An Unforgettable Summer

I came to CLI for a total of 3 months during the summer, and I had an amazing experience that not only helped rapidly improve my Chinese, but also gave me the opportunity to meet many new friends. I had previously learned some Chinese before, but when I first arrived, I spoke very slow and fragmented as I needed a lot of time to think first. Thanks to my amazing teachers and the immersive experience overall, by the time I left, I was speaking Chinese at a much faster, natural speed. It helped improve my Chinese a lot by also regularly chatting to the interns, who were very friendly and willing to help us with anything or just to hang out. I made a lot of friends with fellow students as well, regularly going out with them to explore the city. CLI also provides a lot of events to the students, I particularly enjoyed one weekend excursion to a mountain village where the sights were breathtaking and incredibly refreshing.

One issue I did have though was the accommodation. The A/C in the upper floors broke once and the water had dripped into my dorm walls, and combined with the high humidity in Guilin, it caused mold to grow and made me sick.