Language Programs

From July 13th to August 8th, I attended an LTL Mandarin language course as part of their full-immersion program in Kunming, China. During my stay, I lived with a wonderful host family where I had my own private room. My host family provided me with breakfast and dinner every day. Furthermore, they often took me out to local restaurants, which allowed me to discover many authentic Yunnan dishes and delicious spices. I took the standard 1-on-1 individual course (4 hours a day, 5 days a week). Commuting to school was very convenient: the nearest metro station was located just 1 km from my homestay—an easy, walkable distance—and the metro ride itself took only around 15 to 20 minutes. Classes took place in a modern business center where LTL rents classrooms. Every room was equipped with air conditioning or a fan, making the study environment very comfortable. My lessons usually ran from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, but I really appreciated the flexibility to adjust the schedule according to my preferences, which is ideal for anyone who prefers starting later in the day. For instance, a fellow student had her classes scheduled in the afternoon from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm. On some days, lessons even took place in other locations, such as quiet and cozy local cafés. From a psychological and learning perspective, this change of scenery was a huge advantage, as switching up the environment helped me stay focused and retain new vocabulary much better. Speaking of the classes, I was extremely satisfied with the teaching quality. I was able to learn a tremendous amount thanks to my teacher, Yumi. She was always well prepared, professional, and created a warm, encouraging atmosphere. Yumi practiced Chinese characters, speaking, and reading comprehension with me. She also shared valuable cultural context for various topics, which helped me understand the language on a much deeper level. Outside the classroom, LTL organized fantastic extracurricular activities for students. Savannah, the head of the Kunming branch, arranged diverse events such as authentic Kung Fu training, a trip to the famous Flower Market, cinema outings, and traditional bracelet making. I truly appreciated the friendly and welcoming vibe; Savannah treated all of us like friends rather than just students, making everyone feel relaxed and at home. Additionally, whenever new students arrived in Kunming, the staff hosted a welcome lunch so everyone could easily connect with the newcomers. Kunming is an underrated, truly remarkable city for studying Chinese. Unlike megacities like Beijing or Shanghai where many people speak basic English, very few locals in Kunming speak English. This makes it the ultimate environment for a full-immersion program. The locals are warm, easygoing, and thrilled when they hear a foreigner speaking Chinese. They often strike up small talk, which helps immensely with building real-world fluency. For example, I got along great with the Kung Fu master whom I met during one of the after-class activities. Overall, I am thoroughly satisfied with my experience at LTL Kunming. I learned a huge amount of new things, boosted my language skills, and met amazing people. If you are looking for high-quality language teaching, dedicated staff, and an unforgettable adventure in China, I wholeheartedly recommend LTL in Kunming!

I chose LTL Chengdu and came here for two weeks only - sadly, because it should have been longer! I got the Homestay option and the Survival Kit. My homestay host was very welcoming and I enjoyed my time with her and her pets. I had 1on1 classes everyday, two classes per day. The school was very nice, there is a common area for all students. I had classes with teacher Guo Xinyue, who was really kind, and classes with her were a pleasure. The teaching materials were probided by the school, and the teacher explained everything in an understandable way. The school organized social activities - I personally did not participate because I wanted to explore the city, but it was an option. For most of my sightseeing I used the recommendations provided by LTL. In short, I had a great time and everything was very professional!

My experience at LTL Language school was a wonderful one. Besides noticeably improving my Chinese skills, I was able to meet wonderful people both teachers and students and experience the local culture in a way I couldn't have otherwise. My respect and admiration lies in the workers and volunteers that make the school what it is.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 21, 2026

Love to hear it, Noah :) So pleased you had a great time with us and we'd love you to come back soon. Keep up the great work. LTL Team

I really enjoyed my time at that's mandarin! My teachers Yan laoshi and Wan laoshi were the best, kindest teachers. The people you meet at the school were all very lovely and we participated in many cultural activities at the school, like Mahjong night, singing and qing hua ci. Thank you for all the best staff and people for making my summer unforgettable.

I had a great time at the Shanghai location, the teachers were extremely helpful, giving us lots of opportunities to practice our speaking. All the staff were very helpful, and responded quickly to my requests. Would definitely recommend!

Learning Spanish in Mexico with Iguana Abroad was an incredible and unforgettable experience that truly deepened my knowledge of Spanish and my love for travel. I learnt so much during my time there – both with our teachers in our classes but also around the city during the “immersion” part of the program. I would say I learnt the most Spanish on my trip while I was talking to people around the city on the guided walks and tours with Iguana Abroad, as well as during the salsa dance class and the Mexican cooking class. The organizers of the program really encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself in Mexican culture as much as possible which I found so helpful for gaining confidence with my Spanish. The Iguana Abroad team is all really supportive and welcoming and the program directors and staff really went above and beyond to make sure our group of girls felt comfortable the whole time we were on the course. I highly recommend this program for anyone looking to fully immerse themselves in Mexican culture and learn Spanish in an exciting environment through cultural immersion.

My 15-year-old son spent 5 weeks in Beijing with GAC's summer camp. He was nervous at first, but his homestay family made him feel comfortable immediately. He learned real Mandarin and made friends from all over the world. The weekend trips to the Great Wall and Summer Palace were unforgettable. He came back more confident and independent. Thank you GAC!

