Spend your summer studying Mandarin in Guilin through CLI's year-round Immersion Program. Start any Monday, choose how long to stay, and receive 20 hours of one-on-one Chinese instruction each week.
For independent students age 18 and older. Complete beginners are welcome.
Summer at CLI
CLI's Chinese immersion summer program is a summer entry point to the same Immersion Program that runs throughout the year. There is no single arrival date and no predetermined number of weeks. You choose the Monday that works for you and stay for as much of the summer as your schedule allows.
Each weekday includes four hours of one-on-one Chinese with a team of three instructors. Lessons begin at your current level and follow your goals. Outside class, Guilin gives you daily reasons to use what you have learned, whether you are ordering lunch, talking with a driver, visiting a market, or spending time with a local language partner.
Because students arrive on different dates, the community changes gradually through the summer. You will meet people staying for a week, a month, an academic break, or much longer.
CLI has taught Chinese in Guilin since 2009. Students have come from more than 50 countries and over 400 institutions.
4.96/5Go Overseas ratingChoose your dates
A short stay can restart a stalled study routine. A longer stay gives new vocabulary and habits more time to settle. The examples below show how the class hours add up.
Useful when work, university, or other travel limits your time. Your teachers can concentrate on a specific problem such as pronunciation, conversation, or an upcoming exam.
Four weeks gives you time to establish a routine, work across several language skills, and use new Chinese repeatedly outside the classroom.
Eight weeks supports a broader learning plan and gives your teachers more time to assess, adjust, and revisit material as your Chinese changes.
Tuition examples include a private room at CLI. Housing choices and program length affect the total. Review current dates and fees.
Plan your dates
Every Monday on this page is a real start date. Choose one, set your length, and see exactly what your summer looks like before you write to admissions.
CLI starts every other Monday of the year too. If your summer sits outside these months, tell admissions your dates.
4weeks in Guilin
A weekday at CLI
CLI runs four two-hour class blocks each weekday. You attend two of them and use the remaining time for review, errands, activities, meals, and life around Guilin.
This is an example rather than a fixed timetable. Each student attends two of CLI's four daily class blocks, for four total hours each weekday.
How CLI is different
University summer programs and language-school group courses can be a good fit when their calendar and curriculum match yours. CLI takes a different approach.
| Program feature | Typical fixed summer term | CLI Immersion Program |
|---|---|---|
| Start date | One or two scheduled arrivals | Any Monday of the year |
| Length | Set by the institution | One week to one year |
| Class format | Usually group instruction | 20 one-on-one hours each week |
| Curriculum | Shared syllabus and class pace | Adjusted to your level and goals |
| Placement | Broad level bands | Individual assessment and planning |
| Community | One cohort arrives together | Students arrive and depart throughout summer |
| Housing | Often arranged separately | Included, with several options |
Your summer in Guilin
Guilin is large enough to give students plenty to do, but it remains easy to navigate. English is less common in daily life than in China's largest international cities, so ordinary routines become useful language practice.
The city's karst mountains, rivers, parks, markets, and neighborhoods are close at hand. Yangshuo and the Longsheng rice terraces are both within reach for weekend trips.
Included in tuition
CLI handles the basic structure around your stay so you can concentrate on learning Chinese and getting comfortable in Guilin.
Some excursions and special activities require students to pay the provider's direct ticket or venue cost. International airfare, visa fees, and personal expenses are not included.
Options can include a private room at CLI, a homestay, a private apartment, or an apartment with Chinese housemates. Availability varies by length and date.
"I came to CLI for a total of three months during the summer. By the time I left, I was speaking Chinese at a much faster, more natural speed."Sarah · Immersion Program student
Student experience
"After a couple weeks, I was having slow conversations with taxi drivers, long chats with people in shops, and waking up thinking in Chinese."Dave · Six weeks · Second visit to CLI
Planning questions
No. CLI's Immersion Program runs throughout the year. You can begin on any Monday and choose a stay from one week to one year, subject to availability. Summer is simply the part of the year when many students use a university break, vacation time, or a work sabbatical to attend.
This page is for independent students who will be at least 18 when their program begins. CLI welcomes university students, professionals, recent graduates, adult learners, and travelers who want Chinese study to be the main purpose of their time in China.
You receive 20 hours of one-on-one Chinese each week. CLI runs four two-hour class blocks every weekday, and you are assigned two of them. Your three instructors coordinate the week across reading and writing, listening and speaking, and comprehensive review.
Yes. No prior Chinese is required. Beginners usually start with pronunciation, practical vocabulary, listening, and basic communication. Students who already speak Chinese can focus on fluency, reading, business Chinese, test preparation, or another goal agreed with their teachers.
There is no single fixed cohort. Students arrive and depart on different Mondays, but they share common areas, activities, outings, meals, and daily life at CLI. This gives the summer a steady community without requiring everyone to follow the same calendar or syllabus.
Yes. Tuition includes housing. Depending on your dates, length, and preferences, options may include a private room at CLI, a homestay, a private apartment, or an apartment with Chinese housemates. A private room at CLI is often the simplest choice because your bedroom and classrooms are in the same building.
That depends on your nationality, program length, travel plans, and the entry rules in effect when you travel. Some shorter stays may qualify for visa-free entry, while other students need a student visa. After acceptance, CLI will review the appropriate route with you and provide supporting materials when needed.
Some students arrange transfer credit through their home university. CLI can provide syllabi, course descriptions, class-hour documentation, certificates, and information about official transcripts through Guangxi Normal University. If credit is central to your plans, review CLI's Study Abroad in China program and speak with your university before enrolling.
Tuition includes 20 weekly hours of one-on-one Chinese, housing, airport or train station pickup and drop-off, orientation, some activities, welcome and farewell dinners, and ongoing student support. Airfare, visa fees, personal spending, and the direct cost of optional excursions are separate.
Admissions are rolling, but summer dates and certain housing choices can fill. If your travel dates are fixed, inquire early enough to leave time for admission, flights, and any visa process. Accepted students typically receive an admissions decision within three weekdays.
They describe the same academic program. This page explains how independent adults can use CLI's year-round Immersion Program during the summer. The main Chinese Immersion Program page contains the complete year-round program details.
Start with a conversation
Send your preferred start date, number of weeks, current Chinese level, and housing preference. Admissions will answer your questions and tell you honestly whether the program fits.
This is an inquiry, not an application. Add any questions you want the admissions team to answer.
Ready now? Start the Immersion Program application.
