help bg

Keats Blog

Keats Blog offers great information about Chinese language learning, Chinese culture, Mandarin Chinese, and information about China.
Go Back

DON’T STUDY CHINESE IN SHANGHAI – 5 REASONS TO PICK KUNMING INSTEAD

There are a lot of publications and schools in China where you can study Mandarin.

While many of them encourage you to learn Chinese in Shanghai, we’re here to tell you otherwise. You could pick to study Chinese in Shanghai, but the level of fluency you will achieve there will not match the level you will reach at Keats School.

Here’s Why.

SMALL CLASSES

At Keats School, you’re not only a student; you’re primarily a person. At larger schools or universities in Shanghai where you study Mandarin, study abroad students can often feel like a number in a large classroom.

We never want our students to feel any less than a valued students. We keep our classes small and listen to any and all of our students’ concerns; with personalized classes, your fluency matters. We will work with you one-on-one during intensive one-on-one classes to perfect your Mandarin language skills. If you’re struggling, we won’t continue until you’re confident.

If you study Mandarin in Shanghai in a large school, those moments won’t happen. This means your fluency will not grow because you do not fully understand the class before moving on to the next subject.

QUALIFIED TEACHERS

At Keats School, we only have the best Mandarin language, teachers. Our teachers who speak standard Mandarin and English get professional training, and unique teaching methods developed in-house.

These methods including the use of flashcards help our students reach the fluency they hope for when deciding to study Mandarin in China.

If you decide to study Chinese in Shanghai, you may have qualified teachers, but you may also be taught by teaching assistants who are not as highly qualified as our teachers.

Every two weeks, we have a teaching conference to communicate the latest and efficient teaching methods. We go over teaching and student feedback and develop ways to improve our Mandarin teaching.

Keats School believes that teaching quality is the fundamental element of being a successful Chinese language school. The Teaching Quality Team is responsible for checking teacher’s daily syllabus and lesson plans and organizing teaching conferences every two weeks.

CUSTOMIZED LESSON

While you may be drawn to study Mandarin in Shanghai, we suggest picking Kunming instead based on our customized study plans.

Since 2004, we’ve done our due diligence to create custom plans for each of our students. One of our teachers will sit with every student to discuss what goals and fluency they’d like to achieve while studying at Keats School.

You may not get this if you choose to study Mandarin in Shanghai at a larger school or university. The lessons would be based on the whole class, not your specific needs and wants.

ANYTIME START TIME

A bigger Chinese course in Shanghai, they will have a certain start date. This isn’t the case when you decide to study Mandarin at Keats.

Keats School is open year-round, so we have an anytime start date for intensive one-on-one Mandarin classes. You can study anytime according to your schedule.

KEATS SCHOOL IS ACCREDITED

Keats School is accredited by the Provincial Education Department and the Kunming Education Department.

The teaching quality of Keats School is checked by the Chinese education department each year so that your studies at Keats can be guaranteed. If you are thinking of studying Mandarin in Shanghai, the place you are interested in may not be accredited. This would mean you would not be satisfied with your learning and fluency at the end of the course.

Being accredited also means that we are legally eligible to help you with your Chinese visa.

TIME TO BUY YOUR TICKET

Kunming has seen an increase in popularity with study abroad students. People realize studying Mandarin in Shanghai may not be the best idea, but studying Mandarin in Kunming is.

If you haven’t decided where to live when learning Chinese in China, Kunming should come up to the top of your list. To learn more about Kunming and Keats School, visit our blog.

If you’re ready to call Keats home, apply directly on our website. See you soon!

Related Articles

Which Chinese Language Program
is right for you?

PROGRAMS

Rients's Story at Keats Kunming, My Second Hometown

OVER 7300+ STUDENTS HAVE STUDIED AT KEATS

Josh

Josh | USA

Small Group Chinese Class

I really had a wonderful experience at the school. The teachers are very very friendly. In my class, we practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing. We play games and other fun activities. We have trips around town. The staff at Keats is phenomenal. My teacher is one of the best teachers I have ever had in my educational experience. She comes in with a smile every day.

Sylvia

Sylvia | USA

Intensive One-on-One Chinese Classes

One thing I really liked was that I was able to work with my teacher to make an individual plan of study. Another really nice thing is that you live at the school, you feel completely safe.  You always have a group of people who are willing to do things with you on the weekends or in the evenings. They are serving you all the 3 meals a day, the food was excellent.

杜文宇

杜文宇 | Netherlands

Intensive One-on-One Chinese Classes

So during my first week at Keats, I didn’t dare to speak any Chinese words. I found out that my Chinese level quickly improved since then. Although I have many options to study in China, for example, some other schools have homestay, I found I could immerse myself and fully focus on learning Chinese by staying at Keats.

Paul

Paul | UK

Intensive One-on-One Chinese Classes

All teachers are really lovely. The teaching level at Keats is so much higher. I really love the city. It is very comfortable to get around. I fully recommend Keats. It is a great place to study Chinese in China. We are looking forward to coming back again later this year.

David

David | Australia

Intensive One-on-One Chinese Classes

It has been notable because I have met a lot of people who I met first time last year like me to come back to Keats this year. The teaching has been fantastic. The teachers carefully prepare each lesson. I think this one-on-one approach is really a great way to rapidly increase your level of Chinese and increase your confidence and fluency with the language.

Sully

Sully | France

Small Group Chinese Class

All my classmates stay together for one year and we improved so much! The teachers at Keats are all very great. They like to organize a lot of activities to help us learn Chinese. I like Keats! I like Kunming!

Sarah

Sarah | USA

Intensive One-on-One Chinese Classes

My name is Sarah Fish. I am 81. I knew very little Chinese when I arrived. How was I going to survive 2 weeks of intensive Chinese course? I have to laugh when I think of that now. What a positive experience this has been! I really wish we could be here a little longer. The teachers are extremely encouraging, evaluating first how much someone knows, and then starting from there.

Josephine

Josephine | Indonesia

Intensive One-on-One Chinese Classes

I think Keats is one of the best language schools I have ever been to. My teacher is such an amazing person. She is so good at teaching. She makes classes fun. I have learned a lot of vocabulary during my time here. I would really recommend coming to learn Mandarin Chinese at Keats School.

Please use vertical scrolling on your mobile device.