微笑汉语

What visa do I need and what is the visa application process like?

First, we have no requirement about the type of visa, all legal visas are acceptable to study with Smile Chinese. If you want to stay in China and don’t have a visa yet, please let us know your nationality, which course you would like to join and how long you would like to stay in China, and we will give you more suggestions.

We recommend you apply for the L visa (tourist visa) if you are staying for less than 3 months, or the X2 Visa (student visa) if you plan to stay for longer than 3 months. China’s visa policy is subject to change; please contact us before you come to China to explore your options if your visa doesn’t cover the length of your stay.

What about Money Issues?

China’s currency is the Renminbi (RMB) and there are many restrictions in trading it outside of China. It is recommended that currency exchange is done within China either in a bank or at the airport after arrival. MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, JCB, and American Express are valid in major provincial cities. 

Medical Insurance & Records

It is necessary to bring your medical insurance and medical records. The absence of your medical records could cause problems in the case of an emergency. A complete medical record should include your blood type, immunization record, allergies, medications you are currently taking both prescription and non-prescription, your doctor’s name, address, phone number, emergency contact name and phone number, and your insurance company’s name and phone number. 

What happens if I get ill?

In the event of illness, a representative from Smile Chinese will take you to the hospital if required and will help you to acquire any medicine you need. 

Do you provide airport pick-up and drop-off services? 

Yes, we can provide both airport pick up and drop off services. Just let us know your departure or arrival information at least 2 weeks in advance, and we will promptly get back to you with pricing information.

What else do I need to prepare?

Please prepare 2 two-inch color photos to apply for a Registration Form of Temporary Residence within 72 hours after you enter China. It is necessary to have a travel insurance policy and a good idea to keep photocopies of all your travel documents separate, just in case you lose the originals. 

When should students apply for their program?

In order to guarantee a smooth application process, we recommend that students apply two to three months before they plan to arrive in China or they plan to begin their study. However, applications can be submitted anytime before the intended starting date if the student does not require accommodation, although we cannot guarantee there will be a space available. If students need accommodation, applications should be submitted at least 6 weeks in advance.

How can I apply for a course?

If you are in Dalian, you can come to our campuses directly to sign up. You can also choose the program you are interested in and apply online first and we will get back to you according to your application letter to introduce the program to you. If you are satisfied with our program and decide to register, then we will make a contract for you and you can come to sign up before classes start. Of course, you can also contact us by sending us an email at smile.chinese@hotmail.com or calling us at +86 411 8282 0606 to inquire about the program first. 

If you are abroad, you can apply online first and we will reply to you as soon as possible to confirm your class requirements. We will then require a transfer of 50% of the tuition fee and full accommodation fee in advance as a deposit. You can pay the rest on arrival to the school. You can also ask your family members or friends in China to come to our school to pay for you.

After registration what happens next?

One of our course consultants shall contact you within 12 hours explaining the next steps. This normally includes verifying your personal information, start date and other particulars to then prepare your learning proposal and invoice.

How to Pay

How can I pay for my Chinese program?

If you live outside of China, you may pay by bank transfer; If you live in China, you may come to our school and pay by cash or credit card. We can accept payment in US dollars.

When should I make payment?

The earlier the better. We need to ensure your place in our program and reserve your seat. As a guideline, we need to receive payment a minimum of 4 weeks before you begin your course. Please let us know if this may cause you any problems.

How do I know payment has been received?

Your course consultant will let you know when payment has been received and shall pass on to you your Letter of Acceptance.

What accommodation can Smile Chinese help me get?

We can arrange a variety of accommodation options including homestays and several different types of hotel accommodation to suit all budgets and individual needs.

If you would like further accommodation options, feel free to contact us via email at info@smilechinese.cn, alternatively you can call us at +86 411 8282 0606  to inquire about the program. 

What is your home-stay accommodation like?

Our home-stay families have all been carefully chosen! They have all hosted home-stay students before, so they can speak some or fairly simple English. Generally, they offer one bedroom for one student, including free Wifi, 24-hr hot water, air conditioning and a shared bathroom. Please let us know your specific moving-in/out date, and we will send you detailed information about the home-stay families who are available at that time.

Besides Chinese lessons, what else can I do at Smile Chinese?

Smile Chinese is dedicated to taking you out of the classroom and showing you the real China. We offer a number of out-of-school excursions and we are looking forward to give you a unique insight as to what makes the character of these special places so distinctive. You may also want make dumplings, learn tai-chi or calligraphy, experience a tea ceremony or to take part in some other of the traditional, cultural activities we regularly organize.

What makes Smile Chinese different from other schools?

A lot! First and foremost is the quality of our teachers and teaching methods. Our teachers all work for Smile Chinese on a full-time basis. When they're not teaching, they're busy researching pedagogy and doing training. They participate in a comprehensive training program when they join the school, and continually receive additional training. 

For these reasons, we have consistently received positive feedback from our students. And we believe you will see great progress if you study with us!

How many students do you have? Where do they come from?

On average, every year, Smile Chinese welcomes more than one thousand students from all over the world. Students of all ages have studied at Smile Chinese - we’ve had students ranging from 5 to 70 years old! However, most of our students average between 18 and 55 years old for Part-Time and Intensive classes. For our Summer Camp, students are between 7 to 17 years old. Most students come from America, Europe, and Asia. 

When are you open?

Our business hours are from 8am to 9pm on weekdays, and from 10am to 7pm on weekends. Our specific class times are as follows: 

8:30-9:20  am 

9:30-10:20 am 

10:30-11:20 am 

11:30-12:20 am

13:30-14:20 pm 

14:30-15:20 pm

15:30-16:20 pm

18:00-18:50 pm

19:00-19:50 pm

Students who take 1on1 classes can choose any slots they like. We can also arrange one class from 5-5:50 and 6-6:50 slots. If you want to take classes at other time slots, please contact us.