thoughts on study at KCELC?

Posted in: Forums > Study • 39 posts • Newest

• • kemeilin
    April 12, 2009
    16 posts
  • I'm seriously considering studying intermediate Mandarin at Kunming College of Eastern Language and Culture starting 2009 Fall semester. Does anyone have any experience, good or bad, with this school?

    Thanks!
    Meilin

• • onlyone
    April 12, 2009
    136 posts
  • Hello,

    Yes i have some friends studied there .They have got their chinese improved .The college also has many international students.

• • Ouyang
    April 18, 2009
    118 posts
  • I also plan on studying there. Which campus do you plan on going to? e-mail me at zanthrick@hotmail.com

• • lummerlaoshi
    April 21, 2009
    95 posts
  • Here's my two jiao on three of the language schools in Kunming:

    Yunnan University - Though the tuition is about the same for all three schools, I've found Yun Da to be slightly more expensive in the past, especially for one on one teaching though I do not know their current pricing. Other issue is that the lower level classes tend to be bursting at the seems (my class had about 30 students). In addition, the school is not located within Yunnan University campus, but is separated from the local student population. On the upside, I had the best teachers at Yun Da, the location is quite conveniently placed near Green Lake Park, Wen Lin Jie, and Wen Hua Xiang (foreigner street) and the next door Yunnan University campus is beautiful. The class set-up is comprehensive class from 8-10am and listening/reading/speaking class from 10-12pm. Most students (when I attended) studied for 20 hours a week with a combination of comprehensive and listening/speaking classes. Thus, Yun Da offers the most amount of class hours per week compared to the other schools (I believe it's 16-18 hours/week for the other two). I'm not sure if the 10 hour/week package is available there. Please keep in mind that this is based on my experience 3 years ago.

    KCELC: At the moment, has the cheapest tuition of the three schools mentioned, but the prices are rising. They are by far the most flexible of the three schools so you can tailor your study experience to cover comprehensive, listening, speaking, reading, small classes, or one-on-one. Class sizes usually range from 5-15 with probably the smallest teacher to student ratio of the three schools. The downside to the school is the location and the teaching staff. Comparatively, the school is located in more a business district while the other two schools are definitely in a more academic environment. True, it is conveniently located across from Wal-Mart and Kundu, but you are far removed from any Chinese student atmosphere. In addition, I've heard the teaching staff can be hit and miss. I personally like my instructor, but the first time I went to KCELC a few years back, the teacher I tried out was horrible. She didn't know how to teach and made us recite words all day without using them. In general, the KCELC teachers tend to have less experience then their Yun Da or Yunnan Normal counterparts. That doesn't mean you won't find a great teacher at this school, it just means you may need to search a bit for the right fit.

    Yunnan Normal University: Out of the three, it has the best environment as the classrooms are located at Yunnan Normal University campus and there is a Chinese language club set up by the YNU foreigners to facilitate cultural and linguistic exchange. YNU also offers a 10 hour program though their class setup is a little different. From what I was told, you would do 6 hours of comprehensive (maybe in the morning from Monday to Wednesday) and then do either listening or speaking for 4 hours. They do offer a 18 hour program I believe though you'll have to contact them directly for details. Keep in mind that they schedule their classes differently from Yun Da and KCELC. The downside to YN is that you cannot try out the courses without paying money. Both Yun Da and KCELC let students try out courses before they pay, but YN requires a 150 rmb office fee in order to attend. In addition, YN has the policy that a student can only change classes twice, then must stay in that class, Yun Da and KCELC allow students to try out different classes and teachers until they find the right fit. Then the students register. I find this method of YN to be a bit anal, but I can understand the reasoning given: Teachers want to know who's in their class and the office wants to know who has paid and who hasn't. As far as the teaching staff is concerned, I'm not really sure since I've actually never studied there. Anyone else have feedback?

