GoAbroad

Language Programs

A great way to quickly learn a language (and all the quirks of the local dialect, which textbooks and apps often don’t cover) is to learn that language abroad! Foreign language courses at international language schools will be a lot more effective than that language learning app you never open anymore. Why? Because you can put all of those verb conjugation charts into use after class to see how those idiomatic expressions hold up with locals. In order to learn a language, you need practice. A lot of practice. Language programs abroad have you covered!
KCP

Featured Language School of the Month

This Month’s Recommended Language Programs

Maximo Language programs
4.693275 reviews

MAXIMO NIVEL

MAXIMO NIVEL logo
Spanish Immersion Programs | Learn Spanish in Latin America

Live and study in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru. Maximo Nivel offers the most intensive and professional Spanish Immersion program in Latin America. Learn Spanish on-site across 4 modern campuses in 3 of the most beautiful countries, or join online f...

Student in Japan
4.6862 reviews

KCP International Japanese Language School

KCP International Japanese Language School logo
Learn Japanese in Tokyo, Japan!

KCP International Japanese Language School, a non-profit educational foundation, is pleased to offer students from around the world a unique opportunity to learn more about Japan, its language, people, and culture. Our programs are open to all English-...

SN Chinese
4.6411 reviews

SN Mandarin Chinese School

SN Mandarin Chinese School logo
Intensive Chinese Study Program in Shanghai - Visa Provided

Choose our Intensive Course in Shanghai to immerse yourself deeply in Chinese learning and start speaking! This program also includes visa support. 1. Types of Groups:a) Small:Intensive 30 (6 lessons/day - 5 times/week)Intensive 20 (4 lessons/day - 5 t...

GAC students in China
4.7575 reviews

Go Abroad China Ltd.

Go Abroad China Ltd. logo
Learn Chinese at Top Universities | Small Groups & Homestay

Experience the ultimate Chinese language immersion with Go Abroad China's award-winning Mandarin programs for university students, teenagers, professionals, and families. Study at top universities including Peking University, BLCU, Fudan, Tsinghua, and...

Beyond
4.53251 reviews

Beyond Academy

Beyond Academy logo
Immersive Language Program in Tokyo

Excited about learning Japanese and want to immerse yourself alongside like-minded people in Japan?Beyond Academy is one of GoAbroad’s Top-Rated Program Providers. With 500+ verified five-star online reviews from alumni, we’re recognized for delivering...

Enforex students
00 reviews

Enforex - Spanish in The Spanish World

Enforex - Spanish in The Spanish World logo
Spanish Courses in Spain with Enforex

Dive into a language adventure in some of Spain’s most vibrant cities with Enforex! Choose from iconic destinations like Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, or the beaches of Marbella and Valencia.Our program combines dynamic Spanish lessons with thrilling cul...

Instituto Hemingway
4.9174 reviews

Instituto Hemingway

Instituto Hemingway logo
Study Spanish in Bilbao, Spain

Study Spanish at our fully accredited language training center, located in one of the most interesting areas of Spain. Our educational programs provide a unique combination of in-class work and outside activities. We are not only a 'School for Spanish'...

Centro MundoLengua
4.52143 reviews

Centro MundoLengua

Centro MundoLengua logo
Study Abroad | Intensive Spanish | University of Cadiz Spain

Live the summer of a lifetime while gaining official university credits. Live in the enchanting city of Cadiz, with its stunning beaches and beauty, and boost your résumé while improving your Spanish. Discover another side of the world with a culture y...

How to Study at Language Schools Abroad

Overview

What are language schools?

International language schools are pretty much what they sound like. They’re designated institutions or organizations that specialize in the instruction of one or multiple languages, which pretty much always includes the local language. They offer highly effective lessons, as well as plenty of opportunities for practice, if you want to learn a language abroad.

The benefits of learning a language abroad

The biggest benefit of learning a language abroad is immersion! Learning Spanish in Madrid is a lot different than learning it in a classroom at home. Everywhere you go in your host country, you’ll be exposed to the language you’re trying to learn. Even a trip to the grocery store will be a language learning experience! 

