For Parents

FAQs

What will it cost?

You can find the cost of our small group Chinese course, individual Chinese course and accommodation options on our website. As we know that all that information can be quite complex and sometimes a bit overwhelming, we are happy to go through the details with you. Just send us an email to let us know what you are looking for and we can send you a detailed quote for a program tailored to you.

What about the visas?

We can issue visa invitations for both students and accompanying family members.

Can I speak to some parents who organized this before?

Absolutely yes. Please contact us and let us know a bit more about you and your family as well as which languages you speak. We will then ask around in our parent alumni community who might have time to talk to you about their experience. You can also read some past experiences on our Chinese blog or search the internet for some reviews of previous participants.

How will my child get to school every day?

On the first day the homestay family will bring your child to school and pick them up afterwards so they can get familiar with the way. Depending on the homestay location, this can either be a short walk or via public transport. As your child can always reach us via phone if they have questions and China is very safe, usually our teenage students travel to and from the school afterwards alone. This has never been a problem and in our experience is completely sufficient. However, if you do want to book an additional accompanied transport option to and from the school this is of course also no problem.

Is it safe?

Beijing is one of the world’s safest capital cities and Chinese culture is very much focused on the well-being and safety of children. You might be surprised how caring teachers, homestay families or just regular people are about children. Children and looking after them is one of Confucianism central premises and remains so in China’s society today.

The main risk we want your child to pay special attention to is the traffic. While not as uncontrolled as in some parts of the world, driving habits in Beijing are more chaotic than in most western countries. We have never had any problems, but please pay special attention to let your child know that before crossing a road in Beijing one needs to look into ALL directions, be alert and should not be playing with a phone.

Will my child’s Mandarin improve?

Definitely. Immersed in a Chinese language environment, with motivated teachers and fun daily classes, Chinese language progress in China is much faster than back home. How much your child will progress will largely depend on which course and accommodation options you choose though. Students living with homestay families for example tend to improve much quicker as do those who study a combination of small group and 1on1 classes. If you want advice regarding options how to achieve the fastest Mandarin language program just ask us. We have been doing this for a long time.

Can I set rules for my child?

Yes you can. We will ask you to fill out a parent questionnaire before the course where you can decide what is ok and what is not for your child during it’s time at our language school in Beijing.

Who are the homestay families?

Homestays are the core and heart of LTL. LTL stands for Live the Language and for us this is not just a name but what everything we stand for. We want our students to truly live and experience Mandarin and there is no better way to do this than a homestay family. We have been working with homestay families since the day LTL started and have established a very big and reliable network of families over the years. 80% of LTL students live with host families. As homestay is not a very familiar concept to most Chinese, our families come to us through recommendations of friends and relatives. Our first family was the uncle of one of our teachers. We have worked with our families for a very long time, often seeing their own children grow up with their “guest siblings” and it is that special connection that makes living with a homestay such an amazing experience. We visit and inspect our families regularly. For quick language progress and a cultural experience we definitely recommend living with a homestay family. You will also fill out a registration form before the course to let us know regarding your preferences, based on which we will match your child with a suitable Chinese family.

Note: If you are coming together, it is possible for a parent and a child or a couple to live in the same homestay family together.