Not To Good to Be True!

I waited to provide this review to make sure my initial reactions held. They did!

As a senior citizen, I wasn't sure this would work for me, but the staff, teachers and other students turned my two week stay into a good experience. Although I had been studying on my own for a number of months, when I arrived I realized that my aural and oral comprehension were not good. The staff and teachers adjusted their approaches to match my abilities. The teachers all worked from the same book, and, as I worked through the book, each highlighted a different part of the chapter I was working on, reinforcing each other.

There were all types of students: retirees, graduate students, college students, as well as people between jobs or preparing for a new job. Many were returning CLI students. They were interesting and helped me learn about Guilin, the area surrounding the school and good places to eat.

Four hours a day of individual classes, plus homework, was a tiring but worthwhile experience. Due to my weak speaking skills, I didn't complete the two weeks as Immersion. I spoke English outside class and sometimes in class. The teachers did encourage me to speak more. Other students had lunch together in a separate room and did speak only Chinese. I wish I had tried Immersion, as I would have learned more. Next time! And it will be for more than two weeks, which wasn't enough.

CLI organized extra-curricular activities every week. I went on a trip to the Longsheng rice terraces one weekend and attended an evening lecture on the Qing Dynasty and a calligraphy class. Although the extra activities were not included in the tuition, they were well worth it.