Language Programs in Kunming, China

I spent a total of 12 weeks at LTL Chengdu, and coming here was honestly one of the best decisions I've made. When I arrived I was around the beginning of a HSK 4 Level, and by the time I left I passed a HSK 4 test and was handling HSK 5 material with no great effort. The combination of intensive learning, and a homestay environment was powerful in pushing my Mandarin further. Without this combination, I sincerely doubt my Mandarin would ever have gotten to where it is today in such a short period of time I'd like to thank my teachers during my time at LTL, in particular my teachers Meng, Alex and Guo. I took a combination of group classes and 1:1, and my teachers always found a way to make the lessons both enjoyable whilst always pushing me into that next level of Chinese comprehension. The school environment itself is a great way of meeting other students, which was a highlight of my time at Chengdu. The school organises weekly events, which are also a great way of meeting both other students and local people as the school organises a "buddy" system to have locals at the events. I'd also like to thank teachers Pan Pan and Stiles for making the school environment so friendly and welcoming. Every weekend at Chengdu was spent with the friends I made at the school, and some great memories were made. These are friends I'll continue to be in touch with going into the future. Overall, I'd highly recommend LTL Chengdu to anybody considering it. I can testify to it's effectiveness in improving my Mandarin, and also to how enjoyable my time was there in general.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 17, 2026

What a 12 weeks it was, Conrad! Thanks for such a lovely review, it was such a pleasure to have you study with us and we're delighted the feelings mutual :) Keep up the great work back home. LTL Team

I booked a 60 hour, 1 week 1:1 mandarin class and I have to say that the experience has been fantastic. The school is well organized, convenienly located and all of the staff are extremely friendly and helpful. Best of all was my teacher Lily Laoshi who managed to really bring me forward in my struggles with the Chinese language. She is a very experienced teacher that can easily adapt to any specific topics or focus you request. She always was extremely well prepared and ensured that I kept motivated by combining by-the-book excercises with exercises covering topics closer to me (like work, family, fiends, weekend activities in Beijing etc). Highly recommended.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 17, 2026

As intensive as it comes! It was a pleasure to have you study with us in Beijing even just for such a short amount of time. Hope to see you back again soon :) LTL Team

I recently completed my Mandarin course in Singapore with Teacher Chen. Although Singapore is known for its high level of English proficiency, the classes were highly immersive and conducted almost entirely in Mandarin. This approach allowed me to make progress much faster than I would have in a standard English-to-Mandarin class. In my opinion Singapore is very good choice for solo travelers as it is very developed and safe country. Based on my experience, I can highly recommend studying with LTL in Singapore, especially if you are looking for an immersive and effective way to improve your Mandarin.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 17, 2026

Love to hear it Sebastien! Thanks for your kind words. We're so happy you enjoyed learning Chinese in Singapore with us. Come back soon :) LTL Team

I was at LTL school in Chengdu and had Guo Xinyue as my teacher. She is the best teacher I’ve ever had across high school university and now language school. The program is extremely flexible and takes into account your personal needs and level, and the teacher is so kind and even when I got sick helped me navigate China! Even giving me a present to take to my parents upon leaving the school! Couldn’t recommend the school and Guo Xinyue enough! Really will accelerate your language skills in a short time. The atmosphere and friendliness of all the staff and students also stood out.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 10, 2026

Thanks for the lovely review, Sam! We really enjoyed having you a part of our Chengdu community :) Hope to see you come back someday. LTL Team

I had a great time at school and gained an unforgettable experience. Teacher Lilia is a true guide into the world of the Chinese language and culture. The classes take place in a comfortable atmosphere. In addition to going through the textbook, we talked a lot about free topics, which really helps to develop conversational Chinese.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 10, 2026

Delighted to hear it, Vladimir! We loved having you in Beijing with us and we hope you continue to make great progress. Thanks for the lovely review. LTL Team

I really enjoyed the language course and think my knowledge of Chinese improved a lot thanks to our well trained language teachers. They were really motivated and motivating. We didn’t feel the expected frustration or embarrassment. It was quite the contrary. Even mistakes could be worth enjoying. Thanks to all the staff at

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 07, 2026

Love to hear it, Saskia. It is indeed a daring journey but you've really killed it! So pleased to hear your teachers motivated you and kept you fully engaged :) Come back again sometime. LTL Team

I have really enjoyed learning Mandarin at LTL Shanghai. Everyone is really nice and wants to help you learn. I especially am grateful to my teachers Jamie老师，包老师，and 高老师! Jamie is very kind and fun. She helped me improve my speaking by a lot. 包老师 helped me with properly learn radicals and characters. 高老师 taught me many business terms, Chinese culture, and also sayings/vocabulary relevant to my major. Overall, I am very grateful to the teachers and everyone who has helped to make this program possible!

