Study Abroad Throughout the Year

In May 2026 I went to China for the first time and studied at LTL Language School for 2 weeks. The first week in Shanghai and the second week in Beijing. I joined their Master Class for people 50+ which included both lessons and sightseeing. Also included in the price was a subway card + telephone card + school material like books, pen, snacks + entrances to tourist spots. Housing I chose to stay at a hotel in Beijings most central area and that suited me well. Since I had so much activities I didn’t want to stay in a family homestay since I wouldn’t have had time to spend so much time there. Transportation The subways worked impressively well. If needed it was also possible to just swipe your credit card and pay for the trip. Teachers & the school The teachers were all really friendly and pedagogical. I met many of the teachers because they also guided me around Beijing in the afternoons. I learned so much and finally I could speak Chinese in a more relaxed way. Even if we spoke a lot of Chinese all the teachers were good at English so I could easily switch to English if I didn’t know how to say something in Chinese. The teachers were also very flexible to students different needs although I studied in a group with 1‑4 other students. The level was A2 in my classes. We had classes between 8.00‑12.00. In the breaks we talked or played Mahjong with other students over tea or coffee. Thank you teacher Alice in Beijing. Activities In the Master Class program we had activities on Monday‑Friday afternoon around 13.00‑17.00 + the whole day on Saturdays. The weeks I was there I was the only student so it felt like I was having private guided tours. It was awesome. The teachers guiding me made up plans but since I was the only one in the Master Class those weeks I could adjust them if I needed. See below what I did in Beijing. Beijing The activities the week I was there was The forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Schichahai & Nanluoguxiang, The temple of Heaven and 798 Art Zone. Unfortunately The temple of heaven was closed due to Donald Trumps visit so instead we went shopping and I made some great bargains. 798 Art Zone I didn’t go to since it was my first time in Beijing and I skipped school also that day and went to see The Great Wall by myself. The Saturday I spend the whole day in the Summer Palace with another teacher. All the activities and teachers guiding me were so nice and helpful. I had a fun time in all activities. Beijing is a city with a lot of fascinating historic sights. The weather was hot and humid already in May. Thank you so much Tara and Summer Wang. For learners like me, travelling and learning a new language can feel a little overwhelming at times. But LTL’s Master Class took away most of my worries. I never felt rushed during tours or pressured in class. Every day I got to practise newly‑learned Chinese phrases right out on the streets, in markets and parks, which helped me memorise words far better than textbook work alone. I really valued the gentle pace, thoughtful support and genuine care from every member of staff. This one‑week stay in Beijing gave me wonderful memories and greater confidence to keep learning Chinese back home in Sweden. Conclusion This was one of the best things I have ever done and I recommend others to go and study this Master Program in Beijing. Thank you all Carina Johansson

I had fun in my two weeks I've been there. The events were very unique and different from what I have experienced years ago when I went to Tokyo at another school. Osaka people are much friendlier and warmer. The school helped me a lot with finding an accommodation and also assisting with info for food recommendations as I'm Vegan. The community is very inclusive and I never felt insecure or unsafe. If I could do it all over again I would go for Osaka for sure.

Osaka hat richtig geflasht! Meine Zeit hier war einfach nur genial und ich habe viele Freunde kennen gelernt. Der Unterricht war sehr gechillt und die Lehrer waren super nett. Die Location von der Schule ist auch sehr zentral. Shinsaibashi Station ist ein kurzer Spaziergang entfernt, aber das geilste war die extrem fashionlastige und kunterbunte Amemmura Nachbarstadt mit coolen Cafés, sehr extrovertierten Leuten und einer lebendigen Nightlife Szene. Kann Meiji und Osaka nur sehr empfehlen.

My experience at LTL over the past month has been really positive, 100% due to the friendly, competent teachers and people I’ve met. I feel my Chinese level is ever improving and I’m getting a very authentic experience. For the last five weeks I’ve been doing one-on-one classes with my Teacher Laura. Laura is an incredibly competent teacher and with her help I can fully utilise the productiveness of my 2 hour session. In classes we focus almost exclusively on listening and speaking fluency, where Laura is constantly testing my limits and pushing me to improve. We have chosen to take an off the books approach that I feel really helps suit the content I’m learning directly to my level and my improving on my weaknesses. The classes include a healthy mix of everyday Chinese conversations, which improve my confidence in interactions outside of class, as well as stretching my capability in more complex discussions (I’m currently around a HSK 4). My teacher Laura, as well as many other LTL teachers, are always happy to provide assistance outside of class. Laura helped me find and book an appointment with an acupuncture clinic, and is never shy to share good food recommendations. The school provides a useful structure for each day and has been a helpful base for adjusting to daily life in China, particularly in the first week. Despite some minor miscommunication errors before my arrival in Chengdu, I have found studying in Chengdu to be very pleasant, mostly due to the amazing people I have met, whether students, teacher or homestay hosts.