    All schools offer elective courses such as Tai Qi, Calligraphy, and HSK prep. Comparing Yun Da and KCELC, KCELC offers more variety of electives and the course are not built into the curriculum. What that means is KCELC does not try to pad the number of study hours per week by adding elective courses (I believe this is done at Yunnan Normal), but offers the courses in addition to the study. All three schools offer school trips to various locations, though I have yet to hear about a good school trip that introduced Chinese culture or something of interest. Most of the time, it's about going somewhere to get drunk and eat free food.

    There are other alternatives to the three mentioned above (Yunnan Minority University and two or three language schools,..some have posted their advertisements in the forum if you are interested). Something tells me most of this information can be found elsewhere or on previous posts, but I thought it might be worth reiterating.

    For more information, check out previous posts.

• • spencer1222
    May 14, 2009
    2 posts
  • Good news for another option in northern area.

    Kunming Univ of Science & Technology Opening New Chinese Language

    Classes in the North of Kunming, near METRO

    Small classes, student visas available, flexible timetables and convenient northern location with clean modern facilities.
    Address: 317 Jinsexi-lu, Luozhang-cun, Panlong-qu, Kunming, Yunnan 650224 CHINA

    中国 云南省 盘龙区 罗丈村 金色西路317号

    Classes run for 14 hours per week (10 hours per week Chinese class, 4 hours per week elective classes such as calligraphy, taiqi). With classes of 3 or more students, the time can be tailored to fit your schedule including evenings and weekends.

    Student Visas can be provided for 6 months or 1 year upon registration with the school.

    Costs per semester as below:
    •3600元 per semester
    •150元 registration as a student(Original 240 元)
    If you have any questions or would like more information, please call:
    Administration: Tel- 0871) 431-6005, Fax-0871) 431-3859 or mail spencer1222@hotmail.com

• • ProfDogma
    June 18, 2009
    4 posts
  • Hi - I've decided on KCELC for next semester (it was the price that swung it for me, but glad to see the good feedback above). I am slightly confused over the address though - they say they have a new campus address on their website, but I am unclear as to whether this means the whole facility has moved, or there are now to campuses, or what. Their admin person told me this is their current address:

    东风西路218号富春大厦A座5楼 NO.218 DONGFENG WEST R.D.A.5TH FLOOR FUCH BUILDING

    Can anyone confirm this? She also said this is very central (I am not familiar with Kunming) - important as I will be flat hunting in a few weeks' time.

    Cheers,

• • Matthew
    June 18, 2009
    73 posts
  • http://www.gokunming.com/en/listings/item/kun_58/ is the main branch of KCELC. there's a map marker on that page, and a somewhat tidier version of the English address.

    a less talked-about option for Chinese study is http://www.gokunming.com/[...] this place is less central, but works well if you choose to live in the north.

• • DanTheMan
    June 18, 2009
    235 posts
  • Yep, there are three campuses, but the one you've pasted is the main one. Be aware that although the address is Dongfeng Xi Lu, you actually enter from small side street that run from Dongfeng lu around to the back of the office building.

• • globeral
    June 19, 2009
    2 posts
  • i can only advise you to stay away from KCELC !
    great chances of bad teaching because high turn over due to very bad conditions. more interested in your $$$ than anything else. i think their discrimination behaviour is not acceptable. no consideration for the students (teaching stuff is better). and if you look, the price are not so cheap and continuously rising. stay away and you can only make a better choice

• • globeral
    June 19, 2009
    2 posts
  • and the problem is that the situation is getting worse and worse ...

• • ProfDogma
    June 19, 2009
    4 posts
  • Thanks for the info all....good to have another option in KUST - I shan't be putting my money down until the week before the semester starts, so will check both out on arrival in Kunming. Thanks for the feedback, globeral, but can you go into more specifics about how they have "no consideration for the students". All else I've read about KCELC from other people so far has been broadly positive - one poster on chinese-forums.com did mention that they were dissatisfied with a teacher, but had no problem when they asked to switch classes.

