Reviews

My daughter Ayla really enjoyed the experience - however there were a few aspects which she mentioned that could be improved. 1. I think more emphasis on speaking Spanish between the young people would be appreciated - they often conversed in English. 2. As a vegetarian she struggled to eat nice meals during the day - on various occasions the restaurants selected were shwarma places etc which had a poor vegetarian offer so she just had salad and chips. 3. As an additional payment, we paid 30 euros for a textbook - however when I asked her about this, she said she wasn't given any textbooks to supplement her learning. In summary, she had a good time and made friends, but I don't think her Spanish improved greatly and she wasn't given support materials to track her progress.

I had a few hours doubting the course (unanswered email late at night), but from the minute they responded and got my account working (for what seems like it was my typo in the email, though I feel like there should always be a second email box to flag an input inconsistency), everything then worked well.Interesting course.

Having the opportunity to come to Tokyo has been absolutely incredible, and I couldn’t be more grateful to XploreAsia and TravelBud for helping me get here! As a result of their help, I was able to get a job as a Native English teacher at a great all-English private school here in Tokyo. Working with both Japanese coworkers and other Native English speakers from around the world has made for an awesome working environment. As well, living in Tokyo is incredible, and there is so much to explore. Thank you XploreAsia and TravelBud for all your help!

I went to Mexico to improve my Spanish skills and gain confidence moving and interacting in unfamiliar settings and situations. This program allowed me to greatly improve my Spanish - the month-long urban homestay was super helpful for that - and expand my skillset and knowledge of what I can do. In the course of this program I also complete a social work practicum at a local elder care home, and that allowed me to apply and further develop social work skills of empathy and communication, as well as to more completely immerse myself in the local community.

Absolute Internship gave me an incredible opportunity this summer. For the first time, I was able to visit China and complete an eight week internship abroad in Shanghai. It was an incredible time where I was able to put past skills to use, all while gaining new ones. Additionally, Absolute had structured a great program with a strong balance of planned activities and free weekends to explore the city on one's own. Absolute hosted several day trips and two weekend trips, all with chaperones and busses that drove us to our locations. They planned activities for us, got our train tickets, and essentially made sure all we had to do was show up. It was amazing not to have to worry about details all while getting to see new places. One thing I absolutely loved was the housing Absolute chose to put my program in - we were in an apartment with our own rooms. Being able to come home to an empty room after a long day at work was incredible. I don't know if I would have been able to finish the program as happy as I did if I had to share a room the entire time, knowing I would've been incredibly burnt-out the entire time. It definitely wasn't the 'best' part of the internship, but it made it much better.

I wanted to come to Cape Town because I was looking for a cultural experience that would challenge and broaden my perspective. As someone interested in international development, I wanted to learn within a different cultural context and better understand South Africa through its history and approach to development. One of the most impactful parts of my experience was learning about the concept of Ubuntu and seeing the importance of community, connection, and mutual support in everyday life. My eight weeks in Cape Town felt short, but they gave me the opportunity to grow both culturally and professionally. Through my internship with a community-focused development organization, I gained valuable experience working within a different social and cultural setting. Most of all, I will miss the people I met, who were incredibly warm, curious, supportive, and welcoming. My time in South Africa also gave me greater clarity about my future and strengthened my desire to pursue opportunities abroad, including a Fulbright program.

My study abroad experience in Iceland was an amazing opportunity to learn, explore, and experience a new culture. I loved being able to visit different companies and see how businesses operate outside of the United States.

Excellent course. Goes into a lot of detail with a variety of different training materials ranging from video tutorials, classroom observations videos, quizzes and assignments. As a teacher of many years with a lot of experience I still learnt a lot. Brilliant. Thank you.

This is my fourth summer studying at LTL Language School in Taipei, and each experience has been truly amazing. All of the teachers—including Sissy, Kate, Tammy Xu, Anqi and Francine, whom I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know—are incredibly dedicated and supportive, and they have helped me make great progress in my language skills. Although I don’t have many opportunities to practise during the rest of the year, I notice a clear improvement every time I return to LTL. It’s a wonderful place to learn, grow, and stay motivated! The class levels are well organised and I always felt well in my group. If your own language level doesn’t match that of the class, you can easily switch to a different level. The admin staff – Sunny, Riona and Alin – are very friendly and help with every little thing. This starts right from the preparation for the summer course. The social events are brilliant and give you the chance to get to know both Taiwanese culture and the other students better. Would I recommend the LTL School? ABSOLUTELY...

I chose Cape Town because I wanted the opportunity to experience somewhere completely new and see for myself what made the city so special. During my time here, I learned so much about the culture, the people, and the natural beauty of South Africa. What stood out most was how warm and open people were, and I especially loved spending time with friends and meeting people from different countries. Those connections are what I will miss most. During my internship with a community-based organization working with children, some of my favorite moments were simply playing with the kids, helping with activities, and leading lessons. Being around them brought back a sense of childhood joy while also helping me work toward a personal goal of becoming more confident communicating with others and speaking in front of groups. Building genuine connections with the children and experiencing the local community made the internship especially meaningful. The VAC weekly activities were another highlight because they brought everyone together so naturally. Sometimes a friendship could start simply by playing soccer with someone whose name I didn’t even know yet. The VAC staff were always supportive and willing to listen, and I am incredibly grateful for the friendships, memories, and experiences I gained during my time in Cape Town.

I’m an Australian university student doing my gap‑year in China and studying at That’s Mandarin. Apart from improving my Mandarin, I’ve met incredible classmates — people from family‑run businesses, embassy interns, and international students from Tsinghua and Peking University. I really value these friendships. That’s Mandarin is not only for learning Chinese; it connects you with fantastic people. I’m so thankful for this unforgettable gap‑year experience. Highly recommend!

