BEST CHINESE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
I was with LTL in Chengde for 4 months from September to December. I came to 承德 Chengde with basically no knowledge of the chinese language (only had a 2 weeks crash course before coming here) and I left Chengde speaking at an HSK 4 Level which is enough for daily conversations and a great foundation for the future learning chinese journey. Chengde is the perfect place to learn Chinese because first of all the Chinese language they speak today originates from around here so they speak the cleanest Chinese you will find in China (even some older generations). And secondly there are no foreigners in Chengde and the English level of the Chinese here is really bad - which is good for you because if you really want to see an improvement in your Chinese that's the best environment one could ask for! I also lived in Shanghai and Beijing and other places in China after my time in chengde and I have to admit it is nowhere so easy to improve like in chengde. It's super easy to make friends, since you will be kinda treated like a star where ever you go. Everyone wants to talk to you (good for your learning) and wants to do something with you. So even for introverted shy people it will be great, if you can overcome certain social fears. People are super friendly and nice everywhere here. Haven't had one bad experience! For LTL i can say that the host family is got assigned too was amazing! I could talk to their kids and the parents after and before school and we went out on weekends to do something together. I also didn't have a curfew or anything so If I decided to go to a bar to test my Chinese in a different setting it was totally fine. The LTL coordinator in Chengde alao had sooo many activities on hand and if you are ever bored she will have some could ideas ready immediately. Living with an LTL host family is so beneficial for ur Chinese and your general experience of Chinese culture, especially since you're in a small Chinese city (still 350.000 people but for Chinese standards tiny). Don't be afraid to come here. There are bars, nightclub, sport clubs, a bunch of activities, traditional Chinese parks, sightseeing spots and so much more. It will be the best time! The classes at LTL are very open for your criticize, if you dont like something just tell at the teacher and she/ he will change it up. Very easy and straight forward! I really miss my time there, so everyone i am in north china I go to Chengde to visit my former host family for a few days 🥰 Erik :)