1 year program at CLI

The single best thing about CLI is that they prioritize flexibility above all else. If you want a hyper specific program, be it 4 hours a day, 8 hours a day, you want to only learn to speak, or you want to use traditional characters they can do everything.

In my program I wanted to learn traditional characters and with the teachers I was able to work with them to choose a good textbook that suited me. They provided me with a tailored environment that suited me specifically.

There were students who spoke no English during their time there and were doing really intense 1 on 1 classes. I for a time asked them to give me extra classes, where i would have 1 hour of free speaking, 2 hours of reading/writing, 4 hours of comprehensive (mostly grammar and new vocab), and 2 hours of calligraphy for 5 days of the week, for dinners, I made friends with the interns, and became very good friends with them. I was getting so much immersion I honestly felt exhausted and my brain hurt from how much I learned in a day. I went from beginning HSK 1 to starting HSK 5 from August to January.

Other students mostly wanted to just get around with Chinese and more just get a feeling for China, so the program also offered a lot of weekend excursions, and daily activities. So for those who did not want a super intense experience, a very leisurely experience is also provided. Teachers really try to understand student's desires. There are many different teachers available and it's really easy to switch. In my year I ended up having 6 teachers in total.

Guilin is really pretty with its mountains, it's food is on the spicier side in China but there are also non-spicy options available. There's homestays, private apartments, shared apartments with Chinese roommates, and also CLI's own dormitory available. There's rooms catered to couples, families, and individuals. Rooms can also include a kitchenette + refrigerator if requested.