Other benefits of taking language courses abroad include increased confidence and feelings of capability, new perspectives, a greater understanding of intercultural communication, and maybe even new ways of thinking.

Getting Started

How to learn a language abroad

Learning a language abroad can sound intimidating to many people, especially when you’re a complete beginner. However, whether you’re a novice or have already started studying your target language, you can absolutely benefit from language immersion programs abroad. 

Here’s how to learn a language abroad:

  • Choose a language. If you don’t know what you want to study, you might be wondering how to choose a language to learn when there’s so many to choose from. A good way to choose is by thinking about your academic or career goals. Do you want to work in Spain? Study first edition Russian literature? Take business trips to Beijing someday? Figuring out what you want in the future will help you pick a language to learn.
  • Choose a destination. Some languages, like Spanish, are spoken in dozens of countries around the world. Many languages also have different dialects and accents within their many homes. If you’re learning a language for school or work, then your destination choice will probably be a bit more obvious. Otherwise, you may want to research your options before selecting a course in order to find the best fit for you. 
  • Set goals. Most likely, you can’t stay abroad forever to learn your new language, which is why you need to make the most of your time. Whether you’re going abroad for two weeks or two years, you need to set language goals for yourself. Do you want to be fluent? Reaching such a speaking level will take dedication and commitment, while gaining conversational skills may be more attainable in a shorter amount of time.
  • Find language courses. Once you know what you want to learn and where, it’s time to look at language programs abroad! The best programs will have lots of positive reviews, and be well-established within their host community. Be sure to ask your program advisor about the opportunities they provide to practice your new language skills.

Duration

How long does it take to learn a language through immersion?

How long will it take you to learn your target language? If you’re looking at intensive language courses abroad, immersion will be a huge part of the curriculum. Three months of uninterrupted language immersion will do wonders for your speaking and comprehension skills.

However, if you don’t have three months to commit to learning a language abroad, even two weeks of language immersion can take a beginner up to conversational levels. The trick is to avoid being passive in your language learning journey! You’ll need to be actively practicing nearly all day, every day, if you want to really make a difference in your language learning. If you want to be fluent, the longer your immersion lasts, the better.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I learn a language abroad?

To learn a language abroad, you'll first need to choose which language you want to learn and where you want to learn it. After, you'll apply to language programs in that destination, pay program fees, book a flight, and be on your way!

How can I choose a language to learn abroad?

Think about your goals for language acquisition. Are you trying to be a more competitive job applicant? Or do you just want to be a more intentional traveler? The languages you should learn will change depending on what you want to achieve.

Where can I learn a foreign language?

You can learn a foreign language pretty much anywhere! Some of the best language programs in the world are in Spain (for Spanish), Morocco (for Arabic), France (for French), and China (for Mandarin).

Can you learn a language by living in the country?

Living in a country where your target language is spoken is one of the best ways to learn a language. Stay with a host family to ensure that you're consistently immersed in the local language to give yourself plenty of opportunity to build skills.

What are the best languages to learn?

Some of the most useful languages to learn are Spanish, Mandarin, and Arabic, due to the number of native speakers across the world. Being fluent in one or more of these languages will advance your career and improve the quality of your travels!

Latest Program Reviews

LTL Beihai este o alegere foarte bună

October 27, 2026by: Fănică Paraschiv - Romania

Program: LTL Language School || Learn Chinese in China

5

Școala este foarte bună cu profesorii foarte bine pregătiți într-un oraș turistic ,școala profesorii și orașul fac un mix foarte pozitiv. Am găsit în China un oraș foarte liniștit primitor cu oameni foarte buni , este vorba de orașul Beihai.

Eu și familia gazdă.Să joc badminton.Activități școlare.