I've really enjoyed learning Chinese over these four weeks. I've learned many new words and I'm remembering more and more vocabulary. This school is really great. My teachers teach very well, and my classmates are very friendly. Shanghai is a very interesting city. After class, I often go out with my classmates to explore and try Shanghai's local food. We also went to Suzhou and Hangzhou, and we had a great time. Thank you to all the teachers for your help over these four weeks! I hope I can come back in the future to continue learning Chinese. Finally, keep up the good work, everyone! Thank you all!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with That's Mandarin! The school environment is very welcoming; regardless of language level and skill, every student is encouraged to interact with others to practice their Mandarin and make friends. The teachers are exceptionally mindful of class pace and difficulty, and make sure that every student has understood the unit before moving on. As classes are not too big, every lesson feels personalized, and language improvement is rapid. The class coordinators are very attentive as they check up on students periodically in order to confirm that they are enjoying their stay. Furthermore, they make sure students are not only compatible with their teachers and classmates, but that the topics their classes cover are interesting and of use. All in all, That’s Mandarin is a great Chinese language school for second-language learners who prioritize interaction, engagement, and improvement!

The program was better than I expected and I'm really thankful to the two Harrys for everything. They are so passionate about what they do and it was such a big part of what made my time in Mexico so special. I especially loved Las Estacas and the beautiful nature there, I have never been anywhere like that before in my life but have always wanted to. I have already started making a plan on how to hopefully come back again one day. I can't recommend Iguana Abroad highly enough, you won’t regret it!!

It was an unbelievable experience, and learning about the different cultures and how life is. I totally recommend this experience it was a pleasure taking part in The Lingua Compass progam it is a must try.

Lingua Compass Institute for Language and Cultural Exchange responded to this reviewAugust 17, 2026

Thank you

I am very glad that I spent in this school 2 month. If you want to learn chinese language, I would like to reccomend u to choose 2-month course, because my first month I tried to adjust to prounciation and new words. This school is the best decision if you only start to learn Chinese. Also in this school I met so a lor of cool guys from other countries. I am sure that we will continue our relationship.

Learning Mandarin is everything except easy but with That‘ Mandarin school you will get supportive and super friendly teachers，a bunch of international and like minded classmates and the perfect environment to learn this beautiful language. The classes are small enough to give you enough opportunities to speak and practice with your teacher and your classmates. That‘s Mandarin also offers extra activities during the breaks that keep you entertained. I am so happy that I have joined this school and got this experience. Everday practice with easy to follow content, important topics and good examples really improved my language skills and made it so much fun to learn.

I have been learning Chinese at this university for 2 months, and I would say that my oral ability is improved substantially. This school focuses mainly on practicing listening and speaking. If you only want to use Chinese in daily life, I would recommend this school. I think studying 5 times a week is exactly the appropriate amount of frequency. The staffs in this school are really friendly and you are not only going to learn Chinese, but also are going to explore the culture. every week there is an activity related to the culture. I would 100 percent recommend this school.

作为中文母语者，想要通过高阶的DELE考试是一项非常有挑战和困难的事情，因此我在考试前三周选择了Academia BA来进行强化练习。主要是口语部分，因为在中国很少有练习口语的机会。学校里的老师也针对我的薄弱点进行了强化，众所周知阿根廷的口音是众多口音里最难理解的，所以在这所学校进行考前强化确实对我的听力水平有极大的提升。这门preparación的课程也是完全严格按照DELE口语考试的Tarea123顺序来进行，在练习过程中，学校老师会进行速记然后在我结束发言后会精准地指出我的错误并且纠正，除此之外还会建议我使用哪些frasess hechas以及muletillas来让我的表达更地道和连贯。Highly Recommend! Especially for those students from P.R.China, R.O.China, South Korea and Japan!

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

Taking a Spanish immersion course abroad was a new experience for me but I absolutely loved it. And I loved Iguana Abroad – thank you to the Iguana Abroad organizers for making what initially felt like quite a stressful experience so smooth and enjoyable. My experience started with an email or two to Iguana Abroad, followed by a video call with Harry, one of the British organizers. From then on the whole process was very smooth and straightforward. Iguana Abroad picked me up at the airport when I arrived and they accompanied me to my accommodation and introduced me to Mayra and Emilio – the lovely Mexican couple who would be hosting me during my time in Mexico. It was such a perfect way to ease myself into a new environment and get settled in. Cuernavaca is a beautiful city. I just loved how green and fresh it was. There are so many gardens and parks in the city that it really feels like you are surrounded by nature even though you are in a city. I also loved the beautiful little cafes and restaurants in the city center that serve delicious traditional food. On the immersion program we also did a cooking class, which was wonderful. I will never forget my evening with Chef Natividad cooking, eating and chatting in her kitchen – it is a memory I will cherish for a very long time. There were so many other wonderful moments on the course that I couldn't possibly list them all here. I just want to say a huge thank you to Harry, Harry and Fabiola for making this trip so fulfilling and worthwhile. Gracias.

the best program ever!! our guides were amazing, ensuring we had a lovely cultural immersion, making the most of our time, being kind and teaching us the culture! i left this place with a family forever

Lingua Compass Institute for Language and Cultural Exchange responded to this reviewAugust 17, 2026

Thank you for your review Ina. We hope to welcome you soon again in Morocco.

I started learning Spanish online with Academia Buenos Aires in January and then transitioned to in-person in July. The transition was seamless and one I highly recommend! The same immersive language experience and instruction carried over, together with passionate teachers who really cared deeply that we come to know, use, and appreciate the Rioplatense Spanish of the region. I wasn’t expecting to learn as much culture as I did, but I am leaving with a more profound understanding of the history and customs that have shaped Argentina. Each day was a joy to learn with La Academia! The office staff, the teachers, and my classmates made each day so fun! I was always greeted with a genuine smile, a “charla”, and timely or useful information whenever I needed it! I will definitely be continuing online as I prepare to write the DELE later this year. And I know Academia will continue to help me achieve that goal!

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