EF Reviews

I studied at EF Tokyo over the summer for three weeks. Compared to other language schools in Tokyo, EF is egregiously overpriced. For the price you pay for a month at EF, you could get 2-3 months at another school of equal or better quality.

Riisa-sensei, my teacher for two weeks, was fantastic. Some other teachers seemed inexperienced, but teaching quality for the most part was good. My class moved through material at an extremely slow pace, however, so don't come to EF if your goal is to learn as much Japanese as you can.

Activities were alright. Most of them are not free. You pay for them using "activity credits" that you purchase. These activities range from museum visits to weekend trips, and are usually quite pricey.

I stayed in the "EF Residence" in Tama-plaza. Please be aware that EF does not own this building -- it's a share-house with rooms that can be rented by anyone. The quality of the accommodation was quite poor. I stayed in a bunk bed room that only had one tiny desk and one dresser for both my roommate and I. When I arrived, my bed was dirty and had food scraps on it. Thankfully, I didn't spend much time in my room.

The best part of EF was the people I met -- I made great friends with like-minded people from all over the world, some of which I still keep in contact with. With the friends I made from EF, I went on a weekend trip to Kyoto and climbed Mt. Fuji. I will forever cherish the memories I made in Tokyo last summer.

Despite its shortcomings, EF Tokyo is a good way to get your first taste of Japan. However, I would look at other programs with better value is the cost is too high.

I truly enjoyed my travels with the EF Gap Semester. The staff were all fantastic, especially my tour director of Europe. I went to Barcelona to attend Language school and to the Dominican Republic for service, and I loved them both. Living on my own in Barcelona was a highlight, as I learned a lot about living on my own as well as public transportation. I also learned more Spanish than I could’ve even imagined! When I first got there, I could hardly form a sentence and could only speak in present tense. By the time I left, I was able to have casual conversations and order in Spanish. I gained so much from both experiences, as well as my time on the Welcome Tour and my time at Ashridge. Each piece was very well thought out and I felt safe the entire time, but the directors also weren’t overbearing, we had a lot of freedom! It was an amazing experience! I had trouble adding photos to this, but you can check out some photos from this trip on my gap year instagram @travel.gapyear

I have always been interested in Japan, both in the language and its culture. I discovered anime in elementary school and have been hooked ever since and I was able to take Japanese classes for four years at my highschool but I wanted to become fluent so I convinced my parents to let me study abraod in Japan in the summer of my Junior year. It was honestly the best summer of my life. I met so many people from all over the world who shared the same interest as me and I became so close with my roommate and a few other guys in the program and the four of us went around Tokyo together for the time we were there. The experience of being alone in a foreign country may be a bit scary and too much but it is honestly great once you get used to it. I went with knowledge on the language but my roommate and my other friends went with absolutely no knowledge, maybe a couple of words from anime but that's all and they were able to adapt just fine. This program also set me up with an extremely nice and welcoming family just outside of the city and I had an amazing experience there. The best part about Japan is the food, it was just amazing. Where I'm from, 7-11 is a cheap snack store that's usually always empty but in Japan, it is totally different. The 7-11s there have so much variety in their foods, they have boxed lunches that taste great and onigiri in so many different flavors and so many different types of ramen. I go to a 7-11 near my host family every morning to grab breakfast which usually consists of a bottled milk tea and one or two onigiris, usually salmon. I would often go to the Family Mart (another convenience store) for lunch at the EF campus. Restaurants in Japan are also so cool, there are conveyor belt sushis and it is super delicious and affordable. Japan also have amazing places filled with trendy fashion stores and sweets like Harajuku. It was amazingly crowded I literally got pushed around the street because the crowd was moving me forward. It was a very different but fun experience. Beware though, the trains during rush hour in the morning and in the evenings are crazy, I honestly was squished from all sides every morning when I go to class and every evening when I go home. This program is definitely worth it if you want to learn a language in a country you've never been to before.

