CLI: Chinese Immersion Program in Guilin, China

I came to CLI after 4 months of living in China knowing only simple phrases and basic reading. Thanks to the great, down-to-earth teachers, the good environment at the center where I stayed, and the friends I made, my language level and confidence skyrocketed after 6 weeks. I can hold short conversations, write, and read a good chunk of what I see daily. CLI is a great option for people who are serious about learning and want to put in the work while also having fun. I hope to see even more younger students and large groups there in the future, Guilin is a top notch place to spend a summer break learning.

Teachers are super friendly and classes are engaging. Went to my teachers house for tea, and went out to eat with them as well. They truly become your friends.

My homestay was super comfortable. Food was fresh, local and homemade. At the end of every day, I could practice speaking with my host - using the new vocabulary and grammar I learned at that day. My host showed me around the city, brought me to her social dances and to meet her friends and even when to a birthday party. I met so many new Chinese students. Life in Guilin is slow and peaceful. The locals here are very friendly too.

This has to be the best value for money course in china. First, the one-on-one instruction makes a huge difference as to the speed to which you can assimilate the language. My teachers (Penny, Nini and Lisa) were always super patient and took time to explain new words and grammar points, in a way that wouldn’t have been possible in a regular classroom. Everything in CLI is made for immersion: all the teachers and interns make a concerted effort to speak to you in chinese. Finally, i felt like i was really a part of a community. Living among everyone, sharing lunch, going together on activities (which by the way bring you to unforgettable places around guilin) made for true friendships to blossom. I don’t exaggerate when i say that i will always remember my time at CLI. If i can, i would definitely come back for a month or longer

Guilin is a wonderful place to study Chinese as it is local, slow-paced and extremely friendly.
CLI was recommended to me by a friend, and my Chinese learning properly began here after trying to find classes elsewhere but nothing quite working.
I've been to CLI 3 times now and I love it every time ~ there are a lot of activities to engage in if it's your first time in China, a host of friendly peers and staff and freedom to explore the surroundings.
Since being at CLI I kept my lessons online with one of the teachers as I enjoyed our lessons so much! I would now consider us friends as well as student/teacher.
I highly recommend CLI

I loved my time at CLI. I was there for a month and wish I could have stayed longer. After a month of language instruction, I developed a higher confidence level, especially with my listening comprehension.

I had three wonderful teachers and will continue working with one of them with online lessons. Each class lasted for two hours. I met with my comprehensive teacher daily, and we covered HSK 4 material. He was very patient, helpful, and deeply understood Chinese grammar.

I met with the speaking and listening teacher three times a week. Because there was no textbook, it was my most challenging and favorite class. We conversed for two hours straight. We did have preselected topics, such as Chinese culture and idioms, but having a free format stretched me because I had to rely on my ability and the vocabulary the teacher taught me. There were times I left this class mentally exhausted, but it was tremendously satisfying that I could do what I did.

My third class was a reading and writing class. If you don't hand-write Chinese characters, don't sweat it! CLI is very flexible with its students. I typed my assignments. The reading assignments helped me better grasp what modern China is like and the changes the society has undergone. I especially liked cracking "dad jokes" with my teacher, who taught me the term 冷笑话。

But the entire staff acts as teachers, albeit less formally. Every conversation is in Chinese， whether over lunch or a discussion in the hallway. Guilin is a great place to study because few Westerners and locals are very amiable. The school provides weekend trips to stunning locations, and during the evenings, there are abundant opportunities to get involved with sports or cultural activities.

If you want to learn Chinese, you cannot go wrong with CLI or Guilin!

Received a warm welcome that made me feel home despite being far away. Felt very quickly immersed in a pure Chinese speaking environment.
Outstanding teachers able to adapt to your need and deliver a tailor made class.
Nice and helpful management team looking to meet any of your needs

Lunch maybe too spicy but I heard they are working on it:)

Most importantly the progress has been exponential!!

I’ll come back but next time for a longer stay.

Suitable for all age as along as you wish to immerse and the kids embrace the experience

I just came back from two weeks spent at CLI. I have no clue how to express how impressed I was with this school. Everything was fantastic. At pretty much every step I was given a lot of caring attention. I lived with a Chinese family, which gave me an extra chance to try more of Guilin's food, take a few walks around the neighborhood and practice my Chinese after the lessons.

What I particularly loved about the school is how transparent it was. Each person had a clear responsibility, so I knew who to talk to regarding extra events, learning schedule, my homestay or errands like getting a Chinese SIM card. Also, the teachers were incredibly friendly and engaged. I feel like we quickly became friends. There were lots of opportunities to try Chinese outside of the classroom - during the events, at the shop with other students or enjoying an outdoor lesson when the weather was good. The cherry on top was a goodbye banquet, during which I saw a performance of traditional Chinese music.

I have great memories and will definitely come back, this time for longer.

My family and I - two adults, one 14 year old - studied at CLI Guilin for two weeks in July 2021. We had individual classes four hours a day, five days a week.

The teachers were fantastic. We appreciated the three teacher system, where you did not spend the entire day with any one teacher.

We stayed at CLI over the second week. Rooms was clean, simple, economical. We'd stay there again.

Our 14 year old wasn't happy with us for 'making' her do two weeks of Chinese classes during her summer break, but even she came around. Her teacher took her on walks where they played games, and she beat most comers at Mahjong.

Most importantly, we all felt more confident with our Chinese language skills after two weeks. We'd definitely consider going back next year.