Before coming to study at LTL, as a heritage speaker I could have simple conversations, but could hardly read/write. I chose LTL because of the opportunities for intensive classes and activities to interact with other students and natives. I only studied here for 3 weeks, but I think my Vietnamese has improved immensely, giving me the foundation to continue my studies back home. I am deeply appreciative of my teacher, John, who challenged and pushed me. My class was exclusively in Vietnamese and that helped greatly with immersion. I recommend LTL to anyone coming to Saigon to study Vietnamese! Trước khi đến Sài Gòn để học tiếng việt, tôi hầu như không thể đọc và viết được. Bay giờ tôi biết đọc va viết một xíu được. Tôi chọn LTL vì tôi thích lớp intensive ở bên đây. Tôi muốn cảm ơn thầy giáo, John, nhờ sự tận tâm dạy dỗ của John. Cảm ơn LTL nhiều!

Before coming to study at LTL, as a heritage speaker I could have simple conversations, but could hardly read/write. I chose LTL because of the opportunities for intensive classes and activities to interact with other students and natives. I only studied here for 3 weeks, but I think my Vietnamese has improved immensely, giving me the foundation to continue my studies back home. I am deeply appreciative of my teacher, John, who challenged and pushed me. My class was exclusively in Vietnamese and that helped greatly with immersion. I recommend LTL to anyone coming to Saigon to study Vietnamese! Trước khi đến Sài Gòn để học tiếng việt, tôi hầu như không thể đọc và viết được. Bay giờ tôi biết đọc va viết một xíu được. Tôi chọn LTL vì tôi thích lớp intensive ở bên đây. Tôi muốn cảm ơn thầy giáo, John, nhờ sự tận tâm dạy dỗ của John. Cảm ơn LTL nhiều!

2026 so far has been a year of adventure and my month at LTL Osaka was a definitely a stand out experience! The initial application process was straightforward. The Director of Studies, Hiyori Ito, was extremely responsive and great at answering my questions. I felt like I had a connection to the programme right from the beginning. Going into my first day I was extremely nervous. Prior to LTL, I had no experience with Japanese output as I’d only studied the language from textbooks. Despite this, the LTL learning approach was accommodating to my skill level – adapting to where my strengths and weakness were across listening, reading, speaking and writing. LTL employs a conversational approach to learning. Using the textbook as a guide, we covered new grammar and vocabulary points with the majority of the learning being conducted in Japanese. At first this was quite intense but with the teachers help it becomes the best method of learning through exposure. All the teachers were friendly and approachable. I elected to do both group and one-on-one sessions. My daily schedule was slightly overwhelming so I don’t recommend it for everyone but for people who work well in a fast paced environment, I felt it expedited my learning experience tremendously. In the group class we worked through the majority of the Genki 2. I had previously gone through this textbook but it was really beneficial to revisit the grammar constructions and vocabulary with a teacher present. Things I never fully understood the first time, now I feel like I’ve really solidified. Furthermore, being able to delve into the textbook’s content alongside other students allowed me to practice outputting the grammar in a safe and enjoyable environment. In addition to the group classes, I participated in one-on-one classes every afternoon. This was a valuable asset. Throughout the one-on-one classes I set the priority of developing my conversation skill as I felt that was most vital for daily interactions. Due to these sessions being less structured, I was able to revisit basic grammar as well as use what I had learn in the group classes. These classes ended up being my favourite. Over the month I had developed a strong repot with many teachers. From a personal standpoint, I think LTL is best suited for people looking to have a passionate learning experience, focusing more so on developing your ability to speak real Japanese rather than passing the JLPT (it’s definitely visible through LTL but not the main goal). LTL conjures a more relaxed environment, feeling less like a strict school and more like an hyper-invested language club! Outside of class, Hiyori regularly plans group activities such as trips around Osaka or group dinners. Additionally, thanks to the close-nit feeling from the other students during my tenure at the school, we would made plans together for food or drink. On school days during lesson breaks and lunch breaks both teachers and students would hang out in the spacious common area. By not separating the students and teachers it created more opportunity to practice Japanese as well as letting us get to know each other, teacher and student, in a less formal setting. I’d like to highlight a few teachers who really made an impact on me during my time in Osaka: Naomi, Nanaho and Sae Sensei made group classes a joy. We engaged in lots of fun discourse around the textbook. As well as lots of laugher playing vocabulary games and learning about Japanese culture. A massive thank you to Satoko and Hiroko Sensei for creating such friendly atmospheres during our one-on-one classes. I can firmly attribute much of my Japanese progression to their help. Every class was fun yet contained the perfect balance of conversation and teaching. By the end of my time at LTL I felt as if my conversational flow had drastically improved thanks to the consistent and attentive corrections to my speaking made by Hiroko and Satoko. We had many long discussions about a variety of topics but it never felt intimidating due to the pace of the conversation as well as us stopping to discuss grammar and vocabulary throughout. As a place to live and study for an extended period of time I can wholeheartedly recommend Osaka. The city is very well connected by public transport, the underground system is convenient and affordable. Furthermore, for weekend trips Osaka is perfectly central in the Kansai-region offering amazing excursions to surrounding areas such as Kobe, Nara and the various waking trails or tradition villages. Lastly, but maybe most importantly, during my time studying I also engaged in the homestay programme. Without a doubt this was the highlight of my time in Osaka. Getting to experience life with a family abroad is an eye opening experience and something I’d definitely want to do again. When being inducted to LTL, if you select to do a homestay, you can provider preferences for what kind of house you want to stay in, such as ‘being with other students or alone’ or ‘the families level of English’ – in my case, I was the only foreigner with a family where they spoke little English. After the month I truly felt I’d made a connection with the host family. Many nights after dinner we’d talk for hours, with a little help from google translate, on all manor of topics and discussing each-other’s culture. I’d play video games with the kids and join them on weekend trips to the river or out for food. The entire time I felt so warmly welcomed and accommodated both in my language ability and in comfort around the house. Being able to communicate with them became a massive motivator for me to put more effort into my studies! Many thanks again to the LTL Osaka team!

