Silky Smooth Sailing with Silk Mandarin

I have been studying Chinese for a while. I recently became quite frustrated with my lack of progress and decided to travel from Australia to Shanghai to try a more immersive experience with Silk. I chose Silk as they had excellent online reviews, reasonable pricing and a great location.

The experience was exceptionally good and I plan to return in future at least once a year.

The course organisers were extremely flexible and allowed me to spend one week reviewing HSK3 in individual/private lessons (to refresh my memory) and then one week studying HSK4 in group lessons.

Here is a list of things I really liked:
*Prior to starting, the course organiser was able to accurately assess my level and place me in the correct class.
*The online learning platform was very easy to install/use to prepare for the face-to-face lessons.
*The lessons were very organised and the videos were kept short and succinct.
*The grammar/new word explanations were very easy to understand with many examples to demonstrate different use cases.
*New words were deliberately repeated throughout example sentences throughout the course to help memorise them. There were also specific videos made for words that are similar, to demonstrate how they are different
*The teachers were completely fluent in English&Chinese and they were patient, energised and friendly.
*They were willing to assist me with course queries, as well as issues/queries regarding Shanghai daily life/sightseeing.
*The course was very well paced and I never felt rushed/overwhelmed or bored.
*The course content was extensive with daily classes focusing on the core concepts, but allowing students to review as much as they like after class.
*The facilities were very good- air conditioning was good and classes were tidy and clean. Small refreshments were served during breaks.
*Some grammar points were explained using ‘Slow motion technique’ which helped me better understand things I previously learned but never quite understood
*As well as online videos/flashcards/activities, textbooks and workbooks were supplied for review after class
*The face-to-face classes were engaging and fun. We all had a good laugh!