I’ve just spent 2 weeks learning Mandarin with LTL language school in Taipei. I am a returning student having attended classes in Taipei as well as Shanghai. What I love about the school in Taipei is its ability to balance language classes with extra-curricular activities allowing students to experience the local culture. Riona Chen is very good at engaging with students and, among other things, organizing lunches in surrounding areas allowing us the opportunity to try the local delicacies. Meanwhile Greta is there to make sure that the registration process goes smoothly and is always ready to answer any emails promptly. Same with Alin, on site, who is always available to guide you to the right place. With such a team in place along with other members of staff, I always felt welcomed, acknowledged and well cared for. LTL manages to create a sense of belonging and, in offering opportunities to go out in groups, renders the process of connecting with other students easier. While in Taipei, I had two weeks of classes with different teachers: Wolfgang Wu and Shihwei Huang in the first week, Yawen wu and Jialin Wang in the second. In my view, this concept worked well and made the experience very enjoyable and diverse as every tutor would bring in their own style of teaching peppered with their own knowledge and experience of Taiwanese culture. That way, you don’t get bored and get a more rounded view of Taipei and more generally Taiwanese traditions. I really enjoyed my time in the school and feel my Mandarin skills have improved a lot. Being on site allows you to put into practice what you learn in class as soon as you step outside the school. It doesn’t get better than this !!!

Although I have only been studying at LTL Chengdu for 8 days so far, my experience with the school actually began long before I arrived in China.

From the very first email I sent to enquire about the programme, the team was incredibly responsive, helpful, and professional. Despite the time zone differences, they always replied quickly, kindly, and with all the information I needed. They also helped me understand the visa process and the documentation required for my trip, which made preparing for my stay much less stressful.

What has impressed me most is the quality of the people at LTL. Every member of staff I have met has been polite, knowledgeable, and highly professional. Many have international experience, both teaching foreign students and working abroad, which creates a welcoming environment for students from all over the world. The management team and teachers are exceptionally organised, and everything runs smoothly and on time.

The learning experience extends far beyond the classroom. LTL regularly organises social and cultural activities where students can meet, practise Chinese, exchange ideas, and learn more about Chinese culture. These activities are not only educational but also a lot of fun. They have given me the opportunity to meet people from different countries, share experiences, and build new friendships.

Another aspect I really appreciate is the practical support provided by the school. As someone arriving in China for the first time, there were many things I did not know, from payment methods and useful apps to ordering food and navigating daily life. The staff were always happy to explain these things and help me become more comfortable and independent in my new environment.

My teacher Juan Tang deserves special recognition. I am essentially starting from the beginning with my Mandarin, and she has shown incredible patience throughout the learning process. She answers every question thoroughly and always provides multiple examples to ensure I fully understand how to use new words and phrases correctly. Her teaching style is clear, engaging, and encouraging, and I genuinely look forward to every lesson. From speaking and pronunciation to vocabulary and character writing, I feel that I am making progress every day.

The school itself is also located in a fantastic area. It is situated in a modern building with excellent facilities nearby, including cafés, restaurants, places to relax, and even a gym. The location is convenient, pleasant, and makes coming to class each day something I genuinely enjoy.

Perhaps what stands out most about LTL is the friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Students and teachers alike share knowledge, experiences, cultures, ideas, and, of course, plenty of jokes and laughter. It creates a community where learning feels natural and enjoyable.

Based on my experience so far, I can already say that choosing LTL Chengdu was an excellent decision. I am thoroughly enjoying my time here and can confidently say that I am already looking forward to returning next year.

I’ve now been in Chengdu for over 2 months. I wrote my first review after the first two weeks but now that I’m wrapping up my final week, here’s my final review!

My programme at LTL was curated to fit my needs. 7 weeks of study spread across 10 weeks (2 weeks of study followed by one week off x3 and then one final week of study). I’ve also had a mix of 2 hour 1-1 sessions and 4 hour 1-1 sessions. My first two weeks were 4 hours of 1-1 sessions everyday but then I switched to 2 hours a day a few weeks. I did this because I wanted more time in the day to wander around Chengdu and practice the skills I’d learnt during the day. In my opinion 4 hours a day works for a short period but over a long period it starts to take its toll. Massive thanks to the LTL team for being really flexible and letting me re-arrange my programme.

