LTL Language School || Learn Chinese (11 Cities)

As someone who is good at languages but has done most of that learning in American academic environments, full in-country immersion has always been the Holy Grail. It is a priceless thing to say, "I like something, am good at it, and I gave myself the fullest experience possible in that field." Being in China with awesome instruction and support at LtL is nothing short of a dream come true.

Highlights: By my last week in Chengde, I had been in China for seven weeks doing six hours of lessons per day. One day Teacher invited me to dinner with her. We talked about random things and eventually got back to talking about my family. I explained things that had happened to us, how they affected us at the time, how they shaped things throughout my life, how my thinking has evolved, how things are now, how I want them to be, the psychology and social dynamics of my family, and ten thousand other things. I waited for her response, but she stared off to the side, chopsticks hanging mid-air, silent. I then realized I had been talking for a very long time. I became self-conscious and worried that I had over-reached in complexity, not known enough words, and botched most of my tones. Still no response, so I asked her, "Did you understand that?" "Oh yes," she replied. "That was great. I understood all of that. I was just thinking about how amazing you mother must be." A dangerous mix of relief, validation, happiness, and pride set in as I went back to my noodles.

Morning: Up around 8:30am in my own air-conditioned-room-with-wifi, hot breakfast (usually small, tasty, steaming hot pork buns) is waiting for me by the time I'm out of the bathroom. I discuss the day's plans with Auntie, specifically whether or not I'll be home for dinner. I take her trash out on my way to school. The 30-minute walk is filled with sights, sounds, people, and other all the other small things that make living in a Big City fun - much better than a 30 minute car commute at home. It's hot and humid already, so I stop to buy cold water. It's gone by the time I reach school. I enter the lobby and am happily greeted by the staff, because they're great. My classmates and I kid around, because they're great. I have 10 minutes before class starts, so I relax on the balcony despite the heat and contemplate the crazy awesomeness of my situation.

Afternoon: My brain is fried from morning class. A welcome break finds me on the balcony with classmates again, sometimes after a quick run for another cold drink. We're having a good time trying to tease each other with the new vocabulary, which that day included "pink" and "high heels." Afternoon class resumes. I'm hoping at some point my brain will surrender, melt, and hit some kind of subconscious flow where everything gets magically assimilated. It doesn't. Apparently language learning with challenging teachers requires active hard work. And somehow remains fun.

Evening: The walk home is hot and sweaty, but the down time is good. Sometimes I take new routes and get lost. Auntie wonders why I didn't call her to ask for directions. I try to explain "adventure" to her. Dinner is ready and again super tasty. After eating, Auntie quizzes me on what I learned in class. We watch the Olympics. She asks me about current events and further furious addition of flashcards ensues. She goes to bed, I go to my room and crank the A/C. I try to do some internet but am too mentally exhausted to explain as much as I ought to. Posting is less frequent, emails more curt, and I drift off to sleep wondering what the heck I'm doing in China, knowing full well that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

In terms of my working ability my skills have increased tenfold in my short stint here so far. Likewise, my Chinese has gone from basic vocab to intermediate level which I'm delighted about considering time is very hard to find working full time. China brings the best out of everyone and it's showing that in my first few months here.

Every student has a different, unique story. It's unfair to pin one down. The fact everyone has their own little story makes each and everyone so interesting. No two students are ever the same. What's always great is seeing students come back for 2nd, 3rd and even 4th stints at LTL. That shows how much people value the school and how much they enjoy spending time in China learning Chinese.

Our immersion program in Chengde is fascinating. No English and speaking Mandarin 24/7 means this is the place to go to study Chinese. It offers something cities like Beijing and Shanghai just cannot offer. Chengde forces you into "uncomfortable positions". Yet, it's these aforementioned conditions that will enhance your skills, probably without you even realizing!

Our Immersion Program. No other competitor boasts Immersion like we do. Chengde is special, it's real China and our students make huge improvements in ridiculously short periods of time. As mentioned above you won't have a choice but to wriggle out of a situation using just your Chinese tools. When you get around the situation, it's a really nice feeling. Chengde does this a lot.

Togetherness. If the team pulls together, anything is possible. That very much shows at LTL I feel. There are three main units to our schools. The students, the staff and the teachers. All three mix, mingle and enjoy time together inside and outside of school. I think this is a huge factor in the company's growth in the last decade and I can only see that getting strong and tighter as more people come through the door.