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 27, 2026

Wow Luke! We are thrilled the homestay became the highlight of your month in Osaka! Hiyori, Naomi, Nanaho, Sae, Satoko and Hiroko sensei will all love reading this. Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review. Keep up the great work studying Japanese and we hope to see you back at LTL soon! LTL Team

My experience in this school so far has been very fun and exciting! Even though I’ve not participated in many group outings I feel like part of a welcoming community. All the staff are helpful and always up for a chat.Meanwhile, There are students from many different cultures and backgrounds, so the community is diverse and interesting. I like it very much.

Wuxi Schönberg Education Technology Co.,Ltd responded to this reviewAugust 26, 2026

Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a lovely review, Roman. We’re really happy to hear that you’re having a great experience with us and enjoying your learning journey.Meanwhile, we are also very nice to know that you know many new friends here. 😊

I'm so glad I decided to join Schönberg Education. I have the best teacher! Wang is absolutely amazing. She makes the classes fun and we spend time on various aspects including learning new content, revising existing content, speaking exercises and listening exercises. She mixes things up and there is never a dull moment. She took her time to really understand my goals and is always thinking of how to help me. She also encourages me to speak to locals in mandarin and sometimes accompanies me helping me to get the conversation started. This has really pushed me out of my comfort zone and as a result I've improved so much!!! It's unbelievable how much I've progressed in just two weeks! She is a top-notch teacher and I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the programme.

Wuxi Schönberg Education Technology Co.,Ltd responded to this reviewAugust 26, 2026

Hello Soraya, we’re delighted to hear that you are enjoying our class and had such a positive experience with Wang 老师，We’ll be sure to share your kind words with her — we’re very lucky to have such dedicated teachers on our team! Meanwhile, We’re so happy to have you with us together! 🚀

I'm so glad I decided to join Schönberg Education. I have the best teacher! Wang is absolutely amazing. She makes the classes fun and we spend time on various aspects including learning new content, revising existing content, speaking exercises and listening exercises. She mixes things up and there is never a dull moment. She took her time to really understand my goals and is always thinking of how to help me. She also encourages me to speak to locals in mandarin and sometimes accompanies me helping me to get the conversation started. This has really pushed me out of my comfort zone and as a result I've improved so much!!! It's unbelievable how much I've progressed in just two weeks! She is a top-notch teacher and I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the programme.

