LTL Language School || Learn Chinese (11 Cities)

For two months, I visited a one-by-one language course at LTL in Beijing. I did not participate in the whole cultural programme, since my internship place already provided a place to stay. Furthermore, I also participated in the language programme in Chengde for one week.

The one-by-one language course was okay, but nothing special. During the two months, I had courses with two (male) teachers and we covered the book 'Short-term Spoken Chinese'. In my opinion, the quality of the language course can still be improved. A little more engagement and creativity from the teacher's side would have been nice. Apart from learning from the book only (which makes it a bit boring...), more creative exercises could have been applied during the course in order to better learn Chinese, for example reading a simple Chinese book or making a role play, etc. I think this engagement can be expected from a trained language teacher. I felt I did not speak sufficiently during the course, although it should be the priority that the student is engaged to speak more (at least more than the teacher).

For one week during the two months at LTL I also participated in the language programme in Chengde, which is a small town not too far from Beijing. I was told that staying at Chengde would boost my Chinese language skills - which was also true. However, in my opinion this programme is a bit overrated and too costly for the service received.
My host family was an old couple, which was pretty fine for me. They were really nice people although I would have wished that they would have integrated me more into their lives and showed more engagement. After my language course in the morning, which finished in the afternoon, I mostly came home. My hostmum would arrive at home a little later and start to cook. In the evening we watched tv together and then went to bed. It would have been nice to do more things together with them, such as joining them visit the places they go in the afternoon, or cooking together, etc. I also think for the price I payed for that week, at least the most important facilities should be provided (and it should not be needed to be stated extra), such as a shower, a bed (with a mattress - I had one but I heard of another person that slept on a wooden bed and who didn’t sleep very well) and a clean environment (often they didn’t wash the dishes properly and they were smoking a lot in the living room). Otherwise it was really interesting to see an authentic Chinese family.
Since Chengde is a quite small town, as mentioned, you rely a bit on the activities offered during the programme, in case your family is not very active. Before going to Chengde, I was interviewed by one of the LTL employees which activities I would like to do (horse riding, rafting, playing soccer, etc.). However, I was quite disappointed by the activities offered in Chengde since it turned out they were not included in the price for the Chengde programme. Zhongwen (a really active woman even though highly pregnant) tried to organize a lot but I was shocked about the huge prices. When staying longer Chengde, which is not the most interesting place on Earth, and I think I would get poor after a while if I always had to pay so much extra for every activity. The school could help to join more things that do not cost so much or even don't cost anything.

I hope those things I mentioned could be improved in the future, since I think that LTL school and also their Chengde programme has a lot potential. The outcome just needs to be more adjusted to the price and more creativity could make the stay at LTL much more interesting and fun.

Thank you.

Program: I completed a 6-month internship program with a homestay.

Experience: The internship provided me with a great opportunity to experience the dynamics of working in a commercial environment within China. I was given a board range of responsibilities, from assisting with company recruitment to reviewing company reports. Not only did this give me exposure to an array of skills that will prove useful for a future career, but it also allowed me to practice my Mandarin in a professional environment.

Homestay: The homestay was the most important aspect when it came to practicing my Chinese. Every day without fail I would communicate with my host family in Mandarin. This was initially quite daunting, but over time my Mandarin ability, along with my confidence in using the language, improved substantially.

Beijing: LTL will arrange an array of activities that will allow you to explore both the city and its surroundings. It may initially take some getting used to, but there is definitely a unique character to the city that I grew to love.

