Perfect place for learning Chinese

Hi there! I just spent a month at KCE and I really liked my experience, let me explain: Before going to KCE I wasn't sure if I should choose this school or going back to Yangshuo where I was learning Chinese last summer. Finally I decided to go to Shijiazhuang as I wanted to try something new and I don't regret my choice at all.

The teaching level is very nice and comparable to the one I had in Yangshuo. My teacher was very nice and funny and could explain and teach Chinese very good. She had a lot of patience with me and could provide a good learning atmosphere. I had 5h/day of private class. The good thing about private class is that you move on at your speed and that you can choose when you want to have the lessons and even ask for a customized programme. Before going to KCE I was a bit afraid that 1 to 1 learning could be a bit too intensive, but finally it was perfect for me. The school is very concerned about their quality, afer the first week I had to fill out a questionnary about what I liked and what I didn't like and what I want to chance. One time the manager of the school attended my class to check that the teaching matches the schools quality.

I stayed with a Chinese host family which provided a private room and food. In exchange I spoke English with the son (on a very very basic level as his English was pretty bad) and helped him with his English homework. Living with a Chinese family was a great experience but not always easy. Their way of living is of course not the same as the one I'm used to, but it's a great opportunity to learn a lot about the country and it's people. There is probably no better way to use your Chinese than while drinking some beers and chinese strong alcohol with you host dad :) I would recommend to everyone to stay with a host family!

The city of Shijiazhuang is a rather big Chinese no-name city with unfortunately not the best air. There is not a lot to do in the city but there are some nice mountains around the city and Peking is just 1.5 hours by train. The good point is that nobody there speaks any word English and that in my one month stay I just saw one other white guy who wasn't from this school. So it's a great place to learn Chinse!

Conclusion: The school offers a perfect environement for learning Chinese for a very very competitive price! I would recommend this programme to everybody who is serious about learning Chinese and who's not afraid about cultural shock and living in a big city. If you're looking more for a mix between holodays and learning Chinese I would recommend you an other school where the recreational factor is higher.