• • rainer
    August 3, 2009
    6 posts
  • I'm currently studying at Dong Fang, a private school, on Dongfeng west R.d. If you enroll for the minimum number of hours (10 hrs/week), you have just one teacher that teaches from a "comprehensive" textbook. You can choose to pay for additional hours, and add courses like listening, speaking, and reading/writing. The teachers are overall a little better. I don't think that is a bad choice.

• • ProfDogma
    August 18, 2009
    4 posts
  • Hi Rainer - could you give further info on cost and whether they offer a student visa?...I'm still planning on KCELC, but will consider dong fang before slapping my money down. Cheers,

• • lummerlaoshi
    August 19, 2009
    95 posts
  • KCELC is the English name for Dong Fang Yu Yuan Xue Xiao meaning Dong Fang is the same as KCELC.

• • rainer
    August 20, 2009
    6 posts
  • I don't know too much info about KCEL's tuition, i only know small class (10 hours/week ) pay 3800 RMB,1 to 1 (10 hours/week) pay 55RMB/person/hour, 1 to 2 (35RMB/hour) and 1 to 2 6800RMB/person/20weeks.semester. Now i am in 1 to 2 classes pay 35RMB /hour. More informations browse their website www.elcec.com . Phone number is 0871 5358860.
    i will go to Germany to meet my families. That is a good school,maybe i will come back after 4 months. haha, i love china!

• • rainer
    August 20, 2009
    6 posts
  • these are on their website, i hope it can help you!
    Kunming College of Eastern Language and Culture Chinese studying tuition level
    Classes Items Studying hours Tuition

    Beginners Chinese class

    Elementary Chinese class

    Intermediate
    Chinese class

    Advanced Chinese class

    Small class
    (5-16persons) 20 hours/week 6200 RMB/person/20wk.semester

    18 hours/week 5800RMB/person/20wk.semester

    14 hours/week 5000 RMB/person/20wk.semester

    One to One 20 hours/week 20000RMB/person/20wk.semester

    10 hours/week 11000RMB/person/20wk.semester

    65RMB/person /hour

    One to Two 20 hours/week 13000RMB/person/20wk.semester

    10 hours/week 6800RMB/person/20wk.semester

    35RMB/person/hour

    One to Three 20 hours/week 11000RMB/person/20wk.semester

    10 hours/week 5800RMB/person/20wk.semester

    30 RMB/person/hour

    One to Four 20 hours/week 9000RMB/person/20wk.semester

    10 hours/week 4800RMB/person/20wk.semester

    25 RMB/person/hour

    Training in HSK Small class
    (5-16persons) 10 hours/week 30 RMB/person/hour

    One to One 10 hours/week 65RMB/person/hour

    Training in BCT Small class
    (5-16persons) 10 hours/week 30 RMB/person/hour

    One to One 10 hours/week 65RMB/person/hour

    Short-term training in Chinese class（up to three months） Small class
    (5-16persons) 18 hours/week 25RMB/person/hour

    One to One 10 hours/week 65 RMB/person/hour

    Special subject training class Small class
    (5-16persons) 16hours/week 600RMB/person/week

    One to one 10 hours/week 65RMB/person/hour

• • rainer
    August 20, 2009
    6 posts
  • KCEL offer a student visa, i got my study visa from their.

• • Jade-Dragon
    December 8, 2009
    14 posts
  • Hello Everyone,

    I am a German/American who is planning on going to KCEL for a year long mandarin study. I plan on going to their main campus. Anymore feedback on the language instruction compared to others, finding apartments nearby, and if one needs a car if they live in the center of the city, can walking or bicycle be enough to get by? Also is the visa pretty straight forward, I was told to show up with a tourist visa and KCELC will change it to a student Visa. Thanks. Jade

• • GBTEXDOC
    December 8, 2009
    105 posts
  • You definitely will not need a car. Cross that off the "to do" list. Plenty of apartments in the same general area. Like they told you, just show up with a tourist visa and they will help you convert it to a student visa. They did it for me earlier this year. Teaching quality ranges from satisfactory to excellent, depending on who you get.

