The Best Way to Learn Chinese Quickly

I did the Intensive Chinese Language summer programme in Shanghai, and my Chinese language ability advanced more in two months than it had in a year of studying Chinese at my college in the U.S. The programme is designed perfectly for students to learn a lot of Chinese in a short period of time: daily Chinese classes, fantastic teachers, a language pledge, a Chinese homestay family, living in China!!! From discussing Chinese culture with my teachers to telling my homestay family about South African politics (I'm from South Africa), all done in Chinese, not only my language ability but also my confidence to tackle complex conversations grew immensely. I would recommend this programme to anyone who wants to learn as much Chinese as possible in a few months, as well as learning a lot about Chinese culture and society and living in a different country.