My 13-year old daughter and I both signed up for classes with LTL, and we had an incredible experience.  She did a homestay, and it was a fantastic experience for her.  Not only was it the first time she had stayed with a family that she didn't know, but also had to speak Chinese!  They did speak a little English, so she wasn't completely immersed (by her choice), but really learned so much about the Chinese culture, lifestyle and food.  She had taken Chinese lessons before, both privately and in school, and based on those experiences, we were a little worried that the teachers might be very strict and into rote learning.  We were optimistic about LTL based on their website and our conversations with Andreas; however, the reality was better than we had hoped for.  The teachers were fun and enthusiastic, and we both found ourselves really looking forward to all the classes.  They felt like fun, not work.  You can progress as quickly (or slowly) as you want, based on how much studying you want to do, and obviously there are millions of people just outside the door to practice with.  My daughter is begging to do it again this Christmas (as am I) -- the only limitation is time!   - Stephanie