Program Reviews

The program is overall quite good. When compared with other options it is a bit pricy, but it is all inclusive so can be worth while if you are looking for all inclusive. When it comes to teachers, I had two teachers named Jason and Winnie who were both extremely high quality. I also participated in an offer they had called the safari class. The teacher would take us to a culturally significant location or museum with us. They have both 1 on 1 classes as well as group classes which were both good.

I studied at LTL Taipei for a month, and would massively recommend the experience to anyone else interested in learning Chinese and visiting Taiwan. The teachers and staff are all incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and helpful and go out of their way to make sure that all the students have the best possible learning environment, and provide a couple of enjoyable, free cultural activities every week as well as daily lunch trips to great (and great-value) local spots. The teaching was at a really good level and I felt that I was really able to improve my level, especially by practicing conversations and speaking , just learning characters from the textbook. I think this is especially valuable if you're at an intermediate/upper-intermediate level and want a chance to apply your vocab to talking about whichever topic you want. Studying was super flexible, and it was super easy to change levels or book new classes when I wanted to. The only thing I can't comment on is the housing/accom situation because I rented independently - but otherwise would happily recommend it.

I had the pleasure of studying Mandarin in Shanghai with Jamie and Ray, and I can confidently say they are both excellent and highly competent teachers. Their lessons go far beyond the textbook: they skillfully integrate real-life situations into the curriculum, making the learning experience both practical and engaging. They also take the time to explain important aspects of Chinese culture, which adds great depth to the classes.

The program is quite intensive, but Jamie and Ray are incredibly dedicated to their students. Even though we all started from zero, they paid close attention to our different abilities and learning speeds, ensuring that everyone could keep up and feel supported.

Another thing I truly appreciated is their availability. They are always open to answering questions, even those that go beyond the official program or classroom context. No matter the topic, they are patient, helpful, and genuinely committed to their students’ progress.

I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to learn Mandarin in a serious but supportive and enriching environment.

I've studied Mandarin at other schools before and had mostly positive experiences. What sets LTL apart is how connected you feel from day one. The community is extremely strong. In three weeks I made 10+ genuine friends from all over the world. Switzerland, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, the US, and local friends in Taiwan. The social life runs itself because everyone is there for the same reason. I had constant invites to night markets, day trips to Jiufen and Beitou, karaoke, movies, and dinners.

The teachers go well beyond the classroom. Alice tailored my classes to focus on pinyin since I don't read characters, while still keeping the other four students engaged. She kept the classes entertaining and her bright personality shined through in every lesson. Outside of the classroom, she even organized a few events to get to know us on a personal level.

The rest of the staff is also great. Tammy went out of her way to host weekly Mahjong nights and made everyone feel instantly welcome. Riona (the school manager) has an inviting personality that makes both shy and outcoming students feel right at home. Alin worked hard to place me in the right level class — no easy task given my unique situation of being lower-intermediate with no character reading ability. And Cherry was invaluable for translating the more nuanced slang that only someone with native fluency in both Mandarin and English can really bridge. Overall, I felt the entire staff genuinely invested in getting to know their students on a personal level.

Regardless of your level, you will feel right at home. There were beginners, upper-intermediate students, and everyone in between. Everyone in the program speaks strong English so you won't feel lost regardless of where you're starting from.

The two-week minimum and flexible scheduling made it easy to commit. There is no doubt I'll be coming back every year!

I’ve been studying at LTL for two weeks now, with two more to go, and my experience so far has been incredibly positive.

One of the standout aspects of LTL is how customizable the program is. As a heritage speaker, I wanted to focus specifically on daily-life communication and improving my spoken Chinese rather than traditional textbook learning and or writing practise as mostly I just need to use it to get around when visiting, and I don’t intend to work long term or live here long term.

The teachers took this into account from the very beginning and tailored my lessons exactly to my needs, which has made a huge difference in both my confidence and progress.

I also highly recommend the Safari upgrade, as someone doing 1:1 lessons it’s been one of the most valuable parts of my experience. It gives you the chance to practice the language in real-life situations, which really helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and actually using the language day-to-day.

The teaching environment is very welcoming and supportive. Everyone at the school is friendly, and it creates a comfortable space to learn and make mistakes without feeling self-conscious.

My teachers Jamie and Lois in particular have been fantastic — they’re patient, encouraging, and very attentive to my learning goals. They consistently adapt lessons based on what I need more practice in, and they make classes engaging and practical. I’ve felt genuinely supported throughout my time here. They’ve guided me through many daily life scenarios and really held my hand with confidence whilst speaking out in public, no more freezing at the check out!

Overall, I would definitely recommend LTL to anyone looking for a flexible and immersive language learning experience.

