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Chinese Language Institute

31 Chaoyang Xilu, Sanlidian, Qixing District, Guilin, Guangxi 541004, China
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courses

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Chinese Language Institute offers the following course types:

starting at
$1,490

starting at
$1,760

starting at
$22,090

starting at
$24,290
school

School description

The Chinese Language Institute (CLI) has taught Mandarin in Guilin, China since 2009. Its Immersion Program is built on one-on-one teaching: 20 hours of class a week, four hours each weekday, shared among three teachers. One teacher works on reading and writing, one on listening and speaking, and one reviews grammar and vocabulary with you, and they plan together around your level and goals. Complete beginners start with pronunciation, tones and survival phrases; advanced students can focus on fluency, reading, business Chinese or HSK preparation. A short evaluation every two weeks shows your progress and shapes the next lessons.

Classes take place at the CLI Center, a five-story building on a quiet street seven minutes on foot from Guangxi Normal University, CLI's university affiliate. The Center has 18 one-on-one classrooms, a reading room, a recreation room, a kitchen and dining area where a home-cooked lunch is served on weekdays (through an optional meal plan, or pay per meal), and 36 private rooms, each with its own bathroom. You can live at the Center, with a Guilin host family, or, for stays of six months or more, in an apartment.

The program price includes your housing, airport pickup and drop-off, orientation and a tour of Guilin, welcome and farewell dinners, some weekly activities, visa guidance and invitation documents, and 24/7 emergency support from the CLI team. More than 5,000 students from over 50 countries have studied with CLI.

Year opened
2009
Number of classrooms
18

Facilities

  • Library
  • Social Activities
  • Cultural Trips
  • Eating Area
  • Free Internet
  • Wireless Internet
  • Computers
  • Studying Area

Teacher qualifications

Native Chinese Mandarin speakers
All
Teachers with college degrees
All

Nationality and age mix

The nationality and age mix at Chinese Language Institute varies over different time periods, courses and levels. Throughout the year, the average age is 31.

CLI teaches students from all over the world, including:

USA
50%
Other
50%

School holidays

Open dates
Year round
School holidays
01 Feb 2027 - 12 Feb 2027

School location

The CLI Center sits on a quiet street in Sanlidian, in Guilin's Qixing District, seven minutes on foot from the main gate of Guangxi Normal University and close to local markets and Seven Star Park. Guilin's airport is about an hour away, and pickup is included: once you send your arrival details, a CLI representative meets you at the airport or train station.

Guilin lies on the Li River in Guangxi, southern China, among the limestone karst peaks that have appeared in Chinese painting and poetry for centuries. It is a real working city, with universities, markets, parks and reliable public transit, but it is compact and more relaxed than Beijing or Shanghai. English is not widely spoken and there is no large expat community, so Mandarin quickly becomes part of daily life. Living costs are low. Yangshuo is about an hour away, and the Longji rice terraces in Longsheng about two.

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photos

Photos

  • Reception of Chinese Language Institute 1/15
  • Building of Chinese Language Institute 2/15
  • Building of Chinese Language Institute 3/15
  • Classroom at Chinese Language Institute 4/15
  • 1-on-1 classes at Chinese Language Institute 5/15
  • Student residence offered by Chinese Language Institute 6/15
  • Student residence offered by Chinese Language Institute 7/15
  • Student residence offered by Chinese Language Institute 8/15
  • Common room at Chinese Language Institute 9/15
  • Homestay housing offered by Chinese Language Institute 10/15
  • Apartments offered by Chinese Language Institute 11/15
  • Activities offered at Chinese Language Institute 12/15
  • City of Guilin 13/15
  • Activities offered at Chinese Language Institute 14/15
  • Activities offered at Chinese Language Institute 15/15
housing

Housing

CLI offers the following housing types:
homestay

Homestay with a Guilin family

N/A
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Wireless internet, free internet, air conditioning, and heating
Distance to school: 10 - 30 minutes by other
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Saturday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
N/A
A private bedroom in the home of a local Guilin host family, for students who want Chinese at home as well as in class. Meals are not included, but some evenings you will share a home-cooked dinner with your hosts, and some families invite students along on weekend outings. Your room includes free WiFi, heating and air conditioning.

Before arrival you complete a short introduction form and provide a doctor's note, so CLI can match you with a family. Homes are elsewhere in Guilin, about 10 to 30 minutes from the CLI Center by bus or e-bike. If a room is free at the CLI Center, you can move there at any time (the price difference is not refunded).
student-residence

Private room at the CLI Center

N/A
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Address: 31 Chaoyang Xilu, Sanlidian, Qixing District, Guilin, Guangxi 541004, China
Location: In the city center of Guilin
Housing type: Student residence (on-campus)
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, computers, wireless internet, free internet, air conditioning, and heating
Distance to school: 1 - 2 minutes by walk
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Saturday, after 03:00 PM
Check-out: Saturday, before 11:00 AM
N/A
A private room in the renovated CLI Center, the building where your classes take place. Each room has its own full bathroom, air conditioning and heating, and free WiFi, and rooms are cleaned every week. Residents share a full kitchen and dining area, a recreation room with a ping-pong table, a piano and a mahjong table, a reading room and a rooftop. Several team members, teachers and local pengyou (language partners) also live in the building, so Mandarin is part of everyday life. Washing machines and a dryer are on site.

Meals are not included. An optional home-cooked lunch is served at the Center on weekdays through the meal plan (USD 20 a week, or 30 RMB a meal). The building has no elevator, and rooms are subject to availability. Rooms are available from 3:00 PM on the Saturday before your start date until 11:00 AM on the Saturday after your last class.
apartment

Private apartment (6 months or more)

N/A
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Private apartment
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, wireless internet, free internet, air conditioning, and heating
Distance to school: 10 - 30 minutes by other
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Saturday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
N/A
A fully furnished apartment of your own in Guilin, with one to three bedrooms, for students staying six months or more. Apartments come with kitchen basics, a fridge and a washing machine (no dryer), plus free WiFi, heating and air conditioning and weekly cleaning. They are about 10 to 30 minutes from the CLI Center by bus or e-bike.

Available for programs of six months or more, subject to availability. CLI signs the lease on your behalf once tuition is paid in full; from then on the rent is non-refundable.

Apartment with Chinese housemates (6 months or more)

N/A
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Shared apartment
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen, wireless internet, free internet, air conditioning, and heating
Distance to school: 10 - 30 minutes by other
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Saturday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
N/A
Your own bedroom in an apartment shared with local Guilin university students, for students staying six months or more who want Mandarin to be the language of daily life at home. The apartment has a shared kitchen and living area, free WiFi, heating and air conditioning, and weekly cleaning. It is about 10 to 30 minutes from the CLI Center by bus or e-bike.

Available for programs of six months or more, subject to availability. CLI signs the lease on your behalf once tuition is paid in full; from then on the rent is non-refundable.
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you. If you wish to receive your paperwork by express mail, you will be charged $45 when you register.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Guilin based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

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