LTL Language School

LTL Language School

Why choose LTL Language School?

LTL Language School provide the ultimate immersive language experiences throughout Asia.

Study Mandarin, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese with LTL and enhance your skills not only at our schools, but at our wonderful homestays and enjoy a great social life with our other students, staff and teachers.

Courses are offered in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Beihai, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chengde, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul and Saigon.

LTL also teach 10 languages online with our 24/7 language learning platform, Flexi Classes.

Our Flexi Classes are a revolutionary way to learn languages online. Say goodbye to fixed class times and say goodbye to awkward time-zone differences.

Flexi Classes are revolutionary for three reasons:

-- Study languages online 24/7
-- Complete flexibility to book, re-book and cancel classes
-- Super easy sign-up which takes barely 2 minutes

Study Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Italian and many more with LTL Flexi Classes.

Reviews

Default avatar
Ella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

8 weeks of fun!

I stayed in Beijing for 8 weeks doing the Chinese program at LTL. I enjoyed the classes even though sometimes it was a bit difficult, but luckily there was enough room to ask questions. The school is located near the city center, so it is very convenient to do sightseeing after class! LTL also organises 3-4 activities every week, varying from Tai Chi class, visiting Tian'anmen Square or a dumpling making class. They also offer a trip to The Great Wall (Mutianyu part), very convenient and not that busy on a sunday!

Default avatar
Stef
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great

Very well prepared lessons, patient teachers, all the staff is very friendly and helps if there is any question, small very personal school, students and teacher can meet during the lunchtime together and sometimes play games, convenient location of the school

Cours très bien préparés, professeurs patients, tout le personnel est très sympathique et aide en cas de question, petite école très personnelle, les élèves et les professeurs peuvent se rencontrer pendant la pause déjeuner et parfois jouer à des jeux, emplacement pratique de l'école

Default avatar
Aurelia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great experience for a GAP year

I stayed in Beijing LTL location for two months. I really enjoyed my stay. Any issues that I encountered where taken care of and you can reach the student advisor any time. I did encounter a problem with my first home stay, but the school handled the situation very professionally and I was able to switch. During my stay I met different people from all over the world and made lots of new friends as well. My teacher (Alice) did a great job as well. She is very patient and you can really tell that she loves her job! I can definitely recommend! ;)

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
More confidence going into it. I was way to worried before coming here. But I had one of my best life experiences instead.
Pros
  • Immersion into new culture
  • New friends
Cons
  • Missing family and friends
Default avatar
Marie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

LTL Beijing

The teachers, staff and other students were great. Everyone was really open and accommodating. Any small issue encountered from SIM card to getting around the city the staff quickly helped with, they provided assistance before, during and after the program. The student community was great and activities organized by the school aided in seeing the city. From exploring Beijing’s night life to learning how make dumplings. Teacher Alice was great! She made sure to explain everything super well and took time when any of us students were confused.

Default avatar
Anja
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Customised and motivating!

The lessons at LTL Chengdu are personalised, intensive and motivating. I was picked up where I was linguistically right from the start. I would particularly like to emphasise my teacher Presli: she is not only a top professional, but also a great person. Her ability to notice and celebrate even the smallest progress motivated me enormously. She helped me to overcome my weaknesses and at the same time encouraged my strengths. I learnt more in eight weeks than I had in months. A clear recommendation!

LTL Chengdu is more than just a language school. Here you are taken seriously, supported individually and seen as a person. I got to know four great teachers - first and foremost Presli, who teaches with clarity, humour and great empathy. Unicorn took us to great restaurants at lunchtime - a culinary adventure! And Mandy organises everything smoothly in the background. Thanks to the buddy programme, where friendly Chinese buddies help with practising, you immediately feel integrated. The school has state-of-the-art facilities and is located in a stylish building. And Chengdu? A fascinating city - big, but never anonymous. I felt at home from day one.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
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Programs

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Jay Bhatt

Jay Bhatt is a software engineer from Northern California and is currently in the middle of a semester of studying Mandarin in Beijing, China. He enjoys fencing, language learning, and tomfoolery.
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Why choose LtL?

I had narrowed my choices down to a Chinese University in Beijing and LtL, but settled on LtL because of my correspondence with the school's director, Andreas Laimbock. Those conversations made me feel like LtL had an environment that would be fun and productive, and that they had a strong commitment to quality home stays, which the university did not provide.

What made this study abroad experience unique and special?

Despite the fact that I've travelled a lot, the two home stays I did in Beijing and Chengde were mind-blowing. It is a cliché that travelers look for authentic experiences, but nothing is more authentic than living with a Chinese family that doesn't speak English. Also, having had a lot of experience learning languages in a variety of formats, I can also say that their quality of instruction is top-notch. This also applies to the ultra-immersive environment of Chengde, where there is no classroom: I was by myself and had the same teacher six hours a day, for three weeks, where she would force me to immediately apply lessons "in the field" while she observed.

How has this experience impacted your future?

As someone who is good at languages but has done most of that learning in American academic environments, full in-country immersion has always been the Holy Grail. It is a priceless thing to say, "I like something, am good at it, and I gave myself the fullest experience possible in that field." Being in China with awesome instruction and support at LtL is nothing short of a dream come true.

