TESOL courses in Shanghai (Hangzhou), China

Location

Hangzhou, just 180 kilometers from Shanghai, is the capital of Zhejiang province. The home of our TESOLv course in eastern China is also one of the most modern and prosperous cities in China. Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal, is located on the lower reaches of the Qiantang River, south west of Shanghai. Hangzhou has a subtropical monsoon type climate with four quite distinct seasons. However, it is neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter making it comfortable all year round – an excellent loc ation for your TESOL course.

One of the seven capitals of ancient China, Hangzhou is an ancient cultural city and a well-known tourist city. It is most famous for the beautiful scenery of the West Lake. With an area of 6,047 square miles inhabited by a population of 5.2 million, it comprises of six urban districts and seven suburban counties. The Fuchun and Xin'an rivers and Thousand Island Lake are national scenic areas. In the 13th century, Marco Polo praised Hangzhou as the most beautiful city in the world. Hangzhou is also famous for its silk and tea products.

The West Lake (Xi Hu) is well-known for its beautiful natural scenery, and is truly worthy of the accolades showered upon it. The lake is split by two causeways which one can walk or cycle along and there are numerous well tended parks. Boats can be hired either to sail on the lake or to visit some of the islands.

Other attractions during your TESOL course include Fei Lai Feng, legendary caves that have hundreds of Buddhist stone statues dating from the 10th to the 14th centuries, numerous museums, and Hangzhou Paradise Park, a water park about a half hour drive from the center of Hangzhou.

For shoppers, Hangzhou is one of China's most important weekend getaways for Shanghai's wealthy. Hangzhou retailers cater for this in style, with department stores stocking latest from Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuitton and more. Lots of other shops and reasonably priced markets too. The nightmarket is definitely the place for trinkets and holiday presents, but be prepared to bargain down to 20-50% of opening price. Bargain with a smile and a joke; you'll go much further!

For night owls, the Hangzhou nightlife is an active one and you will be able to get a good taste of the local culture by venturing out at night to the bars and clubs and mingling with the people who live in the area. The nightlife tends to be more populated with the younger Hangzhou crowd, but there are plenty of people of most ages out throughout the night. A good place for starting out is Hong Feng Jiu Ba, a place which offers something comparable to a western happy hour.  From there, travellers who want to go bar hopping should check out Nanshan Road which is where a good portion of the local bars are situated.

Whilst you may want to experience all the tastes and variety that Chinese restaurants have to offer, delicious meals are provided by our host school free of charge; three meals from Monday to Friday, as well as lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday.

Should you want to visit Shanghai during or after your TESOL course, there are numerous ways to travel there from Hangzhou. For example you could experience the high-speed express train between Shanghai and Hangzhou, It only takes 80 minutes and costs about 10USD.

About The School

The TESOL training centre is exceptiionally well-located. Step outside and in addition to green hills you'll have your pick of canals, bridges, and walkways to explore. No mobile phones, no honking cars. And yet only a short ride away is the heart of the district of Xiao Shan. The contrast is stunning.

The main TESOL school building has over twenty classrooms, a dance hall, a kitchen and cafeteria, a large teachers office with computers, internet access and a teaching resource library, as well as a student center and a main hall for gatherings.

Hangzhou offers:

• A wealth of outdoor and cultural activities.
• Free internet wireless service inside the classroom and dorm building.
• Hangzhou has some of the best night life in China.
• Study Chinese at an affordable rate.
• Course orientation and welcome dinner.
• A great environment for your one month stay on the campus of our host school, where you TESOL trainees will meet many adult Chinese students from different region of China willing to make friends with foreigners.
• Convenient weekend trips to Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing and many Ancient towns in the neighbor area, such as Zhouzhuang water town, Shaoxing etc.
• The locals are peaceful, friendly people who generally like spending time with foreigners.

Accommodation

All rooms for your TESOL course in China are standard three-star hotel rooms, located on the third or fourth floor of the school building, while the TESOL course classroom and office are on the second floor, and the cafeteria for TESOL students is on the ground floor. The accommodation is very reasonably priced.

Each room consists of one or two beds, TV, air conditioning, chair, closet and a bathroom with western toilet. Laundry facilities are provided per floor. There is also a shared fridge on the dorm floor.

Rooms are available for you to check in from 9am - 7pm on Saturday or 9am - 5pm on Sunday prior to the starting of the course. You will be able to use your room until noon on the last Saturday of the course.

Meals are included for the duration of the TESOL course. This comprises three meals a day from Monday to Friday, as well as lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday.

Course Dates 19 July - 13 August 2010 16 August - 10 September 2010 13 September - 8 October 2010 18 October - 12 November 2010 15 November - 10 December 2010 20 December - 14 January 2011 14 February - 11 March 2011 14 March - 8 April 2011 11 April - 6 May 2011 16 May - 10 June 2011 13 June - 8 July 2011 11 July - 5 August 2011 8 August - 1 September 2011 5 September - 30 September 2011 10 October - 4 November 2011 14 November - 9 December 2011 12 December - 6 January 2012 Course Fees US$ 1390 (£ ) (excluding accommodation) US$ 1520 (£ ) (including shared accommodation) US$ 1590 (£ ) (individual accommodation) Course fees are in US dollars and/or euros, but payment can be made in any currency. The GBP (£) figure given is a current guide only, and as the figure is subject to change may not be accurate when your balance of course fees is paid. Please check www.xe.com/ucc for a current exchange rate in pounds or any other currency of your choice. Shanghai (Hangzhou), China - Map: Click here for the map