“CLI’s greatest strength is its modern facility located in beautiful Guilin with the nearby college, restaurants, shopping and easy to use public transportation providing the perfect learning environment. That plus the river, mountains and lakes would attract any person interested in China. The CLI support staff from the directors to the cook have put together a very well organized facility and system that takes students seamlessly from the time of arrival in Guilin to safe housing (at the school, a private apartment or with a Chinese family) and language instruction. Organized and ad-hoc field trips expose students to the people and the many sites and activities of the surrounding area. The CLI Chinese instructors are native speakers especially educated, trained and selected for their ability to teach, as a team, all facets of Chinese to foreign language students. Several instructors work together, sometimes with interns, to develop and implement a program that best fits the students’ needs and goals, making adjustments as needed. CLI’s greatest strength is all of the above: To provide an environment where instructors and students come together with other native speakers in their natural setting to allow the student to meet his or her goals in a somewhat controlled but dynamic and completely Chinese society.”

“Through one-on-one classes, I was able to focus on topics, vocabulary, and grammar that I most needed. The one-on-one classes, I was able to focus on topics, vocabulary, and grammar that I most needed. The one-on-one classes also allowed me to speak so much in Chinese that I really feel more fluent now!”

“The one-on-one classes are the best aspect of CLI – I have experienced many language courses but have never had one-on-one classes. It is the best way to study Chinese and I would highly recommend it to other students. My teachers were wonderful!”

“The obvious [strength] here would be the teachers. However, I feel like another very great strength is the security of the CLI community. CLI allows me to be and feel independent, but also is a secure, safe and very reliable foundation to fall back on whenever need be. There wasn’t a day when I didn’t appreciate this foundation. The feeling of security in a foreign country is extremely important, and it allowed me to totally enjoy myself, and learn! In my opinion, the one-on-one style of teaching is the best. When combined with cultural immersion, and the necessity of speaking Chinese outside of the classroom every day, you can get an entire year’s worth of study in just one month. It’s amazing!”

“How personal everything is at CLI is probably the school’s biggest strength. One-on-one teaching, on top of home-cooked meals, Chinese interns and so much more. Don’t ever lose that! It’s essential that CLI is so interconnected and active in the student’s everyday lives.”

“In my opinion, CLI’s greatest strength is its teachers and staff members. Other than the fantastic jobs they do teaching students Chinese in the classroom setting, CLI’s teachers are eager to participate and facilitate outside-the-classroom learning, such as meals and activities, on the weekend and during the week.”

“The teachers were incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. They went the extra mile to incorporate material into the classes that were relevant to my interests and working life.”

“The most important aspect of CLI’s intensive Chinese program was the one-on-one class, especially tailored for me. We focused on what I wanted to learn and I could ask as many questions as I wanted. [Everyone] was very organized and there was a lot of cooperation between students and staff.”

“The teachers at CLI are outstanding. They are all enthusiastic and committed. When the weaknesses of the textbook and my weakness learning the material became apparent, [my teachers] worked hard to create supplemental materials to help me drill the vocabulary and grammar. The activities organized by [CLI’s Activity Manager] were fantastic. They really add to the experience of CLI. I learned many things about Chinese habits and customs I never learned in six years in Shanghai.”

“CLI is a very welcoming community. It was great to have somebody at all times I could turn to for help, either with my workload or just to feel comfortable in a new setting. CLI’s teachers care a lot about their students and how they are doing. They are also not bound to a set curriculum like most schools are, so they are able to focus on what the individual student needs.”

“Community. I loved the atmosphere at CLI: It’s relaxing, stress-free, and one finds him or herself always surrounded by some of the brightest and most caring people. I found this made my experience much more enjoyable and fun, and I learned a great deal about China and its culture by talking with the people there.”

“I arrived [in Guilin] at 5am, was picked up by a [CLI] staff member, and found the CLI building with the colored lanterns outside, and that was really a great moment for me because everything here was perfect. The food has been superb, the room spacious, the sheets clean, the water hot, and so it was a very easy transition for me to come from an ideal of my own home to CLI. I highly recommend CLI mostly because of the teachers — the seriousness of their commitment and their desire to see that you actually learn Chinese. This is not a business as much as it is a cultural bridge. There’s a high commitment by the staff and the teachers to see that you actually accomplish the goals that you set out for yourself in learning the Chinese language.”

“CLI’s greatest strength is how well they look after their students leading up to and after arrival. CLI arranged someone to pick me up at the train station, show me around the city, and even take me grocery shopping. This makes all the difference when arriving somewhere new.”

“After studying at CLI twice now, I’ve found that the greatest advantage of learning Chinese here is not only the one-on-one class environment, but also that being located in a smaller city, like Guilin, provides students with a perfect atmosphere for truly learning the language.”