• • yunyan
    December 22, 2009
    1 post
  • Hi, guys. I'm Julie Zhao, the new manager of the western campus of Kunming Eastern Language and Culture (DongFang YuYan XueXiao).

    I appreciate your comments about the western campus, even though they were negative, because they mean there are many people still thinking about our school.

    Dong Fang isn't a new school, and these past seven years we've grown largely from word-of-mouth among the foreign community in Kunming. In fact, we've grown enough to open three different campuses, the main one in XiaoXiMen, and then a northern campus and a western campus.

    I began overseeing the western campus two months ago. It originally opened at the beginning of this year, but had to close in August due to management problems at that time. This gave many students difficulty, especially those who had already registered here. We are so sorry this happened, and we apologize.

    We know we made mistakes, and of course we are not perfect, but we have carefully researched where we went wrong, and we have revamped our western campus so that these mistakes will not be repeated.

    We are now offering classes for beginner, intermediate, and advanced Mandarin students. Even if you are the only student to sign up for a particular class, we will still hold class and will still charge only the basic class price, not the one-on-one rate. We handle visas for any students taking 10 or more hours a week.

    I'm very pleased to welcome you to our school, and I eagerly welcome your suggestions.

    Our office number is: 0871-5364978

    My mobile: 13769182942

• • Ouyang
    December 22, 2009
    118 posts
  • So does this mean I can finally get my tuition refunded? I never was able to attend a single class, but they forced me to pay tuition in August threatening to cancel my student visa. The management at the time said they would not repay it when I switched schools.

• • LaoNaiYangYu
    December 22, 2009
    27 posts
  • I've been studying at the DongFang West Campus from the day it opened earlier this year, and again when it reopened a few weeks ago. My experience has been entirely positive, and I can't speak highly enough of the staff. Both teaching and admin staff are friendly and flexible and really will bend over backwards to help you. The building is situated in a pleasant little xiaoqu, and the atmosphere is quiet and relaxed.

    I think the humble and sincere attitude of the new manager expressed above sums it up perfectly.

• • Strangelander
    December 23, 2009
    2 posts
  • My wife has studied one-on-one with Julie Zhao for four years at the main campus, and now we're doing two-on-one at the western campus (now under Julie's management).

    She's an excellent teacher, very patient, willing to tailor class time to what you want. Once we're gone, she won't be teaching on the western campus, as she'll have her hands full with administration, but we have seen her use the same flexibility in setting up the new campus to fit students' needs. Right now there are only a handful of students, as they reopened in the middle of the semester, but we and our friends really like it there. Nifty facility (ping pong table on the fourth floor!), good location (near ChunYuan XiaoQu), and I know Julie wants to make sure people get set up with teachers and classes they are satisfied with.

    Our personal experience with KCEL and what we've heard from others has been very positive. About the only complaint we've heard is that some individual teachers don't "get" teaching westerners and are not as helpful. But, as has been mentioned, KCEL is extremely flexible with arranging/switching classes, working around our travel plans, getting visas done, etc. The folks in the office have always taken good care of us.

• • Ouyang
    December 28, 2009
    118 posts
  • Well, they still refuse to give me a refund. They promised I could take the classes I wanted in July. But come August they wouldn't let me attend the classes I wanted. They forced me to pay tuition saying the police would send me home otherwise. Never arranged classes. Refused to refund my tuition when I changed schools after not having a single class. Only stating that the director responsible has been fired for it. Is this even legal?

• • DONGFANG
    January 15, 2010
    3 posts
  • To clarify the facts about the American student ---- Ouyang published his essays at Gokunming web-site from October 2009 to December 28, 2009. Concerning the dispute of his tuition with the western campus of KCEL.

    Hi Guys,Happy New Year,

    Ouyang asked above if the situation he described was "even legal". Please allow me to explain in more detail what happened (he did not share the entire story) and try to respond to his question about legality as well.

