Part-time Chinese Program at Omeida Chinese Academy

This is my third week at the Omeida Chinese Academy and already, it has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Never have I felt more at home in a foreign land and more comfortable living amongst so many strangers. After my initial minute culture shock of new tastes and absurd driving etiquette, it was a piece of cake to settle into this rural way of life. Undoubtably, it helps that this small town of Yangshuo is a breathtaking paradise of green jagged mountain peaks and glistening blue rivers. The school itself is as well its own sort of paradise; a friendly and engaging atmosphere that cultivates strong connections between the students and teachers. This place has allowed me to make many friends of all different backgrounds and ages from all over the world. Everyday I meet someone new and can easily connect through our shared interest of learning a new language.
As a complete beginner to Mandarin I was a little hesitant to dive head first into the language at a school so far away from home, but this did not prove to be a difficult struggle. My only issue is finding enough time in the day to do all that I want to do! From swimming at the river and studying on the beach to volunteering at the school and going out at night with friends, I have learned many valuable lessons about how to balance work and play. I’m rarely bored for I find that there is always something to do. Every morning I have three hours of classes, then volunteering in the afternoon and many school-organized activities and personal excursions around Yangshuo.
The staff is very dedicated and committed to each and every student’s learning progress. They are constantly trying to improve the language experience. The small class sizes are extremely advantageous, this way the lessons can be personally tailored to fit your learning style. The teachers are very understanding and helpful, in and out of class. Thanks to them, I have progressed very quickly and now can have basic conversations with the locals I interact with on the daily. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to talk to your favourite shopkeeper and ask them about their day.
In conclusion, have nothing but good things to say about my experience thus far, and look forward to my next 6 months of learning here at Omeida!

The best chinese school ever!!!
After studying 2 months in another school in Beijing, I decided to go to Omeida because of their cheaper prices which allowed me to keep studying for some more weeks.
Their super kind and helpful service before arriving was not even close of the incredible experience in Omeida that was waiting for me.
Since the very first day Anya and Cassie helped me with everything I needed. They also arranged me some extra accommodation days because of my arrival in advance.
They gave me a Welcome pack which was more than useful.

The classes were more than I expected. My teacher Vivian was completely stunning, her super clear grammar explanations made chinese super easy. She also forced us to speak always in chinese, that was priceless. Sometimes she made some games to teach us in a very enjoyable way.
The book we used in class (provided by Omeida) was excellent (I asked my teachers here in Argentina to use it too because it’s super clear)
And I realized that my classmates were in the exact same level as me, so I really appreciated the super well done levelling test.

I had a small inconvenient with my accommodation, which was solved in a really few hours, and they gave me a beautiful new room without any extra charge. After that, Anya always asked me if I felt confortable there. Both accommodation were super close to the school, less than 200mts.

Every single week we had a different cultural activity, which helped students to understand more about China. We tried different food, we learnt about chinese opera, tea ceremony, etc, and all of them were for free.
On weekends we have extra activities and excursions organized by Omeida which were also amazing and super funny (I won’t talk about Yangshuo’s landscapes because everybody knows about those wordless places).

I also met some worldwide and chinese friends with I still keep talking to, practicing my chinese and my english also.

I could keep talking about Omeida for hours. I traveled in China for 5 months and those 5 weeks studying in Yangshuo were without any doubt the best time of my trip.
I just regret having studied at the Beijing school instead of spending more time in Omeida, not just for the cheaper prices, also because the entire experience.
I will always miss all of Omeida’s team and my time there. If I had the opportunity, I would go back to study there without a doubt.

Omeida is a really nice,accademy,l came back for the second time!The teachers are very friend and prepared.Yangshuo's relaxed lifestyle is perfect for learning chinese and the climbing on the little mountains around the town is amazing! I really feel like my chinese communication skills are now improving, finally . every week there are several activities to join such as dinners, trips, cultural lessons...really interesting. but what I enjoyed the most is the general positive atmosphere I feel every time I go there. hopefully I will come back again!