Chinese Language Institute Immersion Program - Guilin, China

I participated in the Mandarin immersion program at the Chinese Language Institute (CLI) in Guilin, China, for 8 weeks this fall--from the end of August to the end of October. Each week I had 20 hours of one-on-one lessons with teachers who had a lot of experience teaching Mandarin as a second language. The classes were challenging, and enjoyable. The teachers were personable, professional, and very capable. My Mandarin proficiency has greatly improved in just this short time. I lived in a dorm room at CLI. It was clean, comfortable, and convenient, with weekly cleaning service. CLI also provided delicious lunches each weekday. I enjoyed getting to know students from many different countries as we participated in activities sponsored by CLI such as visiting scenic spots in Guilin and surrounding areas. I also had the opportunity to explore Guilin and China on my own. I highly recommend CLI's program for anyone interested in wanting to start learning Mandarin, or who desire to improve their Mandarin proficiency. Students can stay for a week, a month, a year, or whatever length of time they desire. They also get to choose the date they start--any Monday of the year, except some around Chinese New Year.