Highlights: By my last week in Chengde, I had been in China for seven weeks doing six hours of lessons per day. One day Teacher invited me to dinner with her. We talked about random things and eventually got back to talking about my family. I explained things that had happened to us, how they affected us at the time, how they shaped things throughout my life, how my thinking has evolved, how things are now, how I want them to be, the psychology and social dynamics of my family, and ten thousand other things. I waited for her response, but she stared off to the side, chopsticks hanging mid-air, silent. I then realized I had been talking for a very long time. I became self-conscious and worried that I had over-reached in complexity, not known enough words, and botched most of my tones. Still no response, so I asked her, "Did you understand that?" "Oh yes," she replied. "That was great. I understood all of that. I was just thinking about how amazing you mother must be." A dangerous mix of relief, validation, happiness, and pride set in as I went back to my noodles.

Morning: Up around 8:30am in my own air-conditioned-room-with-wifi, hot breakfast (usually small, tasty, steaming hot pork buns) is waiting for me by the time I'm out of the bathroom. I discuss the day's plans with Auntie, specifically whether or not I'll be home for dinner. I take her trash out on my way to school. The 30-minute walk is filled with sights, sounds, people, and other all the other small things that make living in a Big City fun - much better than a 30 minute car commute at home. It's hot and humid already, so I stop to buy cold water. It's gone by the time I reach school. I enter the lobby and am happily greeted by the staff, because they're great. My classmates and I kid around, because they're great. I have 10 minutes before class starts, so I relax on the balcony despite the heat and contemplate the crazy awesomeness of my situation.

Afternoon: My brain is fried from morning class. A welcome break finds me on the balcony with classmates again, sometimes after a quick run for another cold drink. We're having a good time trying to tease each other with the new vocabulary, which that day included "pink" and "high heels." Afternoon class resumes. I'm hoping at some point my brain will surrender, melt, and hit some kind of subconscious flow where everything gets magically assimilated. It doesn't. Apparently language learning with challenging teachers requires active hard work. And somehow remains fun.

Evening: The walk home is hot and sweaty, but the down time is good. Sometimes I take new routes and get lost. Auntie wonders why I didn't call her to ask for directions. I try to explain "adventure" to her. Dinner is ready and again super tasty. After eating, Auntie quizzes me on what I learned in class. We watch the Olympics. She asks me about current events and further furious addition of flashcards ensues. She goes to bed, I go to my room and crank the A/C. I try to do some internet but am too mentally exhausted to explain as much as I ought to. Posting is less frequent, emails more curt, and I drift off to sleep wondering what the heck I'm doing in China, knowing full well that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Ottavia Bettelli

Job Title
Social Media Manager
Since joining LTL in March 2023, Ottavia has become an integral member of the marketing team, where she oversees the social media platform and content creation. In addition to her social media responsibilities, she manages the Italian website, ensuring that all content is engaging, relevant, and up-to-date.

Passionate about the Chinese language, Ottavia loves working at LTL because it allows her to immerse herself in new cultures and maintain regular contact with people from diverse backgrounds.
A group of six people sitting around a dining table, sharing a meal in a cozy kitchen setting. They are smiling and raising their glasses for a toast. The table is filled with a variety of dishes, including vegetables, shrimp, and chicken, as well as condiments and utensils. The kitchen in the background has wooden cabinets and shelves with dishes, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The group appears to be enjoying a pleasant and convivial moment together.

What is your favorite travel memory?

My favorite travel memory is from a trip to Vũng Tàu, Vietnam, as a guest of one of my Vietnamese colleagues. There were four of us girls, and we arrived at my colleague’s parents' house for dinner. As soon as we entered, we were greeted with an array of delicious foods, showcasing the incredible hospitality of her parents. They had prepared various typical Vietnamese dishes, along with a Russian dish, as they had once lived in Russia.

Although I don't speak Vietnamese and they spoke limited English, my colleague interpreted for us. Despite the language barrier, I felt their deep hospitality; they were incredibly welcoming and humble, making the experience truly unforgettable.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Since starting to work for LTL, my life has changed completely. Moving alone from Italy to Taipei has transformed my habits, mindset, and perspective on life. I now place a higher value on my mental health and have developed a deep passion for traveling and meeting people from diverse backgrounds, always seeking out opportunities to exchange experiences. I've realized the importance of being comfortable with myself and doing things independently.

Professionally, I have grown significantly, learning how to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds, mastering the use of various technological devices and improving my organisational skills.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

I love working for LTL because there are plenty of opportunities to learn beautiful and interesting stories from people all over the world.

One of my favorites is the story of a British student who studied with us in LTL Taipei last October. He was preparing to marry a Taiwanese woman and then return to the UK for a while.
However, he came back two months ago to study with us again because he and his wife decided to move permanently to Taipei. Now, he's even more motivated to learn the language!

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

If I could go on any program that my company offers, I would choose a gap year studying 15 weeks in Shanghai, 5 weeks in Chengdu, and 16 weeks in Taipei, with 20 hours per week of 1-on-1 Chinese classes and staying with host families.

This program appeals to me because it allows me to experience different realities in various cities, fully immerse myself in the Chinese language, and appreciate the differences between traditional and simplified Chinese characters. I love the idea of broadening my cultural horizons and gaining a deeper understanding of both versions of the language.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

My company is unique because it allows people to truly live the language. With LTL, the immersive experience is what makes the difference, enabling our students to reach their language goals effectively. Additionally, we are a very international and open-minded company, always attentive to the needs of both our students and employees.

I was particularly proud of my team when we achieved three awards in less than two months at the beginning of 2024, which proved that our hard work was paying off.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

There are many important factors that lead a company to success, but I personally believe that two stand out: trust and attentiveness.

When there is enough trust among colleagues and departments, it creates a healthy environment where people feel heard and comfortable expressing their thoughts.

Attentiveness is also crucial because recognizing and valuing each person's job and contributions keeps the team motivated and engaged. These elements foster a supportive and productive workplace, driving the company toward success.