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 02, 2026

Love to hear it, Grace :) We loved having you in Shanghai and it's a pleasure to hear you had a great time with all your teachers. You made great progress, now keep it up :) LTL Team

Learning with Lin and Tang 老师 for 2 weeks has vastly improved my language abilities in Chinese. LTL Chengdu has a welcoming and friendly environment which allows for both group learning and meeting new people. The school is right in the fray of Chengdu, near local restaurants and massive malls with everything you could need. I found the individual classes to be particularly useful.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 02, 2026

Delighted to hear it Nick! Happy to hear your Chinese improved and we hope that you continue to do so back home. See you again someday! LTL Team

I’ve spent the past 6 months with LTL at their Chengdu branch location and have gotten so much more comfortable with my Chinese over the months. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first but all the staff and students kindly made me feel welcomed through interactions in the lobby or from social thursdays. My goal for Chinese coming to Chengdu with some basic speaking fluency but no reading or writing capability was to even out my deficiencies and become able to function independently whenever going outside or having to get something done on my own. Without a doubt the biggest factor and help in my journey was my teacher Uni who is one of the strongest teachers I’ve ever had, not even just mentally but just like physically strong, so so strong, like breaking tables with her fists strong, but undoubtedly brilliant regardless. Headstrong literally she pushes you to the mental brink (positively) to enable you to learn and absorb more Chinese in a short period of time. The location was great too, nearby is Chunxi Road which is a central downtown hub for shopping, nightlife, and city sights all around. No matter the time you can always find people and vendors active in this part of the city. I had plenty of opportunities to go out and explore restaurants and bars with the friends I made at LTL, sometimes en masse with teachers as well. I want to give a huge shoutout to all the teachers who are friends to me now, particularly Pan Pan, Alex, Stiles, Cora, Teacher Ying, Wu Yi(Alan), and so many more. When it comes to spending so much time in Chengdu I definitely cherished the charm the city had to offer that was felt through the pace and carefreeness in which people in the city lived. There’s also a great mix of nature and attractions around the city that are easily accessible through high speed rail or other transit methods. Also a big fan of biking around the city on the easily rentable bicycles. When it comes to learning Chinese looking in hindsight I would definitely try to build habits for written Chinese much faster as it was a constant struggle to not only remember the characters, but also write them and then apply them in writing correctly. I still struggle with proper grammar in written Chinese if I don’t have a reference or internet access so this is something I have to continuously hone as I try to progress beyond just basic stories or anecdotes. Being more proactive with interactive methods also is a big boon, things like listening and breaking down music or podcasts / media content helps with the immersion factor even while being here. Overall I’ll really miss the experience and moments I’ve had in Chengdu this past half year, hoping to stay in touch with the friends and come back and visit in the future. Lastly Chengdu is a great option for cost to value if you’re looking to save a little on spending compared to being in more upscale cities like Beijing and Shanghai, although I’m sure they’re all great places to stay and nurture yourself at the end of the day.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewJuly 30, 2026

Six months in Chengdu already!! It's been such a wonderful time, Eric! We are thrilled the whole team, PanPan, Alex, Cora, Teacher Ying et all else made it such a memorable half year. Thanks so much for taking the time and keep up the great work studying Chinese. Chengdu will be waiting when you come back! LTL Team

Ann is an incredible Chinese teacher! Her lessons are super engaging, clear, and fun. She makes learning Chinese feel so easy and always supports her students. I've learned so much thanks to her passion and patience

LTL Language School responded to this reviewJuly 24, 2026

So pleased you had a blast with Teacher Anne :) We really enjoyed having you study nwith us, Nicole. Hope to see you again soon. LTL Team

I studied Mandarin for two months at LTL Singapore, and I absolutely loved my lessons. My teacher was Zhang Hui laoshi, and she was an amazing teacher who made our lessons a lot of fun while also making the language points and grammar super easy to understand. She made sure I felt confident when practicing my Mandarin, and also motivated me to keep studying and trying my best. My program was well-organised and flexible when I needed to make changes, and there were lots of opportunities provided to practice my Mandarin speaking in public when we went out to do activities together. I especially loved how we were able to study in different locations around the city, which gave me a chance to explore new areas I'd never been to before. I would highly recommend studying here!

