Keats School, Kunming - A Query

[Barb in Maryland]

Hello -

I see that someone posted a similar query about 6 months ago, and it went unanswered. I want to try it again. Does anyone out there have any experience with or know anything about the Keats School in Kunming?

Thanks

Barb

[terryswift]

cant recall exactly, but it seems like the prices for keats were way too high- especially for km. but of course if money isnt an object, then maybe its good for you. in km though, one can hire an excellent private teacher very inexpensively. i lived and studied in km for nearly a year, and never heard of the place til the very end of my stay, when someone mentioned they were going for a look.

t

[kaede]

hi!i 've just red the post about chinese language school in kunming...how can i get informations about private teachers in kunming?at the moment i'm looking for a course at the university but iide like to known more about others opportunities(always in kunming...)

[pandaxiongmao]

Lots of ads for private tutors at the various eateries along Wenlin Jie... you might also ask classmates if you are taking a course at a school already.

[Ahondara]

I will study in Kunming for one term this fall =) At the Yunnan Normal Unversity that is.

By the way, Yunnan normal university offers private tutoring for 20RMB/hour.

Take a look at http://www.icis.cn/ for more info.

Anyone else going to study in Kunming this fall?

[mr.stinky]

try this page.... http://www.icis.cn/en_Article.asp?ArticleId=146

that's 20rmb for a small class (6-10 students) or 50rmb for tutoring.

[Ahondara]

My bad I will attend the class for a whole term so I didn't check properly

[Ari 桑]

Hey, bringing back a dinosaur here I know, but I'm planning to attend keats this summer, and so far there still haven't been any comments from people who attended the school.

As for the cost, I looked up the tutoring program at Yunnan university, and getting four hours a day of tutoring there costs as much as tuition AND room AND board at keats. Keats school is a way better deal.

[nicefreak]

Keats school looks like a school for westerners only to me! You'll probably spend all day (except your 4 hours of class) speaking English.

Does anybody know how many western students are enrolled at Yunnan Normal University or Yunnan University??

[Ari 桑]

It seems so small to me though. Anyway, I'm swearing off english for the summer.

[thailiving]

I'm taking my children to Keats School in Kunming in April. My kids are both about Intermediate level and have been learning Chinese for years. We plan to concentrate on speaking and listening skills on this particular trip.

So far, in the dealings I've had with Keats, they have been efficient, organized, professional and very helpful. I've been very impressed so far. I'm happy to post my thoughts here once we've been to Keats.

Regarding one poster saying you would speak English for the rest of the day after lessons - that may be true if you didn't actually leave the Keats Building! Once my kids have done their homework for the day, we plan to be out on the streets exploring Kunming and the surroundings, as well as meeting and talking to as many people as possible.

We've done the summer camps at BLCU for the past couple of years, and to be honest, my kids spoke an awful lot of English there, too.

And, no, I have no affiliation with Keats.

[ZFS-China]

Just putting in my 2 cents. I was thinking of attending the school, but after an extremely bizarre correspondence with their secretary, I chose not to. I contacted another member of this board who previously attended and recommended the school to see if the teachers were good and it was just the secretary who had problems. He told me he could no longer recommend the school as they had fired all the good teachers. He also told me that the secretary is the daughter of the owner and agreed with my unfavorable assement of her (he also didn't have many kind words for the owner).

From my correspondence with them, the priority of the school seems to be money over anything else.

[studychinese]

Just putting in my 2 cents. I was thinking of attending the school, but after an extremely bizarre correspondence with their secretary, I chose not to. I contacted another member of this board who previously attended and recommended the school to see if the teachers were good and it was just the secretary who had problems. He told me he could no longer recommend the school as they had fired all the good teachers. He also told me that the secretary is the daughter of the owner and agreed with my unfavorable assement of her (he also didn't have many kind words for the owner).

From my correspondence with them, the priority of the school seems to be money over anything else.

Bizarre in what way?