In terms of the actual programme content I’ve had the best teachers. My current teacher - Laura is excellent. TRULY EXCELLENT. We’ve worked together for the past few weeks and I only wish we had more time! She has been brilliant at teaching me new grammar and new words. One of the things I really appreciate is her in-depth teaching - deep explanations and breakdown of words (it helps to know this because it allows you to grasp other words and form new phrases. It’s been such a wonderful learning experience, my vocabulary has expanded exponentially since I started working with Laura.

Not only is she an excellent teacher, she is also a fun, warm-hearted and social individual. She has been a wonderful friend - from treating me to Michelin star “干拌面” to taking me cycling round the Chengdu Tianfu Greenway （天府绿道), taking me to a great massage spot and even gifting me a cake for birthday! Laura has truly helped me have a richer experience of Chengdu. Even though I’m not a local, I feel more like a local than a traveller just passing through. She’s also taught me a few local words and ways of saying things - this aligns with my goal because I really wanted to learn the colloquial way of communicating and not just the text book way. I’ve used some of the local words she taught me and the locals have been impressed!

All in all - massive thanks to Laura 老师！Also shout out to Ying 老师and Wu 老师for being great teachers and friends. My Chengdu experience would not have been the same without you.

Finally, my home stay experience was brilliant. Philomena and Ming were my hosts and they really took care of me. We did lots of social activities together and they also helped me feel very at home in Chengdu! and did I mention Kai Xin and Fudai?!?!?!? ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE kitties!!!!! 😻😻😻

I’ll truly miss Chengdu!

I moved to Chengdu with no idea that I was going to be able to speak Chinese. I started at level zero, basically with no ability to speak or read a single Chinese character. I couldn’t even understand someone speaking a single Chinese word to me at all. Meeting Alex老师 at LTL Chengdu has definitely changed my life, how I live here now, and shaped my viewpoint on the ability to speak Chinese. I personally think it’s one of the hardest languages to learn, and I was pretty nervous about it, with a little bit of doubt in myself as well. I was able to start understanding within 1.5 to 2 months and have been able to speak pretty full sentences within 3 to 4 months.

Alex is very patient and makes learning Chinese approachable, practical, and truly fun while making sure my personal learning needs are fully met. She designs lively, relatable lessons that make every minute of learning enjoyable. From the very first lesson, I already felt so positive about how my Chinese-learning journey was going to be. I truly value my time with Alex every single day because her personality is not only sweet and funny, but she’s also very determined when it comes to helping you improve. She never rushed me, patiently correcting my pronunciation and grammar mistakes with warmth and encouragement, which quickly erased my fear of speaking. She really cares about getting to know you better over time and honestly, she truly feels like a friend of mine at this point.

Nowadays, now that I’ve been in Chengdu for 4 to 5 months, I yearn to speak with the locals, go out by myself to shop, eat, and explore, and I can read a lot of things off street signs, restaurant menus, online purchases, etc. Who knew that learning to read Chinese characters would not be as intimidating as I first thought? She broke down the learning process by simply teaching me the most commonly used Chinese characters for daily life first and using fun, easy-to-follow methods to help me remember them. It’s exciting to be able to understand what people here are saying to me, and as a dancer, it’s a huge plus to finally know what’s going on in dance classes now haha. This is something I never thought I could achieve so quickly.

Alex is more than just a language teacher, she helped me feel confident and at home in Chengdu. She deeply understands the struggles of a foreigner learning Chinese from scratch and always creates a relaxing, supportive learning environment. Thanks to Alex, I’ve not only gained practical Chinese skills but also fallen in love with the process of learning the language and connecting with the local culture. I’ve also earned myself a friend who makes my life in Chengdu so much richer and more fulfilling! Thank you so much, Alex老师, for all you do 🥹

Shout out to PanPan, Unicorn, Ying, Cora, and Alan for helping me practice my Chinese with them! They always come up to me to converse in Chinese so I can improve faster and become less shy about practicing my Chinese with anyone, including strangers. LTL Chengdu is such a great environment to immerse myself in the language, culture, and socialization before going out into the “big world” (aka Chengdu city haha). So much love for this school!! 🩷📝

One of the best teachers I have ever had was a Chinese teacher who helped me improve my conversational Chinese in a way that felt natural and effective. What made her teaching style so valuable was her ability to balance real-world conversation practice with clear explanations of grammar and sentence structure whenever I became confused. This combination allowed me to develop both confidence and understanding at the same time.

