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Overview

Learn Chinese in China in up to three different cities and combine rapid language progress with experiencing Chinese culture. China is a big country and the local culture in a modern and international city like Shanghai is very different to a small historic town like Chengde. With the multi city program you get to learn Mandarin in different parts of China within the same program. You will start at our Shanghai language school and then either move on to continue your studies in the Central Business District of Beijing, move to China’s old summer capital Chengde (not Chengdu) for a complete immersion experience or combine all three into an epic Shanghai, Beijing and Chengde experience.

  • Study Chinese and explore China
  • Study at two or three different LTL language schools
  • Rapid language progress
  • Includes all transport, 24/7 support and full organisation
  • Flexible durations and course options
  • Learn Chinese Fast

    Learn Chinese Fast

    Intensive: study Mandarin intensively in a continuous program
    Great teachers: learn Chinese with certified LTL teachers
    Great Curriculum: follow our study plan while exploring China
    Small groups: average of 3 and max. of 6 students per class

  • Experience China

    Experience China

    Explore: study in different Chinese cities during your language course
    North vs. South: experience both Northern and Southern Chinese culture
    Small vs. Big: live both in a big and a smaller Chinese city
    Traditional vs. Modern: from ultra-modern Shanghai to traditional China

  • Meet people quickly

    Meet people quickly

    Community: join the local LTL community and meet other students
    Events: school dinners, city tours & after class drinks every week
    Trips: explore other parts of China with our school’s weekend trips
    Join the family: the LTL family extends through all three schools

  • Smooth organisation

    Smooth organisation

    All inclusive: transport, pick ups, accommodation, courses all organised
    Visa: full student visa invitation documents from LTL Mandarin School
    Accommodation: Choose between homestay or shared apartment
    Support: student advisors and 24/7 emergency support in each city

The Cities

Shanghai

With 25 million inhabitants, Shanghai is not only Chinas most modern and international city, but today one of the financial and business centers of the world. An amazing nightlife, a breathtaking skyline, the old colonial heritage and the dynamism of one of the world’s fastest growing cities make living in Shanghai an unforgettable cultural experience.

Beijing

China’s capital is the cultural heart of the country. The city has 56 different universities, 1.5 million university students, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City as well as countless smaller temples, pagodas and palaces waiting to be discovered. At the same time the Central Business District is a very dynamic area where you can explore China’s economic miracle first hand. For foodies Beijing offers an amazing choice of different cuisines, restaurants and choices.

Chengde (not Chengdu)

The old imperial Qing summer capital is located in the mountains North of Beijing, just next to the Great Wall. Home to the Old Summer Palace, the Putuo Temple and many other historic sites, Chengde is today a UNESCO world heritage site. With 500,000 inhabitants it is relatively small and comes with a very relaxed pace of life, great air and plenty of hiking and other outdoor activities being available. It is also the birthplace of modern Mandarin Chinese. Nowhere else in China do they speak better standard Mandarin than here. However, there are no expats, no international community and nobody speaks or understands English in Chengde. This is complete Chinese immersion and the real China at it’s best.

Metropolitan China

Shanghai-Beijing

Study Mandarin in China’s two main cities. Shanghai and Beijing are not only fierce rivals for the top spot as “China’s greatest city”, but also have very different local cultures and histories. While Shanghai is very outward looking, modern and likes to compare itself to cities like New York, Paris of London, Beijing is the guardian of China’s culture and heritage. While Shanghai is the center of Eastern China, Beijing dominates the North and you will quickly discover that there are very big cultural and historic differences between those two parts of the country. Your Chinese course will start in Shanghai for the first half after which you will move on to Beijing.

You can choose between three program options.

Metropolitan China Standard

Includes 20 hours of small group Mandarin classes per week, first at our downtown Shanghai school in the old French Concessions and then at LTL Beijing, located in the heart of Beijing’s Central Business District.

Metropolitan China Standard Price

Duration Price (CNY)
4 weeks 10,327
6 weeks 13,681
8 weeks 16,712
10 weeks 19,420
12 weeks 22,047
14 weeks 25,279
16 weeks 28,512
extra 2 weeks 3,231

Metropolitan China Intensive

This is the program to maximize your language progress and get ahead with your Mandarin as fast as possible. In both cities you will have 20 hours of small group classes, plus a further 10 hours of private Chinese classes per week.

Metropolitan China Intensive Price

Duration Price (CNY)
4 weeks 17,996
6 weeks 24,700
8 weeks 30,758
10 weeks 36,169
12 weeks 41,419
14 weeks 47,881
16 weeks 54,342
extra 2 weeks 6,462

Metropolitan China Individual

Learn Mandarin at your pace and tailor your course to your needs. You will get 20 hours of private Chinese tuition in both Shanghai and Beijing. Comes with a free individual study plan, language assessment and study topic options.

Metropolitan China Individual Price

Duration Price (CNY)
4 weeks 17,996
6 weeks 24,700
8 weeks 30,758
10 weeks 36,169
12 weeks 41,419
14 weeks 47,881
16 weeks 54,342
extra 2 weeks 6,462

You can choose any  course from four to 52 weeks, please contact us at info@livethelanguage.cn for a full quotation. Prices include all textbooks, transport between the cities, airport pick up, a local SIM card with data plan, a bicycle, 24/7 support and full access to the LTL student community and support network.

Accommodation

You can combine your program with a homestay, shared apartment or organize our own accommodation. Prices for LTL accommodation options in Shanghai and Beijing are the same.