I was at LTL Shanghai for three weeks and Ray and Jamie were my teachers. They both did such a good job with creating lessons tailored to our needs and overall it was a really nice and friendly atmosphere. I learned so many new things in such a short amount of time and learning Mandarin doesn't seem impossible anymore. Since we were only 3-4 people in the class, it was really easy to keep up with the curriculum. Also the group activities are so helpful with making connections and exploring the city. Would recommend! Thank you LTL! :)

Das Team der LTL Sprachachule Tokyo ist ein lustiger und bunter Haufen mit vielen unterschiedlichen Interessen, was im Hinblick auf den Unterricht super ist! Wenn man die Lehrer zeitnahe informiert, gehen sie auf Wünsche und Forderungen ohne Weiteres ein. So kann man sich also auch mit Wortschatz, Phrasen und Redewendungen seines eigenen Interessengebiets eindecken lassen, denn man ist keineswegs an das Lehrbuch gebunden. Der Stoff, der in der Stunde durchgenommen wird, wie viel und auf welche Weise kann von der Gruppe/einem selbst bestimmt werden und ist daher hervorragend für Personen, die aus eigener Motivation lernen können und wollen.

Die negative Seite dieser Flexibilität ist, dass es schwer werden kann die richtige Gruppe zu finden. Es wird durchaus versucht Schüler mit unterschiedlichen Sprachleveln unterschiedlichen Gruppen zuzuteilen, jedoch passiert dies mit Hilfe von Einschätzung des Lehrers und vorallem des Schülers selbst. Dies kann manches Mal den Lernprogress des Unterrichts verlangsamen.

Auf der einen Seite ist es wirklich super, dass es im regelmäßigen Abstand Events/Ausflüge gibt, die man besuchen kann. Auf der anderen Seite wirkt die Art und Weise, wie man davon erfährt bzw. dazu motiviert wird leicht chaotisch und/oder ist manches Mal zu kurzfristig. Da der Altersdurchschnitt relativ jung ist, denke ich, dass in diesem Bereich möglicherweise mehr Struktur nicht schaden könnte.

Beispielsweise könnte man am Vortag/Vormittag Listen durchgeben, mit denen man sich (un)verbindlich für das anstehende Event anmeldet. Auf diese Weise müsste man nach dem Unterricht nicht die Schüler anwerben sondern zählt nur einmal durch ohne großes Durcheinander.

Abgesehen von den paar angesprochenen Mängeln habe ich mich während meines zweimonatigen Aufenthalts gut aufgehoben gefühlt! Man wird immer mit einem strahlenden Lächeln und einer familiären Atmosphäre an der Rezeption begrüßt und auch während des Anmeldeverfahrens wurde mir mit viel Geduld bei meinen Problemen geholfen.

Ich bin sehr froh diese Schule gefunden zu haben und kann sie herzlich weiterempfehlen.

English:
The team at LTL Language School Tokyo is a fun and diverse group with many different interests, which is fantastic for the lessons! If you inform the teachers in a timely manner, they readily accommodate requests and demands. This means you can focus on vocabulary, phrases, and idioms related to your own interests, as you're not bound to the textbook. The material covered in class, how much, and how it's presented can be determined by the group/individual, making it ideal for those who are self-motivated and eager to learn.

The downside of this flexibility is that finding the right group can be challenging. While efforts are made to place students with different language levels in different groups, this relies on assessments from both the teacher and, more importantly, the students themselves. This can sometimes slow down the learning progress.

On the other hand, it's really great that there are regular events and excursions you can participate in. On the other hand, the way students are informed about and motivated to participate can seem a bit chaotic and/or is sometimes too short notice. Since the average age is relatively young, I think a bit more structure in this area would be beneficial.

For example, lists could be distributed the day before/in the morning for students to sign up (or sign up) for the upcoming event. This way, students wouldn't have to be recruited after class; they could simply count once without any confusion.

Aside from the few shortcomings mentioned, I felt very well looked after during my two-month stay! I was always greeted with a bright smile and a friendly atmosphere at reception, and I received patient help with any issues I encountered during the registration process.

I'm very happy to have found this school and can wholeheartedly recommend it.

Summer teacher was the best one I had in my life.
I had really a good time there, I learned a lot of chinese.
Really good Experience, I reccomend this school to all.
Summer is truly the number one—an exceptional professional and an even better person. Her passion, dedication, and ability to make every lesson engaging set her apart from anyone else. She explains everything with clarity and patience, making even difficult topics feel simple. Learning with her is always motivating and enjoyable. I couldn’t ask for a better teacher—highly recommended to anyone looking for the best! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the third year I have attended LTL in Taipei.
Every year I come for eight weeks of immersion into mandarin.
I enjoy interacting with the teachers and then with all the students in after-school activities and going out to eat.
I felt my mandarin improved especially in the one-on-one classes where my teachers taught me at my level and speed and encouraged me to speak mandarin.
My classes consisted of a mix of conversational speaking, reading text, learning grammar and writing new characters.

Thank you very much for the wonderful experience! I've loved learning Mandarin at LTL Taipei. People have been incredibly kind and generous and it was a real delight! I've always wanted to learn Mandarin and doing so in a relaxed yet hardworking environment was truly a blast!
If you love eating and studying in a joyful and stressless environment, Taipei is the place to be!
The experience is one in a million and I truly hope everyone can get to see the natural beauty of Taiwan as well as the friendliness of Taiwanese people and the delicious food.