[abcdefg]

I studied at Keats School in Kunming from mid October 2007 until mid January 2008. Enjoyed it and learned a lot. What would you like to know?

[hereinchina]

To ZFC-China,

Your attitude towards Keats School is quite hostile! My experiences with Keats School are positive, and my feelings are diametrically opposed to yours. When I first contacted the school via e-mail to get some information, I immediately got an informative and friendly reply from "the secretary" -- yes, she is the daughter of the owner, but that is not criminal. It's my third month here, and I intend to stay another 3 months. About the owner and her daughter, I can only say they have been the most helpful -- on the personal level as well, and this isn't something you can buy for money. Concerning my teachers, there is nothing to complain about. What I don't understand is why you have launched this campaign to ruin Keats School's reputation.

KRG Danmai

[vancouver]

I am just finishing up 5 weeks at Keats School and I recommend it wholeheartedly. Most students here leave with a plan to return as soon as possible. I can't speak for all the teachers but mine is great! And if the teacher you get doesn't really work for you, you can switch teachers and try a different teaching style. I have learned tons in just 5 weeks.

As for speaking English after class, that's up to you, no matter where you go to study. There sure are a lot of Chinese people in Kunming with whom you can practice Chinese if you make the effort!

The price is a little high for Kunming, but way cheaper than anything similar you could find in Beijing, Shanghai, etc. The accommodation is nice and the people who run the school are terrific, kind, and very helpful. I feel like I've gotten my money's worth.

Not sure what "bizarre" communication means but I have always found the secretary/daughter to be friendly and helpful.

[roddy]

Quick note from me here. Keats have been in touch regarding ZFS-China's post, and I suspect the above three posters are current / recent students there who have been asked by Keats to post. That is perfectly acceptable, and there's no indication that the posts are faked.

ZFS, do you want to back up what you said, or get whoever you got the information from to post and clarify?

[ZFS-China]

Sorry for the late reply, I'm on a trip through China for the New Year.

To elaborate, "bizarre" in the sense that it started off very professional and friendly, and then for some reason she got the idea I couldn't afford classes at their school and became quite offensive (despite the fact I was paying 50% more in Dalian). She said she "saw my post on Chinese Forums", and that based on that she thought I was looking for the cheapest way to learn Chinese. I had no idea what she was talking about, so I asked her to send me a copy of the post but she never did. In the end, she gave a really bad impression of herself and the school.

I don't think this is an appropriate place to post the correspondence, but if you would like to see it, send me a private message and I will send you a copy.

Also, roddy, I don't know if the other board member wants his name to be known, but if you want to check my private messages, then you can confirm what the individual told me.

[vancouver]

I wasn't asked to reply by the school - I overheard a discussion about this issue and I decided of my own volition to add my opinion.

[tcmzueck]

Hello,

After reading the other posts here I'd like to clarify that I was asked by the Keats School to post here, but I do so glady. I studied at Keats from mid-September to mid-December, 2007. The school is excellent. The price is unbelievable low. Because it is one-on-one, it's a good option for both travellers who need to pick up a few phrases and serious students who want to learn as quickly as possible. I was in the latter group, and I would have been happy with most of the teachers there. As is, if you are unhappy with your teacher, which few students were while I was there, they will find you a new one.

I felt like I learned an incredible amount while there. After three months of study I came back home and visited a Chinese class at the University of California, and absolutely blew away 2nd year Chinese students. Four hours a day will do that for you.

Apart from the education, the owners are extremely nice and helpful. They will do almost anything reasonable to make your stay more comfortable. I became pretty ill once or twice during my stay, and the owner bought medicine and helped take care of me at no expense to me. They helped me find a bike to rent, and even repaired an old laptop so that I could write college essays in the privacy of my dorm room.

I truly couldn't have been happier with my experience and am returning next month for another 3 month stay.

If you have any questions feel free to email me, zueck_a@hotmail.com

Thanks,

Anthony Zueck

安肃