Warmly welcome to the pupils

October 27, 2026by: Gepa Dr.Schwidurski-Maib - Germany

Program: Intensive Chinese Group Class in 5 Cities | That's Mandarin

5

I visit this school the second time to learn more about chinese language and culture I like the warmly welcome the teachers and teammembers give to me The method to teach the pupils is different to the way other schools do teaching the combination of reading,listening,writing is very helpful to dig deeper into chinese language It is very inspiring to know different teachers. I want to mention that me as a pupil never had the feeling to be blamed

Mit Lehrerin Wu bei Null angefangen – Chinesisch in einem Monat

October 27, 2026by: Pamela Ernst - Austria

Program: Intensive Chinese Group Class in 5 Cities | That's Mandarin

5

In Chengdu habe ich mit Sprachlehrerin Wu bei Null angefangen. Nach nur einem Monat konnte ich schon auf Chinesisch bestellen, einkaufen und zum Teil einfachen Gesprächen folgen. Lehrerin Wu ist absolut phänomenal, sie motiviert und spornt an ohne bei komplexen Themen zu überfordern. Ich bin extrem zufrieden mit ihr und That’s Mandarin!

Great progress in a short time

October 27, 2026by: Wegner Valentin - Germany

Program: Intensive Chinese Group Class in 5 Cities | That's Mandarin

5

I had a great experience at this language school! The teachers are friendly, professional, and very helpful. I highly recommend this school to anyone who wants to improve their language skills in a supportive and enjoyable environment.

Happy To Be Here

October 27, 2026by: Meri Gurgenidze - Georgia

Program: Intensive Chinese Group Class in 5 Cities | That's Mandarin

5

My experience so far has been really good and interesting. The school is nice, classes are interesting and I can already see the improvement in terms of the language skills. Teachers are friendly and really nice and the city itself is beautiful and convenient.

Modern & Practical Chinese Learning with That’s Mandarin

October 26, 2026by: Declan Marshall - United Kingdom

Program: Intensive Chinese Group Class in 5 Cities | That's Mandarin

5

That’s Mandarin being a modern and engaging approach to learning Chinese. Their digital platform makes it easy to review actual notes and vocabulary from class, which saves a ton of time. The teachers are flexible with scheduling, and they focus on real, everyday conversation rather than just drilling you out of a textbook.

Best decision

October 26, 2026by: Michael Wolf - Germany

Program: LTL Language School || Learn Chinese in China

5

I only spent 5 days at the school, but even starting from zero, I learned some useful Chinese basics. The small classes with Stiles and especially the 1-on-1 lessons with Weiii were really helpful. There are also cultural activities to join, and Chengdu itself is an amazing city with lots to explore. Had a great time and would definitely recommend it!

Getting my certification
LTL Language School logo
LTL Language School responded to this reviewOctober 27, 2026

5 days goes sooo fast! But we still had a blast didn't we! Thanks so much for the 5 stars. Happy we made a great impression in a short amount of time. LTL Team

A great recommendation from family

October 23, 2026by: Laura Cataldo - Denmark

Program: Intensive Chinese Group Class in 5 Cities | That's Mandarin

5

Having studied Chinese for six months at university before letting much of what I learned fade over time, and having visited Beijing three or four times while my aunt was working here, I had long wanted to pick the language back up, so I followed her recommendation that This is the best Chinese language school in China and signed up, finding the VIP support to live up fully to that reputation, with the team arranging accommodation, visa matters, break‑time activities and refreshments so thoughtfully that all attention can go toward practising and improving Chinese alongside friendly classmates, which has made for fast progress and a really enjoyable learning journey.

Far better than university prep Chinese

October 23, 2026by: Daniil Garda Garda - Russia

Program: Intensive Chinese Group Class in 5 Cities | That's Mandarin

5

Preparing to attend university in China and finding the Chinese instruction at my preparatory programme dull and uninspiring, I signed up here on a trial basis, discovering an environment that stands apart as the only place where meaningful progress in Chinese feels achievable, an experience I would suggest to anyone stuck with similar frustrations.