“CLI’s greatest strength is its tight-knit community of not only teachers and ‘Pengyous’ who truly desire to help students learn, but also the fellow students. CLI really has a welcoming family environment!”

“I loved CLI’s variety of teachers. It allows for various ways of speaking, accents, points of views and expressions. The mix of speaking/listening, writing/reading and grammar classes was also very important. It gave a great overview of the language.”

“The community of Chinese teachers is certainly CLI’s greatest strength–providing a core group around which students and friends can revolve. They are always willing to practice Chinese with you and go out on weekends as well. This community made me feel at home.”

“Overall, the system at CLI is very good! Everything one learns is customized to one’s desires. I was able to improve my speaking, reading and writing, and listening skills. While studying at CLI, I was able to work on all areas of the Chinese language.”

“CLI has many strengths. The school’s employees and atmosphere, city orientation, and student support all provide an excellent introduction to the school and China in general. Overall CLI has an excellent program for learning the Chinese language and culture. I have learned a lot during my stay here.”

“CLI was on top of everything from transportation to food to hotels. It made me worry less about those things and allowed me to focus more on my interactions with Chinese students and the learning experience in general. Thanks to CLI for making this trip the most memorable and fun it could be!”

“The CLI staff helped me discover Guilin and was always available to answer any questions I had about the city. I truly appreciated my teachers’ efforts to tailor each class to my specific needs. Particularly useful were the daily scenarios we practiced, such as ordering food, buying tickets, etc…”

“The sense of community and the teachers are amazing! The teachers really care about the students and adapt their teaching methods to meet the needs of the student. I really enjoyed these aspects because it made learning Chinese a lot more fun and effective.”

“In my opinion, the one-on-one training by highly qualified teachers is the strength of CLI. My instructors were smart, friendly, patient, and encouraging. Everybody here was such a pleasure to work with. This has been one of my best vacations.”

“CLI’s greatest strength is the learning environment that exists. The relaxed atmosphere and personal touch make it easy to want to study in your free time. CLI’s weekly activities were also great, as there was always someone to share a drink or dinner with. Using three teachers per student is fantastic as it increases the chances you will work out the style of learning that works best for you. I also felt completely comfortable in the knowledge that if I’d wanted to change a teacher, I could do so with no awkwardness.”

“CLI’s greatest strength is the quality and dedication of its staff. Teachers were always prepared, flexible, and able to give clear answers for any questions I had. The one-on-one instruction with different teachers allowed for a level of attention and personal tailoring that is second to none.”

“CLI is well aware of what foreign students experience when coming to Guilin. My stay here has been unbelievably easy despite the fact I don’t speak much English. Everyone at CLI is very accommodating, friendly and helpful. The selection of the homestay family was perfect!”

“Because the classes were one-on-one I was able to ask any specific question I wanted, without embarrassment. This helped me understand concepts the way I needed to understand them. The teaching method and community atmosphere made CLI feel like my home away from home.”

“CLI is very organized with great facilities and nice teachers. CLI added a lot to my Guilin experience, providing great support in studying Mandarin. I really enjoyed having three different teachers, each one focusing on a different particular language skill.”

“CLI has great teachers and staff. They were essential in helping me reach my language goals. The one-on-one language immersion style allowed me to fully customize my classes according to my needs.”

“The one-on-one teaching of the language was by far the most important aspect of learning. By this I continually felt as though I was able to work at my personal pace and always had resources for furthering and enhancing my study.”

“CLI’s greatest strength is the friendliness and amazing level of helpfulness found in its staff toward all of the students. It made me feel extremely comfortable when speaking Chinese.”

“My teachers’ knowledge of both English and Chinese and how the languages differ was very helpful. It is wonderful how the teachers interact with their students outside of the classroom as well. The group lunches and group outings added to a warm and family friendly atmosphere at the school that enabled us to practice speaking without being embarrassed. Everyone is welcomed and encouraged.”

“The fact that the teachers interact with students outside of class gives us more opportunities to improve our Chinese skills. CLI’s social and cultural activities also helped to augment the learning process. The program’s flexibility also allowed me to slow down the pace and was also able about topics I am interested in.”

“When eating lunch or when hanging out at CLI in between classes, I really felt like CLI was a family, one that keeps getting bigger. Of course the education was important, but more than that, the sense of community and friendship had a larger impact on me. The teachers were always willing to help me with anything outside the classrooms whether it was sending postcards, how to talk to the taxi driver, or going to buy things at a local store. I was also able to meet many people through the teachers and by the time I left CLI, I had become friends with many of their friends. This is the beauty of CLI. Relationship building while learning Chinese.”