I always believe that a good company is nothing without strong communication from its staff, so I was pleasantly surprised that my emails were always answered by someone who was very human and very friendly. my question was answered within a couple of hours before I paid for the TEFL course and when I needed help with understanding a concept (I think it was about TPR for adults but my memory is suffering today), Jonny(?) gave me a really thoughtful response. I imagine most of these courses have the same information and structure anyway, but I'm super satisfied with the full deal.

I studied Mandarin at Peking University for 3 months through GAC. I arrived knowing almost no Chinese, but my homestay family was incredibly patient and kind. My teacher made classes fun and practical. By the end, I could hold conversations, order food, and even bargain at markets. The GAC team organized weekend trips to the Great Wall and Summer Palace. I returned to Japan with confidence and a love for Chinese culture. Every food was very tasted and appetite bringing and I would eat more than usual. Highly recommend.

Learning at Silk Mandarin is a great experience! The teachers are very knowledgable, encouraging, and accomodating. The location is super convenient to get to and the building and classrooms are welcoming. Apart from the part-time lessons they also hosted a Mahjong session which was super fun. I'll definitely return for HSK-2. Highly recommend!

Arcos helped us with our recent study abroad trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Everyone on the team was so kind, thorough, and great with communication. They planned learning activities that aligned incredibly well with the interests of our students, and were with us every step of the way to make sure things went smoothly. The co-directors for Buenos Aires were incredible. They showed so much care for our students and brought incredible positivity and energy every day. I highly recommend them!

Min erfarenhet av LTL i Beihai Jag har haft en väldigt bra erfarenhet av att studera mandarin hos LTL i Beihai. Jag tycker att skolan passar väldigt bra för den som vill lära sig kinesiska på ett effektivt sätt och samtidigt få en djupare förståelse för kinesisk kultur och vardagsliv. Det jag uppskattar mest med skolan är hur engagerade, tålmodiga och bra lärarna är. De anpassar undervisningen efter elevens nivå och behov. Jag har haft både privatlektioner och grupplektioner. Vilket båda har olika fördelar. Jag får mycket möjlighet att prata och öva på mandarin. Lärarna har bra koll på hur snabbt vi går framåt och kan anpassa tempot när det behövs. Det gör att undervisningen känns personlig och att jag kan fokusera på de områden jag behöver öva på mest. Jag tycker att det är till stor fördel att inte bara följa ett fast tempo och schema, utan att undervisningen faktiskt anpassas efter mig. En annan stor fördel med LTL i Beihai är att miljön är väldigt immersiv. Det finns knappt några utlänningar utanför skolan, vilket gör att jag hela tiden befinner mig i en kinesisktalande miljö. Jag behöver därför använda mandarin i vardagen. När jag handlar, beställer mat, träffar människor eller gör andra saker och aktiviteter. Jag får möjlighet att använda det jag lär mig på lektionerna. Jag tycker att det gör stor skillnad för min språkutveckling eftersom jag får mycket naturlig träning även utanför skolan. En annan sak jag tycker mycket om är möjligheten att träffa andra elever på skolan. Under rasterna kan man prata med elever från andra länder och lära känna personer med olika bakgrunder och kulturer. Det gör tiden på skolan mer social och rolig. Det är också motiverande att prata med andra elever som befinner sig i samma situation, som också försöker lära sig mandarin. LTL anordnar dessutom olika aktiviteter där man får möjlighet att lära sig mer om kinesisk kultur tillsammans med andra elever. Jag tycker att detta är ett väldigt bra komplement till språkstudierna. Att få uppleva kulturen på plats gör det lättare att förstå språket och hur det används i vardagen. Aktiviteterna ger en chans att göra saker utanför klassrummet och få en mer komplett upplevelse av livet i Kina. Jag bor dessutom hos en värdfamilj under min vistelse i Beihai. Familjen är väldigt snäll och jag känner att det hjälper mig mycket i min inlärning av mandarin. De behandlar mig som en familjemedlem vilket jag uppskattar mycket. Genom att bo med en kinesisk familj får jag möjlighet att höra och använda mandarin även utanför skolan. Det gör att jag får mer naturlig träning i vardagliga situationer och vågar använda språket mer. Jag får också en bättre förståelse för hur vardagen ser ut i en kinesisk familj, lär mig ord och uttryck som jag kanske inte skulle stöta på i läroböcker och klassrummet. Jag tycker att kombinationen av lektioner, en immersive miljö och att bo hos en värdfamilj är särskilt bra för mina språkstudier. På lektionerna får jag strukturerad undervisning och kan fokusera på de områden där jag behöver utvecklas mest. Utanför skolan får jag sedan möjlighet att använda det jag har lärt mig i verkliga situationer. Sammanfattningsvis är jag väldigt nöjd med min tid på LTL i Beihai. Lärarna är tålmodiga och flexibla, de individuellt anpassade lektionerna, den immersiva miljön, möjligheten att träffa andra elever och skolans kulturella aktiviteter gör upplevelsen både lärorik och rolig. Att dessutom bo hos en värdfamilj ger mig ännu fler möjligheter att använda mandarin i vardagliga situationer. Jag skulle absolut rekommendera LTL till andra som vill lära sig mandarin och samtidigt få uppleva kinesisk kultur och vardagsliv på nära håll.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 23, 2026