My experience with EF Paris was really amazing and fun. Through this course I was able to meet amazing people from all around the world, and make great experiences and memories. The school is located in the center of Paris rihght next to the Galeries Lafayette; which is one of France's biggest shopping center with te most famous brands which is perfect for shopping. If shopping isn't an interest for you, EF offers you a lot of activities for the week as well as the weekends whre you can discover and learn more about Paris and contries that are close to France, like the Netherlands, Belgium, etc.
This program really helped me develope my comunication skills because before coming to Paris I was really shy when it came to speking french, and now I feel that's easier for me to comunicate with anyone in french without a problem. Something that really helped me learn more vocabulary was watching movies and tv shows in french with english subtitles and speaking with the staff at EF all the time in french.

This year I went to Rome and it was my third time traveling with EF. As always it was great meeting all the new people and discovering a new place. I for the first time stayed with a host family and the lady was amazing and super considerate even tho she only spoke Italian which made it easier to familiarize with the language and much more memorable experience. The food in the location was amazing and being so close to the Vatican and other cultural sites as well as nightlife and other types of activities created the perfect combo for summer. Also this location allowed for some great day trips like Napoli, Venezia, Firenze and Milano which are a must see when you are in Italy. The school is really comfortable and small with really personalized teaching techniques and with really caring professors

I feel like I can speak for a majority of individuals who have travelled abroad and say that, travelling to a foreign country to learn a language is by far, one of the best investments you can make for yourself. Taking this trip to Paris was unbelieveably unforgettable, and choosing EF was a great decision on my part; as they not only helped me arrange my trip, but they managed to find the perfect host family not far from the heart and center of Paris and the EF language school. I truly enjoyed every second of my time spent in class since it offered a good amount of flexibility for my time at school and my time exploring Paris. The staff there was so helpful and inviting that speaking French was so smooth and I did not feel embarassed nor shy when I spoke. Additionally, I became aware of how well I was able to speak and improve my French during my three week stay in Paris. Lastly, the friendships I made were unforgettable and beyond what I was expecting!

Over the summer, I studied abroad with EF in Shanghai, China. I lived with a host family who was very nice and welcoming. Everyone at the EF school helped me settle in and feel at home in Shanghai. My Chinese Mandarin improved tremendously over the course of three weeks and I enjoyed the language classes very much. Living with a host family was great because I was able to practice at home all the new vocabulary words that I had learned in my classes or throughout the day. Additionally, EF offered fun activities for students to do every day, this was very helpful for meeting other students and making friends during my trip. I would definitely recommend this program to other students looking to improve their language skills or participate in a fun summer program. The study abroad trip with EF has been one of the best experiences in my life!

This program is not only a great way to explore Spain, but also boosts language skills. The program balances language classes with explore the country and immersing students into the culture of Spain. Traveling with EF also gives students the option to explore the city on their own terms. There isn't a strict traveling schedule everyone must follow, enabling students to do what they find most interesting. Overall, it was a great experience and I would love to go again.

Last March, I spent one month at EF Paris taking part in the intensive course. I cannot speak highly enough about my experience. After one months time, I was actually looking to extend my stay in Paris, but unfortunately could not be accommodated longer at the residency. I found the classes to be interesting and informative, though truthfully wish the required attendance (80%) was slightly higher, as this encouraged frequent absences from my classmates and I. Most importantly I felt that in just one month's time, my french skills improved dramatically, and having the city at my fingertips allowed me to catapult my abilities. I most enjoyed the international crowd that EF draws. I was extremely lucky and found a handful of friends quite quickly, none of which were American (which I loved!)
The social opportunities are limitless in Paris, EF holding a personal soft spot for Café Oz, the mid-tier club which welcomes students at a cheap rate every Wednesday. Moreover, I hope to return to EF Paris in a coming summer, and have since recommended the program to a handful of friends looking to further develop their french language skills. Hands down the best part of my gap year.

I stayed six weeks with my host family and it was as if I stayed in my own home. After six weeks I developed a great relationship with the family and it was such a pleasant experience. I loved staying with the family because they treated me just as if I was their own. in the entirety of my trip I never once had a problem with my family or their home. they took excellent care of me, and I hope to return to Malaga and see them again.