Affordable China Study Abroad Language Programs

I went with CSA for a 4 week program in the winter of 2013 and had a great experience. Running regular events made it easy to find friends and give you a head start on navigating the social scene in Beijing, and peace of mind was assured by the fact that the support team was only a phone call or short walk away.

Top folks! I highly recommend CSA.

I went to Beijing with CSA in summer 2011 and loved every minute. Going with CSA meant that every practical detail was taken care of and I could concentrate on my studies at BLCU and on enjoying all the great entertainment CSA arranged with a fantastic group of people.

CSA allowed me to hit the ground running and be immediately immersed into my six-hour a day study program and life with my Chinese homestay family and I knew that someone was on hand in case of any emergencies, from illness to finding a friendly face to share a beer with.

I couldn't recommend them enough.

I decided to spend the first semester of my gap year in between high school and college studying at BLCU. While I had previously been to Beijing with family for some sightseeing, I knew that living there, on my own, would be completely different. Therefore, I am very glad that I found CSA to help guide me through this challenging, yet exciting opportunity.

CSA was there to help from the moment CSA Chris picked me up from the airport. Questions regarding visa/local registration, weekend activities, my homestay, and even those regarding Chinese vocab/grammar were always answered promptly, often with follow up a few days later to make sure everything was handled accordingly. Believe me, life in Beijing is challenging and annoying situations arise quickly (especially if you ride the subway and spend time around locals), so it is very important to have a responsible party nearby that is willing to assist you.

Regarding the staff, everybody was friendly and made me feel as comfortable as possible. Jessica even helped my family arrange an excursion to Harbin just to be helpful! No matter when or where, the CSA staff was always a pleasure to chat with and did their very best to make sure my stay was going smoothly. I also credit them for bringing us students closer together by arranging enjoyable weekend activities and occasional trips! They truly did their best to help us out.

Prior to arriving in Beijing, I studied Mandarin for four years in school and arrived with a solid grasp of the language. Regardless, BLCU placed me in relatively low level classes because I was unable to write characters at the caliber which I spoke/read. This was disappointing, but there was always a bit of new material to learn and was kept busy. Perhaps the best outcome of this situation was the fact that I encouraged myself to spend more time with my homestay family and my CSA-assigned tutor. There is nothing better for studying than hearing authentic Chinese being yelled in a household, or playing around/watching Chinese cartoons with a little kid who speaks no English! In addition, my family treated me as true family member- they helped me with homework, were always willing to converse, cooked dinner for me nightly, etc. Again, credit to CSA for arranging the homestay, and I strongly recommend that you choose this method of accommodation if you decide to study in Beijing.

Overall, I can't thank CSA enough for their guidance through the traffic (literally) of Beijing. Studying there was a culture shock from the get-go, and I would not have succeeded without the help of the staff. What I took away from my program were much improved Mandarin skills, the ability to adjust to daily life in a chaotic foreign city, a host of new friends, a strong bond with a kind Chinese family, among others. I strongly recommend contacting CSA to help you organize your adventure in China.

i really enjoyed my time here in beijing and the staff was more than helpful. i would recommend this program to anyone. you will not regret it and my chinese has improved noticably

For me going to China to learn Chinese has been a dream for many years, and even before I started High School I had decided that I was going to go to university in China. Two and a half years later, it was time to start doing research on universities and start with the application process. While my classmates were filling out web applications for schools in Norway and Europe, it soon hit me that applying to universities in china was a bigger challenge than I first thought. On top of applying to the university I also had in mind that I had to find a place to live, buy the right insurance and get the right type of visa.

With all this in mind I knew that I wanted to find an agency that could help me with the various processes, and after a quick google search I found China Study Abroad's website. It was a clean and "easy to understand" page with good information about Chinas best schools and what life as a student in China is like. I also went to the program planning page where I could put together my own program, choose the school and what kind of housting that was best for me, and the price immediately came up. After talking to my high school career adviser, and other people that had been studying in china before, I decided to let an organization like China Study Abroad organize my year abroad in China.

I mailed China Study Abroad to tell them what kind of program I was looking for and after a few hours I got an email back with information and advice on the next steps to take to go to China as a student. At this point I was running out of time to send in the application to Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) so I sent my application information to China Study Abroad's office in Beijing and they forwarded it to the University. I soon got an email back that the application was received at the University and I could start to look for flights to china.

Before I went to Beijing, China Study Abroad continuously updated me on my application and guided me through the entire visa application process. When I first arrived to Beijing I was met by a China Study Abroad staff member at the airport who took me to the apartment I was going to live in during the school year, where I also met my house mate, who now is a friend for life. The same day they also took me on a tour around the university and the area around it. In China Study Abroad's office I also got to meet many other students that where studying in Beijing with China Study Abroad. I felt it was a huge advantage to make so many friends through China Study Abroad and that they showed me around and introduced me to life in China.

China Study Abroad has been present as an adviser, supporter and safety keeper during my entire stay in China. They have been helping me with small and bigger issues I have encountered, as well as organizing social events and trips to Chinas finest locations. All of their apartments are clean and modern and are located close to the universities in Beijing's most international area. Something I have been appreciating a lot about China Study Abroad is the strong social environment of students from all over the world that you immediately become a part of. After discussing with other students at my university that have been coming to china without help from an organization, I would without a doubt choose the same way of going to china as I have had the opportunity to do through China Study Abroad.

Christoffer Wiik, Norway

Choosing to go with CSA for my trip to Beijing led to an amazing experience. There to support me from the moment I got off the plane, I couldn't have made a better decision.

They showed me the local area, were always on hand to help me find the nicest restaurant, tastiest street food, best supermarket or most interesting cultural sight. 24 hour support meant just more than an emergency contact- it meant someone to call when you wanted the best dumplings (or rather 饺子) in town.

Being part of CSA meant I was immediately part of a close knit community of staff and students, and I made some amazing life-long friends.

Being provided with a mobile phone, dictionary, local maps, a great group of friends (yes they really do supply you with an international group of friends) and Chinese & English speaking support meant I could get straight into experiencing China straight away. I saw so much of the city and felt like I had a genuine look into local life.

BLCU was great, although I wouldn't have survived there without the support of the CSA staff who could appear to help deal with any queries or logistical problems with the mainly only Chinese-speaking administration.

I had an amazing trip to Beijing and would most definitely choose CSA again.

Being part of CSA at BLCU was definitely one of the best decisions I've made ever! Staff was really great to get me settled all way from the start at applying for a visa to a taxi to the airport home. Through CSA I had the chance to meet amazing people and lifelong friends from all over the world. An experience that you will never forget, CSA helps make it a reality with its skilled and caring staff, programs that ensure that you are never bored, and friends that make a difference in your life.

The team is great and the level of support given is amazing! My stay in Beijing could not have been any better. The teaching facility is great and I would recommend signing up for a tutoring session, it definitely speeds up learning the language. I would definitely return anytime!