LTL Language School responded to this reviewJuly 15, 2026

Thanks so much for your kind words, we're so pleased you had a great time with us in Singapore :) Hope to see you back again with us soon. Let's keep improving together!! LTL Team

Being at LTL Beihai was the best choice I made to study Chinese! Not only was the city an amazing opportunity to get to know China outside of the big and well-known cities, but Savannah from LTL made me feel being at the perfect place. With her cheerful and funny engagement she did not only make me feel welcomed but also organized super fun activities throughout my four weeks stay e.g. hiking, martial arts classes, dinners. Also she always had an open ear and always giving the right advice when I was confronted with issues. I'd definitely go back!

LTL Language School responded to this reviewJuly 08, 2026

Love to hear this Marcel :) Really glad you enjoyed your time in Beihai with us :) Come back again soon! LTL Team

In June, I was fortunate enough to spend two weeks in Chengdu attending an intensive Chinese language course at the LTL-School. Having previously lived in China for two and a half years, I wanted to refresh and improve my Chinese skills. LTL’s promise of an immersive learning experience, combined with the option of staying with a Chinese host family, immediately caught my attention. Organization Everything went very smoothly from start to finish. My initial contact with the school was excellent, and the staff were always patient and helpful when answering my questions. Airport pickup was well organized and completely hassle-free. While it would have been nice to receive the host family’s contact details and address a little earlier, this ultimately turned out not to be an issue at all. Homestay I stayed with a wonderful host who stopped by every day to prepare breakfast and dinner. She made me feel incredibly welcome from the very beginning, and I had plenty of opportunities to chat with her. She was very patient, and I really appreciated having someone to practice my Chinese with outside of the classroom. At the same time, I enjoyed having my own room and bathroom, which gave me enough privacy to relax and recharge after classes. Location I absolutely loved Chengdu. I know China quite well and have visited many major cities, but Chengdu ranks very high on my list. This is largely due to my overwhelmingly positive experiences with the local people. Everyone I met was warm, welcoming, and genuinely interested in talking to me. Whenever locals realized that I could hold a conversation in Chinese, they were delighted and often eager to chat. Being surrounded by people who are willing to engage with you in Chinese is incredibly motivating and helps build confidence. One thing I would highly recommend is taking your study materials to one of Chengdu’s many teahouses after class. Immersing yourself in the city’s tea culture while reviewing what you have learned creates a unique and enjoyable learning environment—and I genuinely believe it helps. The Chengdu School My language course was very intensive. I booked two weeks of one-on-one lessons, four hours per day. In addition, I spent at least two hours each evening reviewing material and preparing for the next day’s lessons. It was demanding, but that was exactly what I was looking for. If you truly want to improve, there is no substitute for consistent study and actively using what you learn. One minor challenge was the schedule. Occasionally, I had afternoon classes that finished at 6 p.m., followed by lessons starting between 8 and 9 a.m. the next morning. On those occasions, I sometimes felt a bit rushed when preparing for the following day. However, this was only a small issue and did not significantly affect my overall experience. During my stay, I had three different teachers, each with their own teaching style, which I found refreshing. Most of my lessons were with LTL-Teacher Michael, who did an excellent job (foto below). He has a deep understanding of Chinese grammar, language learning, and Chinese culture. We had many interesting discussions, and his enthusiasm made the four hours of daily lessons pass surprisingly quickly. Conclusion If you are looking for a welcoming and immersive environment to improve your Chinese, I can highly recommend LTL Chengdu. The combination of dedicated teachers, a supportive homestay experience, and the friendly atmosphere of Chengdu creates an excellent setting for language learning.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewJuly 06, 2026

So glad to hear you had an amazing time with us in Chengdu. Reading your story is such a pleasure to us and all the team, it really means everything!! Thanks, and please come back again soon!! LTL Team

