Private Schools and Homestays

[WTC]

If you choose the right private school you may have far greater contact with Chinese than you might in a university setting. For example I choose a private school that placed me with a host family. With the exception of sleeping I was with them 24/7. In addition to the immediate family I was introduced and went on outings with relatives and family friends (Some of whom were Chinese university students). On the contrary at the public universities foreigners might have a tendency to stick together after class. To a great extend your contact and opportunities to practice Mandarin with Chinese people will depend on your efforts.

The big difficulty with private schools is that there are so many out there and many have not been reviewed on this site or other sites. If you have a name of a school definitely run the name through a search function on this website. Another option if you have time is to spend a few days visiting schools. Sometimes this might be difficult because the schools may want you to reserve a spot well in advance meaning you can't visit and enroll the next day - at least for living with a host family an advance reservation was necessary. However, money talks so you may find some schools very flexible.