons are truly top-notch. You can make them as intensive as you like, and the teachers listen carefully to your wishes and expectations to create a suitable program. The course material is tailored to your needs and takes into account your level, goals, and the HSK system. As a result, you are challenged exactly in the way *you* need, and you work very steadily towards passing your HSK exam.

I learned an incredible amount from my teacher in a relatively short time—谢谢皮老师! Thanks to her intuitive and creative way of teaching, I learned the language in a very fun and energetic way. Proof that the teachers at Keats are incredibly good!

Tip: Make good use of your time by exploring the city and province! There is so much beauty and uniqueness to see in Southwest China. Whether your heart beats faster for delicious food, beautiful nature, picturesque towns, history, or diverse culture—with Chengdu as your base, you are in the right place. And as a bonus, all that traveling will also help you improve your language skills. Win-win! For those who don't feel like making extensive travel plans themselves: the school organizes an (optional) activity in and around the city almost every evening and weekend.

Definitely go—加油!