Volunteer Program

The experience at the start was stressful, not knowing the language at all in a Beijing and in a new culture was difficult to adapt to at first but once I started to have classes I learned to really like the school. When my classes became one on one I really enjoyed them because I was able to bond with my teacher. My teacher was incredible and I am very thankful to her to get my Chinese to the level that it is now. The location of the school and the facilities were great, in a tall apartment building in the middle of Sanlitun with great security and wonderful views. The activities were also nice to partake in during my stay, being able to experience all sorts of Chinese activities and meet new people. The only drawback were the apartments I stayed in, I switched apartments to a better location but the quality of housing was a shock for Western standards. They were dirty, with the cleaning lady barely cleaning and several of the usual faciltites of an apartment would always break (AC, toilet etc.) Everything about the Hutong School experience was wonderful aside from the housing.

Initially I had a bad experience with a teacher. she was not very helpful with questions and patience. Alex, school administrator, was capable and willing to resolve problem. I was impressed with his follow ups and concerns. new teacher is extremely attentive and thoughtful. I am extremely pleased with the experience and plan on continuing with the follow up courses.

Mark

Beijing was freezing and the pollution levels were extraordinarily high, intense and probably more difficult for me to deal with than people from big cities (since where I live the air is pristine). But the Hutong School was a warm, welcoming and very positive environment and experience.

BaiXue and Yumi were my teachers and they both delivered
well- prepared classes on a daily basis. Learning was fun and speedy, provided you put in the homework. The only issue I had with the classes was that I was under the impression from all of the online information that classes commenced (for all) on the first Monday of the month, when in fact people were dropping in and out for a few days or weeks anytime of the month. As much as you want to welcome your new 'tongxue(men)' it's a drag on your learning when somebody comes in mid-month and halts the progress or speed of progress of the group.

The accommodation was fine (even if my bed was very uncomfortable - but you can live with that!) and I enjoyed walking to school. I was placed with a French woman close to my own age.

Almost all of the activities were very enjoyable (I didn't enjoy the lecture on the Economy), but Fiona did a fantastic job, and I was privileged to be invited by her to attend a yoga class at the gym and was overwhelmed by her amazing teacher.

Bruce was an absolute treasure, always smiling, caring and helping any way possible -a great asset to your school.

Even the cleaner (who cleaned the school and our apartment) was great as she wanted to help us with our learning by asking us questions about our lives, forcing us (in the nicest possible way) to speak, so that she could learn about our lives and we could speak more fluently.

All of the other teachers and admin staff were helpful and friendly and Olivier certainly came to the party when there were any issues to resolve.

I have no hesitation in recommending the school. Generally speaking it was a very positive learning experience.

I was very impressed by the quality of teaching and support provided by the staff of Hutong School. The class sizes were small and the teachers were experienced and inclusive of all students. The staff actively made sure that my stay was enjoyable and provided help with practical needs whenever necessary. The location of the accommodation relative to the school was excellent. The accommodation was clean and provided everything I needed. I really enjoyed the activities and getting to know the other students and staff. I learnt a lot about the Chinese language and culture and had an amazing time. I'd definitely attend Hutong School if I returned to Beijing and would recommend the school to others.

A very accurate, sympathetic and enthusiastic team. The guidanceand facilities were very efficient.
The accommodation I lived in was among the people of Beijing and within walking distance to Hutong School. I had a very good one-on-one teacher. But I had contact with other groups and heard good news about the other teachers, too.
Fiona is very talented; also an enthusiastic and a very adequate leader of extracurricular activities.

The classes were good, we had very pleasant and helpful teachers. The location of the school in Beijing is fine. It is in a big building and in a place where you can easily find anything to eat. The flat I had was great except for the air conditioning which didn't really work sometimes and in summer it's hard to live without! My experience at Hutong School was very good. I have nothing special to say except that I would recommend this school to anyone that wants to take a trip to China and improve their Chinese.

At Hutong School you feel AT HOME right from the beginning- when you are making contacts and ask for information- from the airport pickup to the school itself. Teachers are very encouraging, the apartment was nice.
Activities outside the school were well organised and, more generally, you do not have the impression of just having a 'service' you have paid for.
I'm thinking of something I did not like, but really I'm not able to think of anything.

The teachers were very professional and if you want to, you can really learn a lot, even in just two weeks. The facilities (in Beijing where I was) are centrally located near the bustling area of Sanlitun and the school itself is modern. I didn't stay in one of the apartments belonging to Hutong School but what I heard from other students was that most of them lived within of close to the second ring road (which is pretty good in Beijing) and living with other students in the apartments was an opportunity to get to know more people than just one's classmates. Another thing I was very fond of was the cultural acticivies. I've been to the tea ceremony, theater, drum and bell tower and taken engraving classes at Hutong School which is a perfect way to experience Chinese culture along with other students.