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Study Abroad in China // Immersion

Come and Study Abroad in China with this unique Chinese Immersion Course in China.

Studying abroad in China is the experience of a lifetime. That said, you want to be sure you’ll be getting the very best out of your time here, right?

Everyone comes to China to learn Chinese with the goal of at least being able to be conversational. With our Immersion Program, you will have no problems getting there.

The study abroad program involves coming to Beihai first to get your Chinese ahead as quickly as possible.

After that you’ll head north to Chengde (not the place with the pandas, that’s Chengdu) and enjoy a city with zero foreigners, zero big names brands, and zero English.

That right there, is what Immersion is all about.

Faster Than Ever

Real Immersion – This is proper a Chinese Immersion Course. No gimmicks, no false claims, no English
Great teaching – Study abroad in China individually to make the quickest possible progression with your Chinese

Chengde: Proper China

Chengde – Chengde is home to UNESCO sites and the Mandarin there is the most standard in all of China
Sights – Chengde boasts loads to do. Visit the Old Summer Palace, Putuo Temple, Wooden Buddha and much more

English, Where?

24/7 Mandarin – There are no expats in Chengde and a small handful in Beihai. Don’t just speak Chinese in the classroom
Just You and Your Teacher – All classes are 1-on-1 lessons meaning you don’t give in to the temptation to speak English

Beihai: Beauty at the Beach

Beaches – Beihai boasts the best beaches in all of China and the best thing is, even many Chinese don’t know about this place!
The LTL family – Everyone here shares the same passion. Learning Chinese. Join this special and compact community

The LTL Chinese Immersion Course

What is Immersion?

Immersion is the method of exclusively using a language to learn it quicker.

But how can we guarantee an immersive experience?

Good question and one we get asked a lot. Immersion isn’t about what you do inside the classroom, it’s about what you do outside the classroom. We all speak Chinese in school but do we all use it after? The answer is no, and you’d be surprised at how easy it is to default back to English or your native language.

This is where Chengde comes in…

Chengde is a city, of fair size still, but boasting no foreigners (only LTL students). There is no school in Chengde so although you can arrange to meet other students, 98% of your time (and 100% in many cases) will be spent with Chinese people, speaking Chinese.

That’s how you achieve immersion!

In the bigger Chinese cities, it’s very easy to find a foreign community and stick to socialising within it, but therein lies the reason why you won’t achieve immersion in China.

Chinese Immersion Course // Starting Dates

If you have studied some Mandarin previously, you can start your Chinese immersion course on any Monday. If you are a complete beginner, you should start your Chinese course in Beihai on the following dates:

  • 5 Dec, 2022
  • 16 Jan, 2023
  • 13 Feb, 2023
  • 6 Mar, 2023
  • 27 Mar, 2023
  • 17 Apr, 2023
  • 15 May, 2023
  • 5 Jun, 2023
  • 26 Jun, 2023
  • 17 Jul, 2023
  • 7 Aug, 2023
  • 28 Aug, 2023
  • 25 Sep, 2023
  • 23 Oct, 2023
  • 13 Nov, 2023
  • 4 Dec, 2023

Study Abroad in China – Immersion Programs

 ProgramBeihaiChengde
Standard20h/wk Small Group20h/wk 1-on-1
Individual20h/wk 1-on-120h/wk 1-on-1
Intensive20h/wk Small Group & 10h/wk 1-on-130h/wk 1-on-1

Immersion Program – Pricing Structure (CNY)

The minimum duration for the Immersion program is one month.

This allows you to spend two weeks in Beihai to get your Chinese level up as quickly as possible and then two weeks in Chengde. Of course, the longer you join the great the discount and the greater the rewards!

WeeksStandardIndividualIntensive
4 wks11,62219,03018,835
6 wks14,62425,20024,922
8 wks17,32030,74230,389
10 wks19,73335,70335,282
12 wks2188440,12439,644
14 wks2476446,04445,484
16 wks27,64451,96451,324
+2 wks+2,880 / 2 wks+5,920 / 2 wks+5,840 / 2 wks

Included: Survival Kit Standard Beihai & Chengde, Transport from Beihai to Chengde, all tuition fees, airport pick-up, text books and 24/7 support.

Does not include: Accommodation

Chengde Survival Kit Standard

LIVING WITH A HOMESTAY – STUDENTS TALK HOMESTAYS

ACCOMMODATION IN CHENGDE

Homestay

Here’s the deal – A homestay is the best and quickest way to immerse yourself fully into the Chinese language.