La experiencia que he tenido en That’s Mandarin ha sido muy enriquecedora, conocer a tanta gente de tantos países distintos y tener profesores tan empeñados en hacer su trabajo correctamente me ha dejado con una sensación de satisfacción, muchas gracias a toda la gente que he conocido y recomendaría encarecidamente a otros a apuntarse a esta academia

I spent my Spring Break in Barcelona through the EPICS at ASU Global Intensive Experience, and it was easily one of the most valuable things I've done in college. The program brought 34 of us together to work on real community-based engineering projects alongside partners like Tarpuna SCCL, BIT Habitat, and CARNET, with additional connections to Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and ESERP Business & Law School. This was not a sightseeing trip with a class attached. We were in intensive group work sessions applying what we'd learned in the classroom to actual problems facing a global city. The academic side was genuinely challenging in the best way. A Smart City tour with Guiding Architects showed us how urban architecture and engineering solutions come together at scale, and working directly with local organizations forced us to think about design in a cultural context we'd never encountered before. We also put sustainability into practice with a beach cleanup at Barceloneta, which grounded the whole experience in real action rather than just discussion. The cultural immersion was just as intentional as the coursework. We explored the Sagrada Família, took in the views from Montjuïc, visited Park Güell, learned Flamenco with a local dance studio, and ended one evening watching the sunset from a jazz catamaran. The tapas alone would have been worth the flight. The program leaders, including Dr. Tami Coronella, Jennifer Wong, Claire Lien Luong, and Bastien Kahn, were supportive and organized throughout. They struck a real balance between pushing us academically and making sure we experienced Catalonia beyond the classroom. If you're an engineering student considering a short-term global program, I can't recommend this one enough. You come home with more than photos. You come home understanding that engineering really is a universal language for change.

I have never studied Chinese before and That's Mandarin helped me not just understand the language better but also the culture and little differences in China that I never knew about. The school helps with organizing your stay in China to make it a smooth process. The location in Chengdu is really central and you can explore many attractions very easily from there. The best thing by far is my teachers! I the one on one lessons they really focus on the questions I have and help me get the grammar and pronounciation correctly. I can only recommend That's Mandarin for everybody that is trying to learn Chinese in China, especially in Chengdu.

I studied Chinese for two years in another city and passed HSK 2, but I always felt lost — sentence patterns and grammar never really made sense. Then, while on a business trip to Beijing, I found That‘s Mandarin and took two classes. The difference was incredible. In just a few lessons with two fantastic teachers, structures that had confused me for years became crystal clear. I immediately signed up for 300 online classes to keep learning after I go back to the UK. If you've ever felt stuck learning Chinese, That‘s Mandarin is the place to go. Highly recommended!

That’s Mandarinのおかげで、日常会話でマジで使える実用的な中国語が身につきました！レッスンは「話す」と「聴く」が中心だから、学んだ言葉を使って自然に会話できるようになります。実際に中国の人と話す機会が増えるにつれて、自分の伝えたいことが少しずつ伝わるようになるのが本当に嬉しかったです。 しかも先生たちがみんなすごく親切で、学校全体がアットホームで居心地抜群です。使える中国語を学びたいなら、That’s Mandarinが絶対おすすめ！楽しく学べて、最高の経験になりますよ！

Our 3 kids joined the 4 weeks Expanish summercamp 2026. We were worried at first and later on were very relaxed as everything were very organized and easy for them. They travel alone from the USA to Madrid. They tell us many fun stories but the thing jump out are the new friendship they have build with so many international camper from Germany, Italy, Russian, England etc. And if anybody ask them about the camp, the answer is "they love it and had the best summer ever!!!".

I chose AIFS Abroad for my 8-week summer internship in Berlin because of how responsive and organized they were from the very beginning. Any questions I had before departure got answered quickly, which made the whole process feel a lot less overwhelming. Once I got to Berlin, that same level of support continued. The staff were easy to reach and genuinely helpful whenever I needed anything, which made a huge difference living in a new country for the first time. I stayed in an apartment in a great location with my own room, which gave me the independence to explore the city on my own schedule while still feeling settled. AIFS built in a solid mix of activities and excursions like a trip out to Peacock Island was a highlight, and I also ended up playing badminton and joining a city tour, which were great ways to actually experience Berlin rather than just pass through it. Those activities were also where I met a lot of the people I got close with during the program. Having a built-in group made it easy to explore the city together instead of navigating it solo. Looking back, the experience pushed me to be more independent and comfortable navigating unfamiliar situations, which I don't think I would've gotten the same way from a shorter or less immersive program. I'd recommend AIFS Abroad to anyone looking for a summer program that balances real independence (your own space, your own time) with enough built-in structure and support that you're never actually on your own when it matters.

I really enjoy my time studying at That’s Mandarin. The campus is bright, modern and well‑maintained, with comfortable classrooms and a nice common area to relax between classes. It creates a really pleasant atmosphere for learning. I’ve made clear progress in my Mandarin over these weeks. Teachers are patient and focus on practical speaking skills, so I feel much more confident using Chinese in daily life. The whole team is friendly and supportive. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to learn Mandarin in a great environment!

I chose Cape Town because I wanted an experience that felt different from the typical study abroad path. What I loved most was having the freedom to balance my internships with everything else Cape Town had to offer. My internship sites were flexible and supportive, which gave me the chance to gain meaningful experience while still making time for plenty of adventures. Along the way, I discovered how much I enjoy being spontaneous, exploring on my own, and meeting new people, something that became one of the best parts of my time here. Through my work with two youth-focused community organizations, I also reaffirmed how much I love teaching and working with young people. The VAC team made the experience even better, and the weekly activities were always a highlight and a great way to spend time with everyone. I came to Cape Town looking for something unique, and that is exactly what I found.