My school - a review

Beijing, China

So, what have I been doing all this time - except for the occasional field trip? 当然学汉语吧 - learning Chinese, of course. Came a long way to do it, too. So, essentially I spent most afternoons (except weekends) at a small language school in Beijing's Haidian District called 地球村学校 or Global Village Language School.
And what's it like? Well, it's been essentially like going back to school. Only that this time I chose to; and I could choose my classes. Classes are generally fairly small with an average of six or seven students (although popular ones have way more than that). Lessons go by text book spending one lesson going over new words for that chapter of the book and a second lesson reading and understanding dialogues and excercises. Lessons are taught entirely in Chinese (I believe most of the teachers speak only little English or Korean). Even though this is a bit daunting at first you get used to it quicker than you think. The teachers I had spoke a very clear standard Chinese. I also believe the school doesn't really encourage the use of other languages so as to make the lessons fair for all students. Often the teachers also encourage having a subject related chat (in Chinese, of course), which can be very interesting depending a bit on your class. In our classes the atmosphere was very relaxed - in a way most students were adults (or close to it), so we could have quite interesting conversations. Then you can still go home and do some homework.
Now, how was the school? I'll answer this by category:
Firstly, some bad news. As you can already see from the website, the school is mainly aimed at Korean students. Information in English is extremely limited. Schedules are only in Chinese (if I could read that I wouldn't be here!). Office staff also don't speak English, so, signing up for my first lesson was an adventure - and I could already speak a bit. Later me and a classmate helped a Western girl, who was completely lost. English might help to broaden their customer base.
Now, there's a small cafeteria with hot and cold food which caters mainly for Korean tastes (if you like it) and is a bit pricy for what they offer (I can reheat food at home, right?).
The study room can be quite crowded - especially before HSK exams, at which time the pressure seems tangible in the air.
Their computer room is functional at best - the machines are old and overloaded with viruses. It hurts any IT guy's heart to see this kind of neglected infrastructure!
Now for the brighter side:
The tuition fees have just gone up - by a whooping 25%! Still, Global Village works out much cheaper than attending a course at university.
And more flexible: you can choose from a range of classes of different levels, classes of the same level are often offered at several times during the day, so you can choose a convenient time. Also, new courses begin every month, so you don't need to arrive at the start of term. If a level or time doesn't suit you just wait for a week or two and see what new classes are put on.
I've saved the best for last, of course: that's the teaching. It out-weighs all possible disadvantages. The teaching I've experienced was simply excellent. Teachers are enthusiastic, well prepared, know their stuff, are patient and thorough making sure every student understands the lesson.
So, my overall impression is that, although there may be some disadvantages to the school, it was well worth every yuan I paid.
So, now that my time here has come to an end, all that is left now is to thank my teachers Ms Peng, Ms Meng and Ms Wu. Special thanks go Ms Peng for being the most beautiful, cutest but also funniest teacher ever. Ms Meng on the other hand really challenged my listening comprehension speaking quite fast but in doing so helped me improve a lot and her lessons always keep you on your toes. They were all amazing at their job. I wish I had had teachers like them back in the days when I had to go to school! It was a joy going to class every day. I hope to be back in Beijing soon and continue my lessons with them. Thanks to them, I'll miss going to school for the first time.
非常感谢你们！我一定会想你们！