Testimonials
Feedback from schools students, and the public:
2021/2022
"Students are enjoying the lessons and making excellent progress. Annie has been fantastic with the students."
- Denbigh High School
"Students are enjoying the sessions and regularly attended. The older/HSK3 class have said that they enjoy the session but would prefer a face to face as occasionally the technology has been an issue (problem with school server)."
- Ysgol Friars
"Most students really enjoyed the lessons. The hands on activities were great."
- Ysgol Llanbedrgoch
"The best part of the Winter School is that the teacher actually talk to every one of us and treat us like real friends, which is usually not the case in China. And it's great to have conversation with native speaker. And the teacher is very warm. Even if we are not really good at or familiar with certain things, He is always patient and explains everything."
- CUPL Winter School Student
"I want to say thank you to the teachers, you helps me a lot in my English study, I wish you all the best."
- CUPL Winter School Student
"This course was the best! The teacher is so good. She taught everything in the very best way and all the lessons were filled with breakout rooms and collaboration practices."
- HSK Online Student
"I really loved this class. I had great fun while learning. I really like the teacher and her teaching style! I appreciate her hard work and would love to continue this class!"
- HSK Online Student
2020/2021
"The children are really enjoying the lessons. They do them on google classroom every week. Most of them have tried to do some writing too and find it very interesting!"
- Ysgol Llanbedrgoch
"I found the teachers very helpful and the topics discussed very interesting. Thank you."
- Mandarin Summer School Student
"I really enjoyed the course and learning more about Chinese culture. Thank you all!"
- Mandarin Summer School Student
"The teacher asked students questions and talked with us, through which we can improve our speaking skills and self-confidence. And I love the teacher's humor very much."
- CUPL Summer School Student
"Considering the different language levels of my classmates, ______ is [wait] patiently to draw everyone's attention and give them a chance to practice. Well done!!!"
- CUPL Summer School Student
"This course was the best! The teacher is so good. She taught everything in the very best way and all the lessons were filled with breakout rooms and collaboration practices. I really liked the way teacher used Nearpod to do the lessons. I learnt a lot. Thank you very much!"
- HSK Online Student
"This course was superb. The teacher and the teaching style was so good. I really liked the class and the breakout sessions that the teacher used in the class and the online whiteboard writing session was so good because they motivate the students to learn more and more! Of course I will follow the next courses as well. According to my point of view this course was one of the best things I did in 2021. Thank you very much!"
- HSK Online Student
"I would like to thank the Confucius Institute of Bangor for the superb variety of courses which have been offered online since March. I have really enjoyed following them and am enjoying the ones at present as well."
- HSK Online Student
"I had no idea what to expect I am an older learner, I have never used Zoom before and it was all new to me. I can not put into words what a great job all the teachers did. They were all very willing to go that extra step to help. A real credit to your group."
- HSK Online Student
"You all should be commended for this. The work involved in preparing the lessons and the passion show in delivering them makes me work harder myself, so as not to let down the teacher. I hope this will continue in the future."
- HSK Online Student
2019/2020
"I think the lessons and support offered by the teachers and the Institute has been outstanding. I can only say thank you for all the hard work and fantastic cooperation."
- Holyhead High School
"I thank you for the lessons that have been sent. All of excellent quality."
- Bethel Primary School
2018/2019
“Pupils were very enthusiastic and particularly enjoyed learning through song and games and participating in cultural activities.”
- Holyhead High School
“Pupils show great commitment to the lesson and also enjoy learning about the culture. They have developed a very good relationship with their teacher."
- Holyhead High School
“All pupils are commenting on how they now feel very special that they are learning from another culture and feel part of something global.”
- Esgob Morgan Church School
“A very lively, enigmatic and engaging teacher. An interesting and valuable insight into Chinese language and culture.”
- Ysgol Friars
"The Confucius Institute’s Summer Camp 2019 has been an incredible event! Since starting university, I had been looking for an opportunity to experience Chinese culture and language at the source, to visit China's great monuments, to eat the food, to walk the streets and to get to know China's people. Thanks to the Summer camp I have been able to do this and more. Every day has been exceptional in its own way, from visiting the community centre to walking the great wall, from visiting the beautiful summer palace to doing Tai Chi at Tai'an University. Each unique activity has earned a special place in my memory. Thanks to this, my understanding of China has truly deepened and it is my plan and that of many others in the Camp to return to China as soon as possible as a result of these experiences. I would like to extend a great thanks to every person that made the camp possible as it has been a life changing experience, especially to Li lăoshī as he was the one that informed us about the camp and showed us what a great opportunity it was."
- Summer Camp Student
2017/2018
"Congratulations on an amazing New Year’s Celebrations. I had thought that last years would be difficult to top, but you managed it! The parade with two dragons was great and the variety of performances in the Gala was fascinating and hugely enjoyable. Thanks to everyone involved, particular the cathedral for hosting it: what a lovely way to bring together cultures ancient and modern!"
