I started my course in Suzhou, China. It was 2019 and I chose one on one classes. The school offered lessons with experienced teachers in a landmark location (Dongfang Mall). Not only was it possible to daily arrange the classes according to my ever-changing schedule, but also all the teachers ware available and helpful during their off time. One can always message them while having some doubts about Chinese language and even ask about other Chinese culture-related stuff. They are always happy to help. The school provides their own books, and they allow you to practice listening too. You can always mention what your goal or troubling issues are, for example exam preparation, speaking, writing etc. This way you can customize your lessons. I chose to go with comprehensive HSK3 course where I asked my teacher to put particular attention to speaking and tones. I am very satisfied with the results. I think that my speaking improved significantly after one year. My teacher recommended me relevant Chinese movies and music apps to practice my listening and she asked me if there are specific things that I want to practice as well. Online classes during COVID-19 pandemic were organized proficiently too and it was even more easy to change and adjust it. One can cancel or reschedule lessons one day before and you can rarely be to late to change it. Emergencies were understood and it was possible to bend this one-day rule as well. Even lessons separated be different time zones were possible to be arranged. The school was recommended to me by my university friend and it is quite popular around foreign students in China and appreciated by them. As I have heard form them, small group classes are equally as good as one-on-one classes, and their teachers are available to students off-classes too. It is important to mention that teachers offer you access to various online sources, both organized by schoolteachers (e.g. quizlet) and otherwise (e.g. books to memorize Chinese characters by association). Useful information about how to use characters on daily life are provided by them as well. All teachers are native speakers, and they are well versed in informal speech used by Chinese teachers and you can always consult them about it. What I think is the most important asset of this school is that they use good presentations that use as little pinyin as possible (during HSH3). At the same time, it is to the point that you can understand everything clearly and small difficulties push you to learn more characters. They also prepare you for more difficult HSK4 classes. I would sincerely recommend this language classes for those who have busy schedule and seek to improve their level despite other personal obligations. Additionally, I want to recommend my teacher (Hailey) to you. She is great at explaining things and she can always make the classes funny. If you hesitate, you should go there, and they will offer you a lesson for free so that you can decide if you like it. At first, after the trial lesson, I was afraid that it would be to easy, but you can always adjust your level to talking to them. They have additional surveys/tests to examine your level too. Even if you have troubles with characters, they will know your real level after a few lessons well..
What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The school offered culture-related activities such as mahjong game or preparing and drinking tea. It was arranged for a verity of different topics depending on the time of a year and particular situation. Everyone was free to attend and it was a great way to integrate with people. It allowed me to get to know and understand Chinese culture better.