3 City Combo

Shanghai-Beijing-Chengde

Split your Chinese program between Shanghai, Beijing and Chengde. You start in super modern and international Shanghai, then move to more traditional, but still very developed and international Beijing and finish in Chengde where nobody speaks English and you will be fully immersed into Chinese culture. For anyone who truly wants to understand and experience China, while quickly learning Mandarin, this program is for you!

Choose from the following three programs

Three City Standard

You will study 20 hours of small group Chinese classes per week in both Shanghai and Beijing. However once you arrived in Chengde we do not want you to speak English anymore at all and you will have 20 hours of private classes to make sure you are not tempted to use English with your classmates.

 

Three City Standard Price

Duration Price (CNY)
6 weeks 17,650
9 weeks 23,546
12 weeks 28,796
15 weeks 35,258
18 weeks 41,719
21 weeks 48,181
extra 3 weeks 6,462

Three City Intensive

Improve your Chinese at maximum speed with the Three City Intensive program. You will have 20 hours of small group and 10 hours of private Chinese classes per week in Shanghai and Beijing. In Chengde you will be studying 30 hours of individual classes every week with a private Chinese tutor. Of all the different options to study Mandarin in China, this is the one that will help you to improve your Chinese the fastest.

Three City Intensive Price

Duration Price (CNY)
6 weeks 28,675
9 weeks 38,993
12 weeks 48,181
15 weeks 59,488
18 weeks 70,796
21 weeks 82,104
extra 3 weeks 11,308

Three City Individual

Tailor your course to your individual needs and preferences with the Three City Individual Chinese Program. In each one of the three cities you will study 20 hours of private Chinese classes. This program is most suitable for students who want to specifically focus on a certain topic like learning tones, Chinese characters, improve their spoken Chinese, grammar or want to improve in a specific area of the language.

Three City Individual Price

Duration Price (CNY)
6 weeks 25,000
9 weeks 33,844
12 weeks 41,719
15 weeks 51,411
18 weeks 61,104
21 weeks 70,796
extra 3 weeks 9,692

Prices already include all course materials, transport between the three cities, airport pick up, 24/7 emergency support, access to the LTL student community and of course full LTL support in all of China.

The Chinese Immersion Program

Shanghai-Chengde

Our Chinese complete immersion program is so popular that we created a special page for it. Please have a look there for more details on how to first study Chinese in Shanghai and then immerse yourself into the “real China”.

What Our Students Say

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get from one city to the next?

We will organize all transport for you. From Shanghai to Beijing this will either be via plane or high speed train and to Chengde via train, because the city does not have an airport. You will be of course be picked up at the train station or airport and brought to your accommodation after arrival.

Are the language schools in the three cities very different?

While of course each school has it’s unique charm and personality, the LTL language schools in Shanghai and Beijing are very similarly structured with a central location, small groups, a lot of social activities and in general a very fun and relaxed environment. In Chengde however the focus shifts from meeting other students and social school events to making sure you immerse yourself completely in Chinese culture. Depending on your preferences, we will for example organize for you to join a local sports team, a hiking club or choir to make sure you are always surrounded by Mandarin speakers only and not tempted to speak English with other foreigners.

What are living costs like?

Except rent, living costs in China are in general very modest. Even at our Shanghai school, lunch only costs about 3 USD and we get a lot of special drink deals for our students with the local bars in the area. Overall however, Chengde is definitely the cheapest city to live in and most students spend very little money there, as a taxi ride through the whole town costs only about 2 USD and a full dinner with plenty of beer usually about 4 USD – though in many cases you will be invited by your Chinese friends anyways and it will be completely free.

What is life like in Chengde?

Chinese, traditional, exciting, and sometimes a little bit strange – life in Chengde is very different to living in an international city like Beijing or Shanghai. After class you might be going for some square dancing with your homestay mother and the other aunties from the neighbourhood, go for a hike in the nearby mountains with your teacher and their friends or stroll through the enormous gardens of the Old Summer Palace. On the weekend trips you might go horse riding in the Mongolian grasslands, do sports or join a choir (people in Chengde love to sing) for some music.

The nightlife however cannot compare to what is offered in a city like Shanghai, there are no Irish pubs or pizza joints to hang out with other foreigners and you will be surrounded by local Chinese all day.

Is it ok for a complete beginner to join?

Yes absolutely. Almost half of our students know no Chinese at all when they arrive at our school and this is not a problem at all. In 2017 we have complete beginner courses starting on the following dates.

Mar 6th, Mar 27th, Apr 17th, May 15th, June 5th, June 26th, July 10th, July 24th, Aug 7th, Aug 21st, Sep 11th, Oct 9th, Oct 30th, Nov. 20th, Dec. 11th

How should I prepare for the program?

You will receive a full pre course information pack from us before your arrival telling you all you need to know from what kind of software you will need in China, what to bring and how to prepare. In general though, not too much special preparation is needed. There is almost nothing you cannot buy in Shanghai and we will do all the pre-course organization for you here.

What do you recommend for accommodation?

There are many different options and please spend a bit of time to look through the page to find out what suits you best or contact us with any questions you might have. In our experience the best way to experience Chinese culture is usually a homestay though and about 80% of LTL students live in homestays. If you want to keep costs down a bit, it can a good idea to live in a “teach English homestay” in Shanghai for example, but for Beijing and Chengde we would recommend a standard homestay for maximum language progress.

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