TL;DR: I had an incredible time at LTL Chengdu. Background With little to no prior experience in learning Mandarin, I have decided to participate in the 18-weeks-program offered by LTL. With various cities to choose from (e.g. Beijing, Shanghai, Chengde, Chengdu, Beihai, etc.), the choice fell on Chengdu. Why? Because after a bit of research I felt that this city would be the most suitable place for what I am looking for: a developed city which doesn’t see too many foreigners around, which enables me to have a more immersive experience in my daily life. Class While originally having booked 4 hours of group class per day, this got adjusted to 2 hours of one-on-one class due to the lack of students on a similar level as mine. In retrospective: a wonderful choice. The daily one-on-one classes allowed us to fully focus on my needs and pace when it comes to learning new material or when talking about new grammatical concepts. The class covers all major aspects when it comes to learning a new language: writing, reading, listening and speaking – all points in which I feel I heavenly improved during my stay. The class also comes with daily homework to prepare for the next session, which further utilizes the importance of continuous learning even outside of the classroom. Teacher My stay at LTL Chengdu wouldn’t have been successful without my teacher PanPan. She makes sure to establish a wonderful learning environment, in which tackling the task of learning a new language does not only feel rewarding but also fun. She makes sure to understand where you are coming from and what your goals during the stay will be to ensure a smooth experience. It has been an incredible time having PanPan as a teacher. Further I’d like to mention that the teachers Unicorn and Alex also do an amazing job at LTL Chengdu! LTL Chengdu Located on the 9th floor close to the busy Chunxi street in the city centre, the office is easy to reach via subway or any other means of transport. The air-conditioned rooms at LTL Chengdu are offering a quiet learning experience, but at times with many students being present at once they might opt to move to another floor inside the building as the space on the 9th floor can be too limited at times – this only happened a few times during my stay, so it didn’t influence my learning journey. Being in the city centre, LTL Chengdu is surrounded by countless food and shopping possibilities – additionally, there is a small gym on the 6th floor to use free of charge. Everyone I have met that is associated with LTL Chengdu has been incredible kind and pleasant to be around – additional shoutout to: Mandy, Ilaria, Giulia and 颖老师. An additional aspect to mention: The opportunity to get in touch with locals through the social Thursday event. This is organized by LTL and often includes inviting some local people from Chengdu that are trying to improve their English, while the LTL students can improve their Chinese. I have made some good friends through that activity so I definitely recommend to join it, especially in the beginning as starting a new chapter in a life without knowing anyone in a city far away can be a bit overwhelming – it’s good to have some friends that can help you manoeuvre through it. City Chengdu is an amazing city if you are looking for: amazing food, amazing people, fun nightlife and a relaxed atmosphere throughout the day. Whether going for some spicy hotpot, seeing the pandas, watching the Sichuan opera or relaxing in one of the many parks – this city has it all! Accommodation During my stay I have decided to rent my own apartment and didn’t choose the homestay alternative. The rental process was very smooth, and I managed to find a suitable apartment within 3 days of arriving in this city.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewJuly 06, 2026

Such a lovely review, and we're so happy to hear you had a great time! Really appreciate your kind words and we hope to do it all again soon!! LTL Team

I briefly studied at LTL Chengdu, The school's loctaion was very convenient, and the help they provided was top notch. My teacher, Cora, was very passionate and hard-working, the time I had with her felt very enriching, And learning alongside her was a true delight! If given the opportunity, I would most definitely study with her again!

LTL Language School responded to this reviewJuly 06, 2026

Love to hear it, Solène! Super happy you had a great time and we hope you come back again :) LTL Team

I moved to Chengdu with no idea that I was going to be able to speak Chinese. I started at level zero, basically with no ability to speak or read a single Chinese character. I couldn’t even understand someone speaking a single Chinese word to me at all. Meeting Alex老师 at LTL Chengdu has definitely changed my life, how I live here now, and shaped my viewpoint on the ability to speak Chinese. I personally think it’s one of the hardest languages to learn, and I was pretty nervous about it, with a little bit of doubt in myself as well. I was able to start understanding within 1.5 to 2 months and have been able to speak pretty full sentences within 3 to 4 months. Alex is very patient and makes learning Chinese approachable, practical, and truly fun while making sure my personal learning needs are fully met. She designs lively, relatable lessons that make every minute of learning enjoyable. From the very first lesson, I already felt so positive about how my Chinese-learning journey was going to be. I truly value my time with Alex every single day because her personality is not only sweet and funny, but she’s also very determined when it comes to helping you improve. She never rushed me, patiently correcting my pronunciation and grammar mistakes with warmth and encouragement, which quickly erased my fear of speaking. She really cares about getting to know you better over time and honestly, she truly feels like a friend of mine at this point. Nowadays, now that I’ve been in Chengdu for 4 to 5 months, I yearn to speak with the locals, go out by myself to shop, eat, and explore, and I can read a lot of things off street signs, restaurant menus, online purchases, etc. Who knew that learning to read Chinese characters would not be as intimidating as I first thought? She broke down the learning process by simply teaching me the most commonly used Chinese characters for daily life first and using fun, easy-to-follow methods to help me remember them. It’s exciting to be able to understand what people here are saying to me, and as a dancer, it’s a huge plus to finally know what’s going on in dance classes now haha. This is something I never thought I could achieve so quickly. Alex is more than just a language teacher, she helped me feel confident and at home in Chengdu. She deeply understands the struggles of a foreigner learning Chinese from scratch and always creates a relaxing, supportive learning environment. Thanks to Alex, I’ve not only gained practical Chinese skills but also fallen in love with the process of learning the language and connecting with the local culture. I’ve also earned myself a friend who makes my life in Chengdu so much richer and more fulfilling! Thank you so much, Alex老师, for all you do 🥹 Shout out to PanPan, Unicorn, Ying, Cora, and Alan for helping me practice my Chinese with them! They always come up to me to converse in Chinese so I can improve faster and become less shy about practicing my Chinese with anyone, including strangers. LTL Chengdu is such a great environment to immerse myself in the language, culture, and socialization before going out into the “big world” (aka Chengdu city haha). So much love for this school!! 🩷📝