I have just completed my 3-week program at LTL Shanghai, and it has been fantastic. I am studying chinese at my university in Copenhagen, and did this to maintain my chinese level during summer vacation. From the moment i arrived in Shanghai airport (my 1st time in China) everything went smooth. The airport pick-up, provided by the school, was there on time, and took me directly to my homestay family. The homestay experience is optional, but was very interesting and allows you to really get the chinese culture under your skin. And of cause, it is the best way to improve your oral chinese.
The school is located in one of the most cool areas of Shanghai, and there are plenty of good restaurants, shops and bars nearby. But the best thing about LTL is the staff. They are so welcoming and friendly, and right away you'll feel like a part of the LTL family. They plan weekly events such as; dinners at various chinese restaurents, trips to cultural sites and karaoke nights etc. for both students and teachers which gives this a really cool social environment, that i have never experienced between teachers and students. Besides they are all really skillfull, in what ever part of the chinese language that you want to practice. I have probably learnt more here in these 3 weeks, than i would in months back home.
I will miss this place very much, but hopefully i will come back again and again. And so should you. I can not recommend this place any higher.

I have studied foreign languages abroad at schools in France, Italy, Brazil and Korea. I can say without a doubt that LTL is the best language school I have ever attended. From the very first moment you step inside the school, the administration makes you feel welcome and right at home. They go to great lengths to ensure your transition to Shanghai is a smooth one. The teachers at LTL are superb. They carefully explain the intricate nuances of the Chinese language - tonal pronunciation, sentence structures, grammatical rules, character writing - all the skills necessary to succeed in Chinese. But much more than that, the teachers are very friendly, approachable and always happy to help. There is always something going on at school - LTL plans daily lunches in the neighborhood, weekly dinners, karaoke, weekend visits to interesting cultural sites within Shanghai or trips to other nearby cities (e.g. Suzhou, Nanjing). With so much going on, it is common to see students just hang around for a few hours after class has ended. LTL puts so much thought and care into everything it does that it does feel like a family away from home, regardless whether you are here for one week, one month or one year. I wholeheartedly recommend the school to others who are considering studying Chinese in Shanghai.

LTL provided excellent support right from the first contact with the school until the end of the programme. Someone always answered my questions immediately, even when they weren't urgent queries.
I had two great teachers for my one-on-one classes and the topics we covered in class were exactly those that I was interested in and my vocabulary expanded during the 6 weeks. I had good opportunities to improve speaking fluency and have grammar and pronunciation problems corrected. I enjoyed the fact that the course was challenging and that I also learned much about China today.
I opted for the serviced apartment accommodation. The living quarters were sunny and the area nice and quiet. There were many food options locally. For anyone thinking about this option, you need to remember that the standard of cleanliness may not be what you are used to at home. However, my landlady responded to any calls immediately.
My time at LTL was very positive. I thought it was a little expensive, but on the other hand, it was money well spent.

The experience of studying at LTL in Beijing was great. From the first contact with the school advisor till the last day, the LTL team gave me a huge support, even for activities not related to the school, like booking a taxi to take me to Great Wall and other things

Homestay was really convenient, about 30 min from school, and all of them were very kind to me, especially at Chinese New Year.

The school also provides some weekly activities, which is a nice way to know other students and have some fun.

And finally the most important point, was the huge increase on my mandarin skills in only one month. 1 on 1 classes were awesome, once I was free to choose the way and the speed of learning.

I really enjoyed the stay at LTL in Beijing. Great teachers and both effective and fun learning experience, which gave my chinese a great boost. The school location in the Business district is excellent, and school activities are much fun (Baiju, Karaoke etc.). I am happy i chose to stay in a homestay family and could continue talking chinese after school, plus enjoy every day homestyle chinese food.

For the 3 weeks of mandarin course, I was glad everything turned out epic. I got super skilled teachers teaching me, helping me to be prepared for my HSK test. The learning materials are sufficient for me to study for the test. The teachers’ soul focus never leave me either. The environment of the school is welcoming thanks to the teachers and staff being super friendly and widely open minded. Large diversity of people attended the school so I was lucky enough to meet some great people. Every week, there would be a small get together which is fun to bond with the other students. Overall, I got more than what I bargained for, which keep me wishing I don’t have to leave that school. Because it felt just like home.