GoEast: Excellent People, Excellent Programs
Having completed the HSK4.1 course and participated in the inaugural Shanghai immersion and Xi'an trips (I also did the village trip between them), I can say that GoEast staff and programs are excellent all around. The teachers (and staff) are very friendly, attentive and motivating. They do an excellent job meeting students where they are at, and they take a personal interest in each student as all coursework is either 1-on-1 or in small groups. While travelling with GoEast staff in China, I was consistently impressed by everyone's commitment to making sure students had an amazing experience. GoEast teachers were always happy to answer questions, and GoEast went above and beyond to help us through pain points when traveling in China (issues with laundry, WeChat Pay, etc.). Even the guides (not GoEast staff directly) were exceptionally good about using a combination of Chinese and English to help students get the most out of the tours, despite the range of skill among the students. At face value, their offerings may not seem to be the cheapest way to learn Chinese, but given (a) the quality of the content and experiences provided for the money, (b) the relationships you can build with the teachers and other students and staff, and (c) the external motivation and accountability provided by the structured environment/coursework, I think everything GoEast does can fit well into most students' Chinese learning journey. If learning Chinese is something you're serious and passionate about, I strongly recommend checking out GoEast as a partner in your adventures! Side note: I noticed that the programming and pricing for the Shanghai immersion and Xi'an trips have changed slightly, but I'd be surprised if they were not still excellent values.