Since traveling to China three years ago, I've become obsessed with all things China; I will read…read moreany related book or magazine article I can get my hands on.
After a lovely breakup and many months spent shunning all my interests, I decided to finally get off my ass in late '08 and pursue two of my longer-lasting loves: learning and languages. I scoured the internet for a class offering Mandarin Chinese and found a couple of schools located in Chinatown that had decent prices compared to the go-to linguistic center in town, the Boston Language Institute, whose prices were more than double these other two places.
The Chinese Language Institute offered a course breakdown with joining dates for new classes (limited to 6 people!) along with a prominent guarantee of satisfaction. A 10-week course, two hours a week, cost only $180, compared to the $450+ offered by BLI, so I warily but cheerfully submitted my interest online, promising to show up on the date of the first class, scheduled for 1/12/09.
I dutifully showed up at 6pm that night but was informed that class began the next week (even though the website had not updated the schedule). I didn't consider this a big deal, so I came back the next week and enrolled with four other people in Beginning Mandarin. I forgot my checkbook that night, but they were really cool about it, saying I could pay them next week and letting me take the textbook and CDs for the class (these were not included in the online price; it added $30 to the total class fee).
A little bit about the space-- it's a small area of a couple classrooms that are in, uh, dilapidated condition. This, I imagine, is probably quite unlike the BLI, which probably has gleaming whiteboards and spanking new desks. However, I cannot praise CIL enough. This is the kind of place where you get as much as you want out of the class-- you're not there to pay to have a teacher clap their hands and hand you a fancy certificate at the end of the class. You're there because you want to be there, and the teachers will give you two hours of their best work each week.
The first night I had a different teacher than the one I have now-- she was very good, but the teacher I've had since the second night is amazing. She is firmer than the first girl and throws in so many different teaching activities in two hours that I'm really impressed (I work in textbook publishing so I know a little bit about teaching styles). We sometimes sing songs, work off picture charts, practice conversation with each other... in terms of the environment, it's bare bones essentials, but Wen Laoshi (Teacher Wen) has taught me a hell of a lot in only a few weeks. She sends us emails in Chinese and English with song attachments and is always fetching us tea on breaks. She's smart and makes the class challenging and enjoyable at the same time.
In short, I love CIL and I am very glad I signed up for a class. If you want a language class that has an official syllabus and nice classrooms, then this isn't the place for you. But if you want to learn Mandarin or Cantonese in a supportive, engaging environment, then CIL is your best bet. Cheap classes, fantastic instruction-- one of the best things I've found in Boston.
Wo hen mang. Zaijian!
