I really enjoy to step into the Language School every morning

Steffen Wolf from Germany (the first gentleman from the right)

Mandarin Beginners & Intermediate Day Time class (28/9, 2010 – 8/4, 2011)

Regional Business Development Manager
SIKA AG

1, Why did you choose Hong Kong Language School?

— I have checked out various schools and also universities, but none of them could offer a flexible? time schedule for classes which met my schedule at reasonable costs.

2, How’s the school environment?

— The school is conveniently located just two minutes away from the bus station and a bit more than three minutes to walk by foot from the nearest subway. When entering the school, the first impression is very bright and friendly, which is partly also because of the friendly girls who are welcoming the visitors at the reception. The interior decoration is new and modern, with sufficient class rooms to care even for a bigger number of groups and individual students.

3, How’s the class atmosphere?

— Making the best out of the transition period between two companies, I have decided to take up with Chinese. After graduating the university more than 20 years ago, this is the first time that I can concentrate on finer things than just sales figures, market shares and financial statements. I really enjoy to step into the Language School every morning and to study together with people from different parts of the world like Italy Columbia, Japan, India … We have a very open atmosphere during the lessons, mixed with many jokes, and also this helps to master the difficulties of the Chinese language.

4, How’s your teacher? Was your class effective? Did you learn what you had expected?

— With a completely different linguistically background, I was quite concerned if I would be able to tackle a language like Chinese. But all teachers I have met at the Language School gave me confidence by their easily comprehensible way of teaching and their patience. Actually, my first intention was to acquire just some basic conversation skills. But now I became quite excited about my progress so that I am already planning to attend also the next higher course.

She took great interest in her students and I feel like a lot was accomplished in her class

Octavian Cheung from U.S.A.

Mandarin Upper Intermediate (4/7 – 13/12, 2011)
Cantonese Private Tuition (7/2 – 9/3, 2012)

I joined HKLS because I had just come to Hong Kong and was interested in improving my Mandarin for work. Unfortunately, because I work full time it makes joining a Mandarin program at a place like Hong Kong University really difficult because the hours are not flexible. So of course I had to find something that was more adaptable to my schedule and that would best fit me.

I had searched for a number of independent programs (HKLS being one of them) and had read the reviews that people had posted. I made a list of places and gave them a visit to see what they were all about.

When visiting HKLS for the first time it was somewhat intimidating because I thought, “Oh man, they are going to laugh at my mandarin”. However I had a different experience that definitely left a good impression.

The staff members were very informative and the teacher that gave me the assessment I found was very charismatic and funny. We had talked about my history and she and the rest of the faculty were able to gauge my level pretty well. Because of this encounter I was able to feel very comfortable, which was the kind of environment I wanted for my class.

After going to the other various schools on my list I unfortunately found that the experience wasn’t quite the same, so based off of that I decided the best choice by far was HKLS.

I was not disappointed.

The school environment was as I expected, very friendly and comfortable. I found it easy to talk with others who may not be in the same class as me or with the teachers of other classes.

The class environment was also nice. What was often the case would be people trying to make each other laugh with what we had learned or what we were learning. Overall it added to the experience and brought different people together.

I had asked to be with the teacher who had given me my assessment, and found she was a very methodical teacher and had a good sense of humor. She took great interest in her students and I feel like a lot was accomplished in her class. Personally I feel I learned what I expected (and a few things I didn’t expect).

I will come back to HKLS when possible. It is a great experience with great people and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning or brushing up on their Mandarin/Cantonese. If you like the laugh and learn, then you should try this school.

Overall, the class is effective and I was able to learn more than I have expected

Mr. Tony Ho from Hong Kong

Mandarin Private Tuition (28/6, 2010 -22/1, 2011)

1, How’s the school environment?

— The school atmosphere is excellent. All coordinators and teachers are well organized and friendly. My class schedules are very flexible and I can cancel classes when I have other urgent matters.

2, How’s the class atmosphere?

— The class atmosphere is great. The classroom is noise-free and I can concentrate on listening to my teacher. Also, the room has sufficient space for my teacher to write on.

3, How’s your teacher? Was your class effective? Did you learn what you had expected?

— Ms. Liu is the best mandarin teacher that I have so far. She is native in mandarin and fluent in Cantonese and therefore, she knows the mistakes that Cantonese people usually make when speaking mandarin. She spent quite a bit of time to correct my grammatical and pronunciation errors. In addition, I was able to increase my vocabulary by learning new and useful words. Most importantly, she shared many of her experience and taught me about the culture of the Chinese people and the current environment in China. This has enabled me to gain further insight into the Chinese people and perhaps allow me to communicate with them more easily. Overall, the class is effective and I was able to learn more than I have expected. Even though it is very difficult for me to speak native-like mandarin, I strongly believe that I can survive in China without encountering big problems.

4, Will you recommend Hong Kong Language School to your friends & relatives? Why?

— I will recommend Hong Kong Language School to my friends and relatives if they seek to increase their mandarin levels and culture awareness of the Chinese people. The teachers can easily adapt to the students’ needs and concentrate on correcting their weak areas.

She enjoyed her classes very much

David Lunsford from USA

Mandarin Beginners Level 1 & 2 Day Time class (6/10-2/11/2011)

1, Why did you choose Hong Kong Language School?

— My wife took Mandarin classes at HKLS several months ago. She enjoyed her classes very much and the facilities are located nearby my office, making morning classes convenient. Based on her experience I didn’t hesitate to enroll into a four week intensive course.

2, How’s the school environment?

— The Institute is located on a busy street corner in Wan Chai but, thankfully, street noise isn’t heard within the building. It’s only a few minutes walk to the nearest metro stop. The school is small but contains all the necessities that one needs to learn a language.

3, How’s the class atmosphere?

— My class consisted of only a handful of students. We were each from different countries, such as Panama, Japan and Switzerland. Based on differing ages and cultural backgrounds, each of us were learning Mandarin from different reference points but we got along well and had fun in class together.

4, How’s your teacher?

— All my classmates enjoyed our teacher. She was always well prepared for our lessons and kept us smiling as we all encountered challenges learning a new and difficult language.

5,Was your class effective?

— Yes – my teacher made sure that everyone was learning a significant amount of Chinese and that no-one fell too far behind at any point. My teacher was obviously well-trained and very patient.

6, Did you learn what you had expected?

— Yes – I am happy with the results of my lessons. I was taking beginner lessons and am of course still a beginner, but at least I can now recognize some words and characters whenever I hear mainland Chinese speak. I can also communicate in basic Mandarin when needed, which was my goal.

7,Will you come back & take more lessons? Why?

–I will certainly take more lessons at HKLS if my work agenda allows for it. It’s a busy time of year for me right now so I’ve paused for the moment, but I’m looking into taking intensive course again in the springtime.

8, Will you recommend Hong Kong Language School to your friends? Why?

–Yes, of course. It is easy to end up in disappointing language classes (I speak from experience). Since mine and my wife’s experience at HKLS has been satisfying, there is good reason to continue to recommend the school to our friends and colleagues. HKLS has a very good formula for success: convenient location, well-trained teachers, and fair prices.