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.