When you come to study abroad in China you will be at the utmost comfort in our homestays:

You’ll have your own bedroom and a bathroom which is either your own, or shared.

Living with a family in China is all about the experience and is not just accommodation. The chance to make bonds that last a lifetime, to become a part of a loving family, and share fantastic homemade food everyday.

Many of our students also make friends for life, visiting their homestay families regularly afterwards.

But what about the family, how do you match us?

You will fill out a questionnaire before coming to LTL which will give us an idea of the type of homestay you will fit into. This will also allows us to see if you have any dietary requirements or are allergic to anything. All these factors are vital when selecting your host family.

TIP – To improve as fast as possible, we recommend to stay with a homestay in both cities. In Beihai roughly 80% of our students stay with a homestay. In Chengde that number is 95%.

Shared Apartments

Shared apartments are a great option if you are on a budget coming to China.

Your Shared Apartment will be:

USEFUL TIP – You will be the only foreigner at your apartment so it’s a great chance to practice your Chinese outside of class, but remember friendships are sometimes harder to forge in China than the West, some of your housemates might be quite shy so bare this in mind.

ACCOMMODATION PRICES (Chinese Yuan)

Beihai Apartments

More information regarding prices for our Beihai apartments is coming soon. Please contact us if you have any immediate questions.

Homestay in Chengde

Includes:

  • Your own private bedroom
  • Meals – options dependant above
  • Dietary requirements to your choosing
  • WiFi and Bills

Shared Apartments in Chengde

Includes:

  • WiFi and Bills
  • Your own private bedroom
  • Shared or private bathroom depending on placement
  • Access to all common areas in the flat

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I go to Chengde straight away?

Yes, but we advise against it unless you are familiar with China… why do we say that?

Chengde is not for the faint hearted, it’s not somewhere you just go with no knowledge of China, or Chinese. You need to have the basics in place or learning will be frustrating and awkward. This is why the program includes time in Beihai, where you can find your feet, get used to China and then head north to Chengde fully prepared.

Here are some useful links well worth reading if you want to know more about Chengde:

– What is Extreme Chinese Immersion?

– How is Life in Chengde?

A guide to Chengde – for the students, by the students

Do I need to be fluent to survive in Chengde?

No you certainly don’t.

Chengde is an immersive environment but it’s all about improving your language ability faster. There is no minimum requirement for Chinese ability when you come to study abroad in China.

We just want to give you the best chance possible to succeed, therefore going to Chengde with at least two weeks intensive classes should see you set.

Do you have a support team in Chengde?

Yes we do.

Our manager in Chengde, Zhongwen, is a Chengde local and knows every finite detail about the city. She, along with your teacher and any other students, means you always have support (not least from our staff in Beijing, Shanghai and Taiwan who will always be willing to throw a helping hand).

Are Beihai and Chengde safe places?

They really are!

In terms of safety, it doesn’t really get a lot safer than China. People are friendly and open and crime is something that really isn’t prominent in China.

Will I become fluent?

Becoming “fluent” is a broad question and depends on many factors.

For example – how long are you coming to China for? Are you willing to truly immerse yourself? Will you revise all your class notes? Will you make Chinese friends? Will you embrace Chinese culture? Will you change your phone language to Chinese?

All these factors coupled together will define your success rate, but it’s important to set a goal pre-arrival. Our director of studies can help you do this.

Where will I study?

Depending on your location…

In Beihai, classes are at the LTL School but classes in Chengde will be at coffee shops, your homestay or a convenient location you can discuss with your teacher.

What our Students say

Max Braun Testimony for LTL
Max Braun
Germany
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"The pace of life is slower (in Chengde), for example your homestay has time to take you out for dinner regularly, people approach you more openly and if you want to have social interactions it will only be possible with Chinese."

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Zander Testimony for LTL
Zander
UK
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"Although I was mainly preparing for my exams I can see how easy it would be to immerse yourself into the culture of Chengde. Foreigners are so rare that everyone is very excited and happy to chat with you. I passed my HSK 6!"

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Eleonora Testimony for LTL
Eleonora
Italy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"I really liked the idea of the ‘Full Immersion Program’, as it sounded unique. The LTL environment is very friendly, it was really easy to meet people and make new friends. I hope to return to China and to LTL."

Read More

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