SEMESTER IN VIETNAM

Yes, in fact the vast portion of semester students are beginners.

We will find a class that fits your level. If you’d like to learn some survival basics before you arrive in Vietnam, then our Flexi Classes for Vietnamese might be just the thing for you.

Absolutely not! Our semester programs in Vietnam welcome students of all ages and backgrounds.

Whilst semesters are normally associated with university students, at LTL all ages are welcome.

All of our classes take place Monday to Friday during the week, typically in the morning.

During busy periods, group classes may also run in the afternoon. 

The set class times cannot be changed; however, we are happy to help you switch to a different group class if there is space available.

Vietnam is packed with amazing things to see and do.

We are fully prepared every week.

Our staff produce a list of weekly social activities which students can partake in at their own free will. These range from visits to our favourite restaurants and bars, to trips to museums, art districts and much more.

Vietnamese has a reputation for being difficult, largely because of its six tones and the fact that it sounds unlike anything most Western learners have encountered before.

In practice though, the grammar is relatively straightforward compared to Chinese, Japanese or Korean, no verb conjugations, no grammatical gender, no complex script to memorise.

A full semester in Vietnam, surrounded by the language every day, gives you the immersive pressure that makes those tones click far faster than any classroom-only approach can manage.

Both cities are excellent choices, and the right answer depends entirely on what kind of experience you are after.

Hanoi is the capital, older, more traditional, with a slower pace and a dialect that is considered the standard form of Vietnamese.

Ho Chi Minh City is larger, faster, more international, and buzzing with energy around the clock.

Either way, you’re going to have a blast and learn a large amount of Vietnamese to back it up!

BONUS || We wrote a guide about the dialects of Saigon and Hanoi here.

According to the Foreign Service Institute, Vietnamese is classified as a Category III language for English speakers, requiring roughly 1,100 hours of study to reach professional working proficiency.

In practical terms, a single semester with LTL will take a complete beginner to some form of conversational level, enough to navigate daily life in Vietnam, hold real conversations with locals, and build a foundation for continued study.

Living in Vietnam full-time compresses that timeline significantly compared to studying part-time at home.

Simply put, small class sizes are crucial to this.

Imagine being in a class of 15 or 30, you can’t speak up. Your teacher cannot correct you.

There is no personal focus.

With LTL there is. You will form a close bond with your teacher(s) and they will get to know your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t underestimate those extra 5/10 minutes per class as well.

55 minutes compared to 45 minutes make a huge difference over a Semester.

We compared language school vs university studying here.

This will change according to what time of year you come and how busy the school is, but the class size is between 3 and 10 students depending on the destination you choose.

Yes you can.

Our semester program runs for 18 weeks, but if you wish you can also study for 36 weeks and double up.