Gap Year Programs in Singapore

SAS as a recent high school graduate was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I am so grateful for the opportunity to sail on the Fall 25 voyage as an international gap year student. The experience as a whole was so unique and I truly do not believe that you can find such a program anywhere else. The accommodation was so surreal because I got to wake up and see the waves as we sailed across the world. The community SAS builds is welcoming and kind because whenever I had a problem on the ship or in port, I never once felt alone or stranded. There will always be someone in your corner, which I appreciated. A massive thank you especially to the crew members on the ship who always make an effort to get to know your name, check in and give you a smile or laugh whenever you're stressed by travel planning, relationships and/or academics. The food does get quite repetitive if I'm being honest but it's truly a blessing to have such skilled crew members who can create delicious and nutritious meals in the middle of nowhere on the ocean. Pro tip: always get your cake first cause everyone loves the cake and it's always the first to go. In terms of academics. there are a variety of courses and I loved how everything always tied back to our in-port experiences, which allowed us to reflect on our SAS journey deeply, which I think was a crucial aid in how I developed and matured as a person. This was a great bridge between high school and university because I feel that I came out more mature, socially aware and ready for adult life. I also never felt that I couldn't make new friends because everyone is so open and you get to interact with a lot of diversity due to the various represented cultures, backgrounds, religions, nationalities etc. Til now, I am so grateful for the friends I made on SAS and we keep in touch almost daily as we plan our reunion trips. If I had one piece of advice for whoever's reading this, is that you will never truly see and understand the world around you until you're interacting with various people on the ship and in port. So do it!!! You will never regret SAS, I can promise you that :p

I have had such an unforgettable experience at LTL Beijing! A place really is its people and here I had a magical time feeling at home with the LTL family. Not only did I feel welcomed by everyone as soon as I stepped through the door- but even before I got to Beijing! My student advisor Ilaria and the school manager Linda patiently and diligently helped me to plan my trip and secure my visa before arrival. The school managers Jane and Linda are incredibly caring and light up the school. They would always be more than willing to give us recommendations to explore the city or help us out with anything at all like exchanging money. They would even go above and beyond to ensure we had a special experience like once we mentioned wanting to try out 功夫 and Linda would book this activity for us as a wonderful surprise. All of the staff are incredibly patient in using Chinese and helping us outside of the classroom too! Every morning and in breaks they engage in Chinese chats with us to help us practice and brighten up our day. Sometimes they would have to repeat things or speak incredibly slowly for us and they would always do so with a smile which really helped me to learn. For instance Masako even taught us how to play Mahjong in Chinese! I also felt incredibly close to Beijing thanks to my connection Carol who would ensure I did all the things that excited me the most and made sure I always felt safe. Since I am vegetarian, I was previously worried that I would struggle but Carol took me to a fully vegetarian (and very well priced) buffet close to where I live, ensuring I didn't miss out on anything! I couldn't be happier with my Chinese learning experience and am so lucky to have been taught by 王老师。 Lessons were so engaging, stimulating and interesting that I would remember them well and be able to incorporate phrases from class when interacting with the locals outside of class. I absolutely loved 王老师's teaching method as she was focused on ensuring we absorbed the crucial words and grammar to soar to a higher level while teaching us how to use the language as a natural 北京儿. So as well as advancing fast through the textbooks we often had activities like debates and topic discussions. 王老师 also taught us about culture as well as language- ensuring we ate like a local (with recommendations like the Durian pizza) as well as lived like one like practising our Chinese watching cinema recommendations. My friends would even ask me about my favourite times I'd had in Beijing and I would genuinely answer that lessons were one of the best! I am forever grateful for the memories I have made here with the LTL family in Beijing and look forward to making more! Sienna (好梦）

LTL Language School responded to this reviewJune 27, 2025

We couldn't be happier to read your kind words, Sienna. It fills us with joy that you had such a fulfilling time with us, and we can only hope you hold onto those memories and make some more with us in the future! Thanks for leaving such wonderful words. We will share them with all our Beijing staff :) COME BACK SOON!! LTL Team

Hello, I am currently doing the LTL Chengde immersion program after successfully completing two months of LTL classes in Beijing. It has has been a month since I joined this course and I have to say that I am completely satisfied with it and here are the reasons why: Home stay: I am currently staying with a lovely family of four (parents and two kids). The children love to play and enthusiastically help you practice your speaking skills. Two meals a day are offered. Everything is delicious nourishing and a deep dive into Chinese cuisine. Most of the home stays are located in the very centre of Chengde, so you will be at the popular hangout spots and bustling areas in no time! Classes: I currently have four hours of class, five times a week. They alternate between morning and afternoon class and therefore offer a lot of variety regarding time management. Classes are also completely customisable. You will generally follow the book that LTL will provide you with (said book is split into chapters each containing listening speaking and writing parts), but you can always make suggestions to your teacher if you want to make changes. You will have 1-on-1 class, therefore everything is super flexible. You are also not limited to a traditional classroom. As the Chengde program does not have a central school. In theory any place can turn into a study space. Coffee shops are most popularly used, but I have also experienced parks, supermarkets, shopping malls, a roof terrace and strolls around the city. Also at this point a shout out to my lovely teacher Ida, who is so patient with me every day and inspires me to continue to study hard. Thank you! Immersion: The program offers a lot of different extracurricular activities. Throughout the week there will be calligraphy and tea classes, badminton, swimming, cat cafe hangouts… the list goes on way too long for me to count all of them. That’s all thanks to Chengde’s School coordinator Zhongwen (中文), who is not only super creative when it comes to planning and organizing an unforgettable experience, but will also help you with and minor and major issue that you might encounter. So you will be in absolutely capable hands here ;) Regarding the weekend you can explore famous places with a language partner all day long! As for the daily life here you will find that, in fact rarely anybody can speak English. So you will be pushed out of your comfort zone daily. But, I find that my Chinese has improved more rapidly in this past month here in Chengde, than it has in those two months I spent in Beijing. As for the people here I can say that everybody I have met so far is friendly but more so very curious. You can also prepare yourself to have some pictures taken. Food is widely available. From small stalls along the road to full blown restaurants offering all kinds of delicacies. All in all a one in a lifetime experience, which I can recommend to basically anybody who wants to try something new and exciting. As I am currently doing a gap year in between Highschool and University, I can especially recommend this option for other fellow students. Chengde is a great spot for young people to visit!

LTL Language School responded to this reviewMay 16, 2025

Thanks so much for your wonderful review about your stay in Chengde and Beijing with us, Lia. We're thrilled you've had the best time and seen amazing progress with your Mandarin skills. We'll be sure to pass your kind words onto Zhongwen who'll be delighted! Best wishes, LTL Team

I stayed in Beijing LTL location for two months. I really enjoyed my stay. Any issues that I encountered where taken care of and you can reach the student advisor any time. I did encounter a problem with my first home stay, but the school handled the situation very professionally and I was able to switch. During my stay I met different people from all over the world and made lots of new friends as well. My teacher (Alice) did a great job as well. She is very patient and you can really tell that she loves her job! I can definitely recommend! ;)

LTL Language School responded to this reviewApril 20, 2025

So happy to hear you enjoyed your 2-month stay with us in Beijing, Lia. Hope you enjoy the rest of your gap year. Hope to see you soon! LTL Team