During our lessons, she spent a significant amount of time simply talking with me in Chinese. Rather than focusing exclusively on textbooks, vocabulary lists, or memorization exercises, she encouraged natural conversations about daily life, work, travel, hobbies, and current events. These conversations helped me become more comfortable speaking Chinese in real situations. I was able to practice listening to native speech patterns, responding quickly, and expressing my thoughts without constantly translating everything in my head. Because of this approach, I gradually became more fluent and less afraid of making mistakes.

I attended this school for only two weeks, but honestly speaking, my experience has been extremely positive from the very first day. In my opinion, overall, I would definitely recommend this school to anyone who wants to learn Mandarin in a supportive and well-located environment here in Beijing. The school building itself is very nice, and it is located just one metro stop from Guomao, which is a very convenient area. First of all, the two teachers I had were wonderful in every way. Both of them were not only very knowledgeable but also very kind and patient with all of us. They were always well prepared for each lesson, each time with clear materials and engaging activities that made learning fun. What impressed me most was their ability to adapt to the different levels within the same class without any problem. The teachers always found a way to challenge the stronger students without leaving the rest behind at any moment.

Their door was always open, literally and figuratively, and that made a big difference for me. Secondly, the school's location is fantastic without a doubt. It is right in the center of Beijing, very close to a subway station, which made commuting easy every single day. But more than that, the school itself feels very welcoming as soon as you walk in. The classrooms are bright and clean, really well maintained, and there is a common area where students can have tea, chat, or study together whenever they want. Outside of class hours, students could also use empty classrooms to study alone, which I found very helpful. The staff at the reception were always friendly and ready to help with any administrative issue quickly and efficiently. The atmosphere is warm and encouraging, not stressful or competitive at all. I always looked forward to going to class, even during my short stay of just two weeks. Another positive experience was my host family. The school found me a family living just two metro stops away from the school, which was incredibly convenient for getting to class every morning. I stayed with a local eijing family, and they were very kind to me the whole time. Every morning they prepared a warm breakfast for me. In the evenings, we simply talked about the day in a relaxed way. They were patient with my broken Chinese , which I really appreciated, and they gently corrected me and taught me useful everyday expressions little by little. They cooked delicious home-style Beijing food almost every evening. I cannot thank them enough for their kindness , really. Finally, I will certainly recommend this school to friends and colleagues who are thinking of studying Chinese in China in the future. Whether you are a complete beginner or at an intermediate level, this school can offer you a solid learning experience that is worth the time. The combination of professional, caring teachers, a central and cozy location, and a very kind host family is hard to find anywhere else. I am definitely very happy to have chosen this school, even for just two weeks, and I am sure others will feel the same after trying it.

If you are looking to immerse yourself in the language and culture while making fast progress, this is absolutely the place to be.
The absolute highlight of my time there was the classes. A massive shoutout to Winnie and Jamie, my group class teachers and Katniss and Jeffrey, my 1 on 1 teachers. Their lessons are truly amazing and so much fun! They have a fantastic ability to break down complex grammar and vocabulary into digestible pieces while keeping the energy in the room high. I found myself engaging, and genuinely enjoying the learning process every single day.

Why LTL stands out:

Exceptional Teachers: Instructors like Winnie and Jamie bring immense passion and creativity to every lesson

Great Community: It is incredibly easy to meet fellow students from all over the world and practice Mandarin together

Prime Location: Studying in the heart of Shanghai adds a whole new layer of real-world immersion.

I was able to quickly pick up some basic Chinese thanks to having multiple teachers with different styles and speeds. I would like to thank Jia, Chiaoran, Valerie and Yawen for helping me learn and navigate in- and outside the school and Riona for showing us the best spots. They have also helped me prepare the next part of my trip and given me a space where i can ask questions safely. It is a good place to meet other language enthusiasts or fellow travellers to explore the city with. I will remember this time fondly.