Tack så mycket för den här utförliga recensionen! Vi är glada att kombinationen av lektioner, vardagsliv pa kinesiska och en välkomnande värdfamilj i Beihai har gjort en sådan skillnad for ditt lararande. Fortsatt lycka till med mandarin och vi hoppas fa se dig hos LTL igen! LTL Team

I really liked the chinese lessons at this school. Teacher Wan an excellent teacher! She was very helpfull and listened well. Even when I did not always pronouced the words right, she still could understand what I meant. So we spoke a lot of chinese in the lessons, which improved my chinees speaking a lot. She was also very clear in how to explain the right way to speak. This school also organizes a lot of fun get-togethers, so you can meet the other students. I really loved that very much.

Wuxi Schönberg Education Technology Co.,Ltd responded to this reviewAugust 21, 2026

Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊Maria We’re very happy to hear that our teacher was helpful and kind. In our schoolour teachers always try to support and encourage every student during their learning journey. We truly appreciate your feedback and are glad you had a positive experience with us! 🚀

My experience at Schönberg Education 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. I want to especially emphasize my teacher Laura that went above and beyond to both improve my Chinese as well as to help me overcome all challenges faced by travelling and living in a different country. Thank you so much.

Wuxi Schönberg Education Technology Co.,Ltd responded to this reviewAugust 21, 2026

Thank you so much! Linda, we’re really happy to hear that you had a good experience. Your feedback means a lot to us!

When I was searching for a language school, I did a lot of research, and Schönberg Education turned out to be the best choice I could have made. Before starting our class, I was a little skeptical because everything seemed almost too perfect. However, in the end, everything was exactly as promised, and even better! So far, I can wholeheartedly recommend Schönberg Education to anyone who’s thinking about learning Mandarin!

Wuxi Schönberg Education Technology Co.,Ltd responded to this reviewAugust 21, 2026

Thank you for the wonderful review! rudolf, we’re thrilled to know you enjoyed the course and found it helpful. Your feedback motivates us to keep improving! Jiayou. :)

1ヶ月間通わせてもらいましたが、とっても素敵な学校でした！ベトナム語は発音やアクセントがとても難しいですが、先生がとてもわかりやすく教えてくれて、比較的早く単語を習得できました。立地もホーチミン市内にあるのでどの観光地に行くにもアクセスがよかったです。ベトナムはご飯も美味しく、日本人も留学しやすいと思います。ベトナム留学をするなら、この学校がおすすめです☺️非常に貴重な経験になりました。ありがとうございました！！

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 23, 2026

1ヶ月間通っていただき、ありがとうございました！ 先生たちもこのような温かいお言葉をいただけて、とても嬉しく思います。またいつでもLTLでお待ちしております！ LTL Team

I was a student here for four weeks, and signed up for group classes. However, they didn’t have other students at my skill level entering at the same time, so they converted my classes into two hours of private tutoring, a compromise I was more than satisfied with. I found my teacher, Juan Tang, to be knowledgeable, kind, and overachieving in teaching. She brought games, changed her curriculum to suit my needs, and answered questions outside of school hours. Besides that, she was kind, enthusiastic, and very encouraging, even going so far as to give me a gift in our final lesson! Besides the teaching, the location is excellent, the admin organized, and the community warm. The students are varied and international, with weekly, always changing activities.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 23, 2026

So glad you had a great four weeks with us, Christopher! It was a pleasure having you with us and we hope you continue your Mandarin journey and make further progress. LTL Team