- Keith Beasley, CI Associate
“We are delighted to be able to host this fantastic community event in Bangor Cathedral this year."
- The Dean of Bangor Cathedral, Reverend Kathy
“There is clearly a strong appetite for Chinese culture in the city.”
- Emlyn Williams, Project Officer with Bangor City Council
"What a wonderful day. So much talent and so beautifully put together. A great mix of traditional and new and we enjoyed every minute of it. Congratulations to you all."
- Suzanne Yip-Donald
"This has been a wonderful celebration of Chinese New Year, it’s excellent to see the Cathedral packed for this event and the city will remember this with gratitude for years to come."
- Mayor of Bangor, Counsellor Derek Hainge
2016/2017
“The whole event was brilliant -- a superb and enjoyable day. The parade went off like clockwork and the following gala was packed with variety. There was an impressive crowd gathered in front of the stage. I have been told by a number of people that it was the best event that they had seen in the town. For a few hours on Saturday, Bangor took on a flavour of China which made real difference.”
- Raymond Murphy, CI Artist in Residence
“Congratulations on a great event: we were very impressed by the whole thing. Great to see such a good turnout. The six young Bangor girls dancing was particularly moving.”
- Keith Beasley, CI Associate
“What a hit! Big Congratulations! Thank you for making such a great event in Bangor! Our student Lilian really enjoyed it - all her family members went that day!”
- Shasha Wang, Lecturer in Chinese, Bangor University
2015/2016
“Please accept our sincere thanks to the Institute for delivering a fantastic day for the pupils from our feeder primary schools. The pupils really enjoyed the activities and their teachers commented on how well they had engaged in the varied tasks. It proved to be a great day enjoyed by all.”
- Dr. Paul Evans, Assistant Headteacher, Denbigh High School
“The session was really brilliant, the teachers had a captive audience. They were fantastic with the children and the parents were impressed with their children singing in Chinese. It was a lovely session, thank you very much.”
- Sulwen Roberts, workshop organiser, Beaumaris Beavers
“Confucius Institute staff were fantastic at engaging the children and making it a fun experience for them. They also encouraged questions about China in general, which was lovely.”
- Workshop organiser, Action for Children
“It was wonderful, thank you! Yuan (dancer) you were fantastic with the girls, they really enjoyed themselves!”
- Workshop organiser, Bangor Rainbows
“Thanks to the staff at the Confucius Institute, the children absolutely loved it! We have put a story on our school website here.”
- Headteacher, Kingsland Primary School, Holyhead
“The Two Dragons Parade and all the preparation work leading up to the event will hold a special place in our memories. Having Colin, Pete and the Yuan working alongside the pupils and staff is an experience we will treasure for a very long time. Please pass on my sincere gratitude to all concerned with the event. We look forward to welcoming Yuan back to further develop the wonderful experiences bestowed on our pupils. Diolch yn fawr iawn.”
- Valmai Davies, Headteacher at Ysgol Hirael
"The dragons wonderful, the children and everyone had worked so hard and I had a wonderful afternoon in the Deiniol Centre as well. It was so lovely to have an attraction on the High Street. The public turned out for them and I am sure everyone enjoyed the show. Come on let’s have more like this. I intend writing to the school to thank them."
- Cllr. Evelyn Butler, Mayor of Bangor
“This is how to do multicultural.”
- Local resident
“Well done to Ysgol Hirael staff and pupils, Confucius Institute and everyone else involved in making the 2 Dragon Parade a big success! Bangor High St needs a lot more bouncing projects like this happening!!”
- Spectator
“A fantastic parade and a credit to the hard work the Confucius Institute put in, you should be very proud. A fantastic turnout and the amount of interest generated around the Town Clock area was tremendous.”
- Mark Williams, Corvus Security – local businessman
“Nice coverage - well done, a good event, nice to see Bangor buzzing.”
- Hugh Edwin Jones, Gwynedd Council
“Thank you again for offering three of the workshops for the Wales, Europe and the World event. The schools were extremely satisfied about how the workshops went, and pupils had a fantastic day and went back home knowing a bit more about languages. I am hoping you also had a good experience. I am looking forward to continuing working with you in the near future.”
- Rubén Chapela-Orri, Routes into Languages Cymru Support Officer, MFL Student Mentoring Project
“A very big thank you to all of you for giving our pupils such worthwhile opportunities that will remain with them forever. It’s been a pleasure working with the CI over the past year. All the pupils and parents thoroughly enjoyed the performance.”
- Ms. Valmai Davies, Headteacher, Ysgol Hirael, Bangor
“I thought the event was wonderful. Liu Yuan you succeeded in developing individual skills and really got the best performance out of all of the groups. Given the timescale and nature of the project, the artistic standard was very high. Yuan was obviously dearly loved by all the people she had worked with.”
- Colin Daimond, Movement Artist