An Incredible Experience

I'm a junior at an American high school, and I attended KCE for one month over the summer with a friend. The academic program is incredible, with 1-on-1 lessons suited well to your individual needs. I learned a lot of Mandarin very quickly and became very close with my teacher. She and my friend's teacher helped us beyond the classroom, they brought us to a Chinese night market and even gave us gifts.
The staff at KCE are very helpful, they assisted in exchanging currency, getting a SIM card, buying train tickets, and anything else we needed. The people of Shijiazhuang are very friendly and excited to meet foreigners. They are not used to seeing non-Chinese people, but are very accommodating.
I stayed with a host family, who worked very hard to make sure I felt comfortable and happy. My host mother found out what foods I like, bought me pens and a notebook so I could do my homework, and was always very kind. I was sick for a few days, and she was very concerned and made sure I knew that I could wake her at night if I wasn't feeling well and offered to take me to the doctor several times. My host parents even brought me to their hometown, where I was able to experience life in rural China. I had a younger sister, who was really excited to get to know me and teach me Chinese. Her English level was very low and her parents spoke no English, so I taught her some basic phrases and vocabulary, but otherwise I was speaking Chinese the whole time, which really improved my speaking ability. I would definitely recommend living with a host family, I loved mine and have kept in contact with them since I left. I am planning to return to China and KCE next summer or the summer after to continue studying Chinese and see my family and friends.