Great start with survival Chinese in Beijing

October 23, 2026by: Mara Cruz Gutierrez - Mexico

Program: Intensive Chinese Group Class in 5 Cities | That's Mandarin

5

Having moved to Beijing with my family for work, I started learning survival Chinese from scratch with worries about how challenging this journey would turn out, yet the practical language covered in every lesson transfers directly to daily situations, opening up new parts of the city for me to explore each day, and the growing ease with which I can handle small everyday tasks brings a real sense of excitement, all supported by the well-designed NihaoCafe platform and highly competent teachers whose work I would recommend to anyone starting out and feeling intimidated by Chinese.

Enjoyable Chinese learning with thoughtful teachers

October 23, 2026by: Matilde Vaccaro - Italy

Program: Intensive Chinese Group Class in 5 Cities | That's Mandarin

5

Having studied Chinese briefly back at university, I joined the ING group class at That’s Mandarin one month ago, where steady progress has been far easier to achieve than expected thanks to the teaching approaches adopted by the teachers, who manage to turn the process of learning Chinese into something straightforward and genuinely enjoyable. Highly recommend!

Fantastic structure and real practice.

October 23, 2026by: Jessica Cartwright - United States

Program: Intensive Chinese Group Class in 5 Cities | That's Mandarin

5

At That's Mandarin you have small classes with a great structured lessons. The teachers are very helpful and make the words and phrases applicable to daily life. The best part of learning is being in a group with people that are also doing the same thing.

Great progress in a short time

October 23, 2026by: paul archer - France

Program: Intensive Chinese Group Class in 5 Cities | That's Mandarin

5

I really like that's mandarin for many reason ; 1 . small classe which help get better easily and lot of laoshu which help varie the way of education and learning ; 2. good ressource with the nihao cofee platform ; 3. good mood in the school

Eficient experience!

October 22, 2026by: Maximiliano Pérez - Chile

Program: Online Chinese Learning 1-on-1 - That’s Mandarin

5

Ive had classes in this site for almost 2 years and ehat i like the most is the range of schedule available with diferent teachers. Since one class is 45 minutes the teachers keep it eficient and concise. Another point i have to praise is the positive reinforcement i have in classes, mandarin is a hard lenguage to start learning, this has lead me in multiple ocasions to feel like im stuck but the teachers quickly made realize that was not the case with constructive critism. The quality-price is well balance, with dinamic, qualitative classes and trained profesionals i feel like the price of this course is fair.

Great teachers, real conversation

October 22, 2026by: Nicolas D. - United Kingdom

Program: Online Chinese Learning 1-on-1 - That’s Mandarin

5

I've been really happy with my experience at That's Mandarin. Communication and admin were excellent from the start, and everything was clear in the run-up to the course. I'd originally planned to take classes in person, but when my plans suddenly changed, the school was flexible and accommodating, and switching to online classes was no problem at all. The teaching is excellent. The materials, including the videos, are really well prepared, and the shared online notes are very useful. I've had two teachers and both have been outstanding. They've helped me understand how to actually use new vocabulary in everyday conversation. I'd definitely recommend That's Mandarin's online classes: they're flexible, efficient, friendly and effective.

Chengdu was GREAT!

October 22, 2026by: Colin Luu - Germany

Program: LTL Language School || Learn Chinese in China

5

I just finished my four week program in Chengdu and it exceeded my expectations by far! Before coming here I was worried about how to socialize with all the people and staff. Turns out they all were easy going and always in for a joke! By the time the first week had passed I already became friends with my Alex (my teacher), Pan Pan and Stiles. Later on I was also introduced to Wuyi. Alex is a great teacher with even better teaching skills. Whenever I didn‘t understand something or struggled following she’d always manage to explain it in a way I‘d understand. My chinese has progressed a lot in the past four weeks and time really flew by. Before coming to Chengdu I wouldn‘t have thought learning chinese could be such fun and easy. Alex, Pan Pan, Stiles and Wuyi are really funny and it motivated me to talk more to them using the chinese I had just been taught. Whenever we went out for lunch or having a safari day (lessons being taken outside) I made unforgettable experiences and learned more about Chengdu‘s culture and customs. Thus not only progressing my chinese skills but also my understanding of different habits. Chengdu‘s food is great and I enjoyed most of the dishes. However it might be a bit too spicy for foreigners as they tend to have a lower spice tolerance :P In my free time I got to discover local places thanks to Alex‘s tips! Pan Pan always had funny stories to tell which broadened my Vocabulary by quite a bit. Stiles talked to me about similar interest. Thus also helping with attaining a wider range of vocabularies. Wuyi was easy to talk to no matter the topic. In total I‘d rate my experience in Chengdu 5 out of 5 stars. There was nothing really that I could complain about. The food was yummy, my host family was welcoming and kind, my newly made friends were funny&easy going and my teacher had not only good teaching skills but also the same humor as me. Now thinking back it is sad I couldnt stay longer… I will definitely be coming back to LTL Chengdu if I get the opportunity!