    I'm Julie Zhao, the new headmaster of the western campus of Kunming College of Eastern Language and Culture (Kunming Dongfang Yuyan Xuexiao). I was transferred to this western campus and began supervising here in November of 2009. I have worked at KCEL for 7 years.

    The western campus opened on February 1, 2009. But, it was closed from August 2009 to October 2009 due to management problems of the former headmaster. This caused many inconveniences to the students who had already registered at the western campus. Each student at the western campus was informed at that time that they could have class at the main school beginning in September 2009.

    There is an American student named Ouyang who had also registered at the western campus in July, and the former manager had prepared his visa for him. He received his study visa with an expiration date of March 31st, 2010. Unfortunately, he couldn't attend classes at the western campus as the campus closed. So, he chose to find another school to study Chinese, rather than attend at the main campus.

    According to the foreign affair management rules, foreign students studying in China, when they transfer to another school, should inform the former school and ask the former school to prepare a transfer study certificate, so that the current school can change the study visa for the student immediately. The former school's visa would then be cancelled automatically.

    Ouyang did part of this; he asked our school to prepare this certificate for him, and the manager did this for him quickly and efficiently. Ouyang didn't ask them to refund the tuition fee at that time. He did not come back to our school to ask for a refund after he applied at his new school, and, furthermore, he continued living on our visa.

    (Later, on December 29, 2009, he and I met at the main school. At that time, he told us why he didn't ask us to refund the tuition fee. He was afraid the school would cancel his visa immediately. So, he wanted to get the transfer study certificate first, then think about getting the tuition fee later. This shows he understood that his continuing use of the visa was directly related to his having paid our school. What he didn't understand was that the visa office gives you a new visa through your new school when the application is made – your old visa simply automatically expires; your old school does not cancel your visa.)

    From October 2009 to December 28, 2009, Ouyang wrote many essays here on Gokunming, criticizing the western campus and asking us to refund the tuition fee that he paid in July. During this time, he did not tell us about his dissatisfaction, nor did he ask us directly for a refund after he transferred – instead he posted here. In his posts, he claimed the prior headmaster of the western campus threatened him when he asked about a refund (before he had requested the transfer study certificate) and said he would call the police to send him back to his country.

    In November 2009, we saw the essays on Gokunming, and we contacted him at once by email, and explained to him the foreign affair rules of China. We also tried to find a compromise – we suggested that he could attend classes at our school for free next semester, any class he would like, at any of our campuses. He did not want to do this, and asked us at that time for a refund. He also said that he will report this issue to the revelant departments if we do not refund his tuition.

    On December 28, 2009, I invited him to meet with me at the western campus. He told me that nobody had informed him that he could attend classes at the main campus when the semester had first begun, so he had been forced to transfer to another school, so our school must take responsibility for this.

    However, when I asked him to show his visa to me, I found that he was still using the visa that our school had granted him. When I explained this to the principal at our main campus, the main school's decision was that we cannot refund the money, because he was living on our visa. Our school felt, how can one ask for the money back, when you are still using the visa? Ouyang was not satisfied with this result. So, I told him, if you are not satisfied with this result, and if you decide to report to the police or court (as he had said he would), I am willing to have this handled by the law. I explained that I would be glad to work with him, if he decided he wanted to handle it that way, and that we could go to the police station together to file the report. He said he needed to think about it, and told me he would give me an answer the next day.

    On December 29, 2009, he called to me to say that he wanted to meet with the principal of main school. So, we met in the main school that very afternoon. He insisted that he hadn't been told he could attend classes at the main campus. So, we called to the former manager immediately.

    The former manager said they had informed him about attending at the main campus at the beginning of the semester, and that, furthermore, the student had not even asked for a refund, contrary to what the student was telling us.

    What is most surprising in all of this is, the school which accepted Ouyang, and at which he is currently studying Chinese, had not changed Ouyang's student visa when they received the transfer certificate from our school. This is in violation of the provisions of the foreign affair rules of China.

    This means that Ouyang used the visa from our school to study at another school the entire semester. So, the KCEL cannot refund his tuition fee. How can we? We provided the visa, and he used it.