LTL Language School responded to this reviewJune 07, 2026

We are thrilled you have had such an incredible journey at LTL Chengdu, Kelina! Alex is going to absolutely love reading this, and we will make sure PanPan, Unicorn, Ying, Cora and Alan see it too. Thanks so much for taking the time to share such a personal and detailed review. Keep up the great work studying Chinese and we hope to see you again some day! LTL Team

If you are looking to immerse yourself in the language and culture while making fast progress, this is absolutely the place to be. The absolute highlight of my time there was the classes. A massive shoutout to Winnie and Jamie, my group class teachers and Katniss and Jeffrey, my 1 on 1 teachers. Their lessons are truly amazing and so much fun! They have a fantastic ability to break down complex grammar and vocabulary into digestible pieces while keeping the energy in the room high. I found myself engaging, and genuinely enjoying the learning process every single day. Why LTL stands out: Exceptional Teachers: Instructors like Winnie and Jamie bring immense passion and creativity to every lesson Great Community: It is incredibly easy to meet fellow students from all over the world and practice Mandarin together Prime Location: Studying in the heart of Shanghai adds a whole new layer of real-world immersion.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewJune 01, 2026

Winnie, Jamie, Katniss and Jeffrey are all going to love reading this! Thank you for such an enthusiastic review and we hope to welcome you back to the heart of Shanghai very soon. LTL Team

An exceptional program with outstanding teachers, special shoutout to Winnie (!) and Jamie, who are truly in a league of their own. The school sits in the French concession of Shanghai, a prime location inside what I genuinely believe is the greatest city on the planet. Every aspect of the experience exceeded my expectations, from the quality of instruction to the warm, welcoming atmosphere created by the staff. If you’re considering it, stop hesitating. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. Just go for it!!!

LTL Language School responded to this reviewMay 29, 2026

The greatest city on the planet!! Winnie and Jamie will be thrilled to read this and we hope to welcome you back to the French Concession before long. LTL Team

I am a current student in the semester program at LTL - Beihai, and have been here for three and a half months now. Overall, the experience has been stellar and this includes the course pacing, the teachers, and the administrators. Savannah, the director of studies, had been more than helpful for any issues that have arisen for myself, and others. It is a very welcoming environment where not only you can learn Chinese but have valuable conversation with folks from all over the world. Guangxi is a very immersive environment with few English speakers and this is for people on the more adventurous side. The school is a wonderful base to balance it out, and provide support. I started at HSK 0 and have been able to progress nicely to get a foundation for further self-study. Good experience overall.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewMay 23, 2026

Thanks for your kind words, Ryan. We're happy to hear you're enjoying your Semester program in China with us :) Hope you continue to make great progress and enjoy the rest of your time by the beach! LTL Team

I've been there for two weeks studing chinese. I really enjoyed a lot and I will repeat shure. My teacher was Daniel, he really are a good teacher. He really make you enjoy wile you learn chinese Everyone in LTL make me good. See you next time. He really make you enjoy wile you learn chinese

LTL Language School responded to this reviewMay 23, 2026

So glad you enjoyed your two weeks with us, Joel :) Thanks for leaving a lovely review and we can't wait to welcome you back. LTL Team