My teacher Alex and me :)Stiles, Pan Pan, Me, Alex and Ying
LTL Language School logo
LTL Language School responded to this reviewOctober 26, 2026

Alex, PanPan, Stiles and Wuyi are all going to love reading this, especially the part about sharing the same sense of humour. Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review. Keep up the great work studying Chinese and we hope to see you back at LTL Chengdu again some day! LTL Team

5 star teaching!

October 22, 2026by: Celeste Pryke - Australia

Program: Online Chinese Learning 1-on-1 - That’s Mandarin

5

I am so glad I signed up for Chinese lessons with That’s Mandarin. I have made so much progress already in just a couple of months. My teacher is outstanding. She is extremely professional - always organised for class and using different types of activities to teach me. But she is also very fun and I look forward to our lessons every week. I highly recommend That’s Mandarin if you want to upgrade your Chinese learning experience.

Highly recommend!

October 22, 2026by: Beatrice Selina Belga - Philippines

Program: Intensive French classes in Geneva (Switzerland)

5

I had a wonderful experience studying at ELFI. The teachers and staff were incredibly supportive throughout my time there. Thanks to their guidance and excellent instruction, I was able to progress from having absolute zero knowledge of French to achieving a solid B1-B2 level, which most people now recognize in my daily conversations.

Absolutely brillant

October 22, 2026by: Callum Hensby - United Kingdom

Program: Spanish Learning Program

5

Absolutely brilliant: Excellent profesor within a great school. Very helpful with my whole stay in Quito and helped to progress my Spanish at a very fast rate. The administration was extremely helpful and efficient.

Estoy muy contento con todo

October 22, 2026by: Wayne Kuang - Germany

Program: Spanish Learning Program

5

Estoy contento con todo: las clases de la maestra, el ambiente de la escuela, la ubicación de mi "homestay". Toda la gente aquí era muy amable y me ayuda cuando le necesita. Participé en la actividad de probar comida callejera y era muy divertida y bien organizada. La administración fue bien organizada y me gusta los cafés y los refrigerios durante las pausas. La escuela esta bien ubicada en uno de mis barrios favoritos, limpio y tiene un jardín bonito

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When Germany took in a lot of Syrian refugees, I felt the need and moral obligation to step up and support. After some preliminary support work in she...

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As a Foreign Applied Language student, I was required to spend three months abroad to complete my first year of study at ESTRI in Lyon, France.

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My passion for cultures and languages. Studying at Maltalingua in Malta and my international trade studies have motivated me to explore global opportu...

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Maltalingua Ltd.

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Since I was little, I’ve been travelling to a lot of countries, and I know that I will continue to do it. That’s one of the reasons why I chose my deg...

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That's Mandarin

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My inspiration to go abroad stemmed from a desire to broaden my horizons by experiencing different cultures firsthand. I enjoy immersing myself in new...

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That's Mandarin

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Actually, my job in my country had been suspended due to war circumstances. Therefore, I decided to travel to be with my wife while she pursued her Ph...

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Spanish Express

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I wanted to improve my Spanish for holidays and travel. I wasn’t looking for a traditional classroom experience; I wanted something more immersive, wh...

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Spanish Express

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