    From the above story, I hope all the foreign student who study in China can be aware of these rules. If you transfer to another school to study, your visa (applied for through the original school) will be cancelled automatically when the new school changes your visa record; this is not a threat (as this student termed it). This is simply the law.

    And please make sure your new school changes your visa when they receive your transfer study certificate!

    I hope Ouyang will have a new start in the New Year and that he will enjoy his studies at his new school! And I also hope that all foreign students enjoy their life and studies in Kunming!
    Julie Zhao

    January 14, 2010

• • susancarols
    January 15, 2010
    1 post
  • Ouyang, I think it's all about the visa. Visa laws stipulate you cannot live on one school's visa while studying at another school. It seems your new school did not carry out their responsibility of explaining the law and appropriately handling your visa. I don't know why they asked you to get proof of transfer but then didn't follow through by giving you a new visa. It's their responsibility to know what visa you are on and how you are studying at their school.

    Since you used KCEL's visa for an entire semester, I think you're left with no choice. If I understand correctly, since you lived on the visa, you end up having to pay for the semester. The money is related to the visa as much as it is to your participating in classes, simply because of the strictness of the visa laws. If I'm right, to do otherwise is illegal.

• • Ouyang
    January 15, 2010
    118 posts
  • Ok, the short version of the entire story.

    I came to Kunming in July, and registered for classes at their west campus. Come August a week before classes start I go to get my schedule, and Loris (the director at that time) said I couldn't take the classes I wanted. I asked for one week to find another school and he refused. I explicitly asked in both English and Chinese, and both times he stated that if I didn't pay tuition he would tell the police to send me home. There was no misunderstanding there, the former director was bad. He said he would contact me later when there were more students and classes would begin. This is where all the confusion starts because I was never informed the west campus closed. I only found out about that later when it was announced they were reopening.

    They did not inform me that I could take classes at the main campus. In fact, when I met with the director of the main campus I asked why they didn't contact me. He said they didn't have my phone number or address.

    Later in the meeting I provided the phone number for a previous teacher at the west campus. As they could no longer get a hold of the previous director there. When they called she said she sent me a text message to my mobile phone. Which obviously I never received or noticed, or whatever. But if the school is so big that I was on their student visa, then why didn't they find me when I didn't attend any classes?

    I also asked the now former teacher of the west campus for a refund when I changed schools and she said no. The current director of the west campus told me they never refund tuition for any reason. Later however, the director of the main campus say that if I had asked him directly for a refund when I changed schools he would have.

    I could understand not giving a refund for tuition if I purposely never went to class, but they never scheduled my classes to begin with. At the time I didn't push for a refund because I was under the impression they could force me to go home. So it was fight for a refund in tuition, but risk having to deal with the cost and hassle of leaving the country.

    In the end I wonder if the main campus even cares about the quality of their so-called "branch schools." As apparently they think it's OK for a student to pay tuition and never go to class.

    I'm currently having my student visa changed. As the director of the main campus said they they "could cause trouble" if I went to the proper authorities to try and get a refund.

• • DONGFANG
    January 16, 2010
    3 posts
  • Ouyang,nihao,
    I'm Julie Zhao---The current director of westerncampus

    I only want to say a word to you that is -----You must take the responsbility for your words!!!

• • justin6788
    January 16, 2010
    1 post
  • Julie Zhao,nihao,
    I'm justin---The ancient student of westerncampus and maincampus

    I only want to say a word to you that is -----Shame on you and on your school. why do you think people are taking you to the court ? why can we read more and more comments from people had to deal with you and they are really unhappy with your behavior. i think you are not honest and you are giving bad services to foreign students. you just want their money and you don't care about anything else !!

    can you please explain us why you have to go to the court ? what did you so bad (illegal) so that you have to explain yourself in front of the justice ?

    we would all be very interested to know more about

    waiting for your reply !!!!
    justin

• • onlyone
    January 16, 2010
    136 posts
  • Hello,

    I have no relations with the both sides but i have my word here,I think the school have to be more open minded and consider the case of foreign students who came from far away to study Chinese .for a reason or other the Campus had shut down"western" Students found them selves in the middle of nowhere so they tried to find other places or even sloutions.It might take them some mistakes in this way but for sure they do not mean it .I think The western campus or whatever can give a free semster to the student if they insist to not refund him back .This is just my opinion it might be right or wrong .

