Program Reviews

I spent two weeks in Munich between late July and early August of 2022. The trip was some of the most fun I've ever had.
I was going into my senior year of high school, so I was able to spend time with both older and younger people. For me, socializing and finding friends was easy and led to some great memories. I think most were very open to meeting new people.
I stayed in a homestay, and I found it to be the perfect set up. It was about a 45 minute train ride —which was perfectly fine. The family was nice and cooked great food. They also let me be and weren't overbearing.
I entered the program as nearly a complete beginner. Language acquisition was more difficult than I expected although I still progressed. The daily school schedule varied from class just in the morning (~8:00-11:00) to class and activities for nearly the entire day. I thought the variation kept things interesting and the right amount of busy without leaving no free time.
Munich is a great city and highly accessible by walking or public transport like trains, trams, and buses. I never had any problem getting around/lost. I would highly recommend the Eisbach in the Englischer Garten; it's an awesome river you can swim in. I would also recommend taking advantage of the trains and going to nearby towns (I went to Augsburg, Nuremberg, and Salzburg). I went to Nuremberg with the EF coordinated trip. The EF trips were nice to make friends, but it was fun to be more independent when I already had a group of friends to go with.
I would definitely recommend the program to anyone interested. I was very hesitant to go right up until the last moment, but I am so glad I did.

It was fun living in Nice for two weeks. I liked my teachers and my French got better. However, the homestay was not what was promised. I was in a basement apartment with 5 other girls sharing one bathroom. There were 10 girls total at the residence. We barely interacted with the Home Family except for the dinner. We were not allowed in the main house. She was not a good cook and would make us carbs and premade food heated up. Frozen pizza, hot dogs, potatoes, etc. No vegetables. We were scared to ask her for more items like toilet paper, towels, and breakfast items. Also, no a/c in bedroom during 90+ degree days.The homestay almost ruined the experience for me. EF Nice has to do better.

I went to Barcelona for 2 weeks through EF, and I wish I could have stayed for two years. It was the most freeing and amazing experience where I learned so much. My classes and teachers made learning Spanish feel so in reach, and I thrived being immersed. My Spanish skills got so strong, and on top of that I made so many friends and learned so much about myself and who I am outside of the bubble of the US. The activities were memorable, and even just within the city there was so much to do. I am so grateful I had the opportunity this summer and look forward to many more.

Absolutely one of the greatest experiences of my life, I returned three days ago and I am already planning my next trip. I have never been in an environment where I can meet so many people from around the world, and built connections with people that I never would have made otherwise. Classes are also incredibly helpful, and I feel like I learned more in two weeks of instruction than I did with years of Mandarin classes in high school. I am going to remember my experience forever and I can not wait to return.

I'm writing this review as a parent of a 16 yr old daughter who just finished her summer language immersion course in Barcelona. EF Barcelona was an amazing experience for her, from the quality of the instructors, language classes, EF activities, new friendships to her homestay experience. I'd give it an A+ on all accounts as EF Barcelona went above and beyond our expectations. The daily immersion courses gave her the confidence to succeed, the instructors were caring and encouraging and the courses were challenging. The EF activities were super fun and affordable - from Spanish culture, sightseeing, cooking and sports activities. Her host family was the icing on the cake and gave her an incredible welcoming sweet and loving experience she could have wished for. She improved her language skills so much with the encouragement of her family and learned so much about the food, culture and daily family life. As a parent, it can be a little unnerving to send your teenager to another country especially during covid, but we are thrilled that we did.

I love all the activities that we do. We never stop! Every second here is an experience I will have for the rest of my life. Additionally, when every person that I’ve met is so nice. Now I have a lot of new contacts from all around the world and I think we are going to be friends for the rest of our lives. I’m in EF to practice my English but I also learned funny words in Portuguese, French, Polish, etc. I could every activity we do for a million of times. EF is the best program that someone could go.

EF Barcelona is truly the best language school if you want to learn Spanish. The teachers, Alba, Miguel, Natalia, are all so caring and truly want you to succeed. They want you to learn what you want to learn and are constantly adapting the class to fit your needs. Outside of class, the activities are always great and you get to truly explore Barcelona. The best way to learn is talking to the teachers who know so much about the city and showed me so many hidden gems across the city. I highly recommend!

Our daughter began her EF adventure with absolutely no travel experience & now she is enrolling for a third 12 week course. From enrollment to the return home, the EF staff is responsive, patient, and knowledgeable. The language program and educators are exceptional and they go above and beyond to make sure students receive the information according to their learning styles. I highly recommend the host family experience for first time visitors. EF matched our daughter with the perfect family based on her requests and they have become a great support system and family away from home. We are so glad we decided to take the leap of faith with this program. If you are a parent, this is a legitimate, safe, and truly educational program that you can enroll your child in with confidence.

I had an absolutely incredible time in the EF program in Seoul, South Korea. My teachers were kind, funny, supportive, and extremely passionate about their students and teaching in general. The classes were fun, engaging, and effective -- my Korean improved immensely over the eight weeks that I was in the course, and I learned a lot about Korean culture and history. I also happened to meet some of the most amazing people I've ever known during my time there, and made friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I will forever be grateful to EF for my amazing experience in Seoul!

Please, please pay attention to people saying to run away from RF language exchange programs. They are just trying to make a buck. If you think they will deal with you as a real business with respect for customers, you are mistaken. If you are used to dealing with great companies with great customer service and return policies that are reasonable, you will be surprised to learn that EF doesn't care about you as a customer. There is always one idiot out there. Worst customer support ever. Shady business. Research on trustpilot and other places.