• • Ouyang
    January 16, 2010
    118 posts
  • They did offer a free semester of classes, but what good is that when I've already moved on to another school? I don't feel that the current administration is bad, but I find it awful that they don't want to take responsibility for the mess the previous west campus administration caused. What good is it to call it a branch school when they aren't nearly as good as the main campus.

• • DONGFANG
    January 16, 2010
    3 posts
  • Justin,

    We never met and don't know each other.You are not eligible for personal attacks on me.

    There is no need to explain anything to you!!

• • Kathnova
    January 17, 2010
    1 post
  • Ouyang,

    You only need the transfer certificate when your student visa is expired, which means you can live on KECL visa legally even you have left the school.

    We foreigners should be treated equally. We know Chinese law. I support you! You win!

    Nova

• • steven-trott
    February 23, 2010
    2 posts
  • i spent last semester at their school and got really disappointed
    i would not recommend KECL

• • michael1609
    March 4, 2010
    2 posts
  • I read the on going saga between quyang and dongfang and the long explanation provided by julie zhou from the college.

    It appears that the college is trying to justify not to refund the fees paid by Quyang using the visa as an excuse.

    Please note that i can arrive in kunming on a tourist visa and then convert my tourist visa to a 6 mths student visa for under 500RMB . Quyang paid several thousands RMB to the college for tution fees which he did not receive, It is also clear to me that there was clearly management problem on the part of the college during that time.

    How can the college keeps the thousands of RMB quyang paid?. He paid that amount as tution fees and he did not receive any tution from the college. Common sense should tell the college that they must refund the tution fees to quyang. It will be morally wrong and unfair for the college to keep the money and the readers can only conclude that the college is greedy!!!

    Quyang should keep the readers up to date if the college eventually refund the money to him.

• • tommytom
    March 5, 2010
    1 post
  • you say greedy, i agree
    but that can be also called robbery ...

• • Ouyang
    March 6, 2010
    118 posts
  • meh, I basically gave up. Talking to the management of the school is like talking to a brick wall. Maybe I don't understand Chinese "face" well enough, but being a private school that is for teaching foreigners Chinese I feel their willingness to compromise is awful.

    At no time did the management of the main campus make any effort to communicate in English while I was there in person when we were discussing this problem. And this is a school who teaches beginner Chinese classes so they obviously have teachers who can speak English well enough to deal with this problem.

    In the end all I have to say is stay away from this school. There are plenty of other choices now.

• • Ouyang
    March 17, 2011
    118 posts
  • A quick update. The school I studied at changed over to KCELC last semester, and is now their Beichen Campus. At the end of the semester the school said they paid a considerable sum of money to KCELC for my one year student visa/tuition. This semester I want to change schools, and that KCELC owes me one free semester of study.

    A person from the North campus went to the main campus with my photo and information, and they flat out lied to her and said they had never met me. Yeah, and of course they gave the usual thing that they will cancel my student visa and I would have one week to leave the country, and could never return to China.

    meh, KCELC sure is something... not quite sure what though.

• • SSeminari
    April 7, 2011
    16 posts
  • Well, the turnover rate seems to be quite high, so I wouldn't be surprised if everyone that was involved in your dispute had left. Or that the person that happened to be in the office that day was new, and had no notion of what happened 6, or even 1 month ago. Communication and even inter-office communication seems to be terrible in China, many times people working in the same department have no idea what's going on.

    I've studied at KCELC for 2 semesters now, and so far (apart from some mediocre teachers that are easy to identify and navigate around), I haven't had any problems.

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