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EF International Language Campuses

Why choose EF International Language Campuses?

The world is waiting. Learn a language abroad.

See the world, experience a new culture, and make friends from around the world as you prepare for your global future. EF's fun and interactive classes help you learn faster while living the language first hand. Earn college credit, participate in an internship, and explore your dream destination abroad. Start any Monday and study from two weeks and up, or join us for a semester or year abroad. We also offer University Preparation courses for students looking to attend college in France or Germany.

Website
www.ef.edu
Founded
1965

Reviews

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Stella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fun times in France

I spent a month in Saint Raphael this summer with EF. I had so much fun and made connections around the world. Great if you’re just starting out! It got so hot in the classrooms though in south France. You have to get your own water bottle because we only got water at meal times but that was just me as an American ha. I loved going to places on the weekend like Monaco and Antibes. That’s probably my favorite part! I am an Ambassador for them and they treat me really well! Have fun traveling!!!!!

Pros
  • fun
Cons
  • hot in the summer
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Jule
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

EF Highschool Exchange Year

I went on a high school exchange year with EF a year ago, and it was the best year of my life! 
EF has always supported me throughout my Exchange Year. And even gives me a chance to inspire new exchange students after my exchange year as an ambassador. My exchange gave me the chance to learn about myself, other cultures, and to find a second family and friends from all over the world! Thank you for making me realize that I want to go to college there. Thank you to the whole EF-Family who made this year so special!

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Carsten
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fun Program! Almost too much fun :)

I signed up for 3 weeks in Malaga, and I liked it so much I extended my stay to 4 weeks! The social scene is great, you meet plenty of fun people and learn so much about other cultures. But you're meeting them all in english. Most people leave the spanish at school and don't want to go through the effort of socializing in spanish. So, try as you might, you won't really get a ton of speaking practice outside of school. As long as you apply yourself during the classes though, you'll still learn a lot. Not as fast as you do in some more focused programs, but that's the price you pay for the great social/party scene. Speaking of the party scene, if you are under 18 you simply aren't going to have as fun a time unless you have a group of other under 18-year olds who don't like partying, which I didn't see once during my summer. If you are under 18 and do like clubs and partying, I will say that the law is more of a suggestion there.
Also: the host families are awful. You are guaranteed to have a max of 5 kids in your host family... Except that rule is often broken. I was fortunate enough to switch from an awful family with 8 kids to the literal "#1 Host Family Malaga," so I ended up being ok. But my advice: don't spend the extra money to stay with a host family. You won't end up interacting with them and actually practicing spanish a ton, and you almost certainly will get something uncomfortable and dirty. But I won't end on that bad note; overall I had an amazing time and would definitely recommend it!

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Benjamin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Ef Tokyo

I am 16 years old and my trip with Ef Tokyo was my first trip abroad alone.This trip was my favorite vacation ever and I have made so many friends from Japan and other countries. I was only with Ef Tokyo for two weeks but I learned a decent amount of Japanese while I was there. While in Tokyo you have a lot of free time and you can go wherever you would like. You can go throughout the country independently which was something surprising but definitely something I enjoyed. I took trips to Akihabara, Kyoto, Harujuku, Shinjuku, and so many other places. My residence was 1 hour by train away from the school which is in the heart of Shibuya which is an awesome location. One thing I didn’t like about the school was the time of the classes because some days they were at 9 while others were at 18:00. I loved meeting new people while I was in Japan especially Japanese people because it gave me a new perspective of life in Japan. I made a Japanese friend that
took me too his home town’s festival. If you go to Ef Tokyo you will have so much fun and make so many friends no matter how long you go. I really recommend Tokyo even if you are like me and knew 0 Japanese when you arrived. I’ll be honest it is sometimes hard to get around without being able to speak Japanese but I could always rely on google translate so I’m the end it was okay. I also really enjoyed the activities the school provided. My favorite one was my trip to Kyoto where I bought a model katana and learned about Japan’s history. If you like the city or the country side Ef Tokyo is great because in 1 hour from the residence is the heart fi Tokyo and 1 hour the other way you can visit beaches and mountains. I am so glad I did Ef Tokyo even though I was super nervous in the beginning. The staff was great and everyone there is super nice I really do recommend visiting Ef Tokyo! Oh one more thing the food! I loved the food you can get such good food for so cheap. Japan is the most beautiful country I have visited and I hope everyone can experience Japan once in their lives!

Pros
  • The school is in the heart of Tokyo
  • Students have freedom to travel anywhere in the Country
  • I made so many friends from Japan and other countries
Cons
  • Classes can be long and at awkward times
  • Many people don’t speak English in Japan so it can sometimes be hard
  • Residence is a little far from the school and transportation can add up.
Default avatar
Kristina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Rome EF 4 weeks

I traveled to Rome for 4 weeks through EF and have had the most amazing experience. I stayed through the Dotcsmpus which is about 20 min away from the center and school. Overall, this trip has been the time of my life, Rome is a beautiful city, with so much culture and history but I also had the opportunity to really learn some Italian while being here through a couple of my instructors at the school. On top of all of this, within this experience I’ve met incredible people from all over the world, in which I will see again in my future. Truly the best trip!

Pros
  • Fast education
  • Friends
  • Travel and explore
Cons
  • Living standards
  • Class times
  • Bus in Rome

Jobs

Programs

Displaying 1 - 9 of 18

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Tanya Villafuerte

Why did you choose this program?

I choose this program because I go to art school and I have always loved art. Rome, having being the home to multiple artists, not only allowed to me to get to learn a new language and meet new people, but also to dig closer into the fascinating pieces it holds in all the museums and national sites. It also has great food.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I won this trip as a part of a giveaway, so EF practically arranged everything for me. The housing, the flights and the program itself was carefully taken care by the team, which made it super easy, stress-free and enjoyable overall. And Fiona was super sweet and easy to reach; she also gave me all the info I needed to chose a course and everything.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I would say just go, even if you don't know anything about the language, the food, the metro or whatever is holding you. You will eventually find out - it is just way easier than expected, and you will find people around the path that will gladly show you and teach you all you may need to know. Also, I would recommend staying at a host family; this way you get more involved.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

An average day to me would have been going to class in the morning from 8am till like 2pm, and then I would probably grab lunch somewhere new, and then wander around the shops, the streets or the free museums. At night, I would maybe go out or hangout with my roommate. Gelate was always the way to end my day.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was the homestay and getting around.

In my previous travels with EF, I always stayed at their residences, which made it super easy to get around, while this time I had to take the metro and the bus to get to the school, and having no knowledge on the language scared me because I thought I was going to be lost all the time.

What is close to Rome to visit on a Day trip?

Any weekend you can take a bus, a train or a flight to other cool cities like Venice, Florence, Naples, Milan, among other cool trips outside of Italy for a weekend getaway. It's easy to book and cheap, especially if you book with friends to keep you company.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Stephen Cai

Job Title
School Director
Stephen is fun and passionate, and he is always right there to help whenever you need him. :)
Stephen Cai

What is your favorite travel memory?

I had countless beautiful travel memories! But my favorite is definitely when I went to Lake Louise in Banff in 2014.

I had my dream come true by doing a road trip in western Canada and finally got to sit there on my own and take in the stunning but peaceful view of the Lake. The great nature always fascinates me the most where many great memories were left.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

The biggest change comes from within. We meet students from all parts of the world and see them grow every day, and being part of this program, I also become more open to different cultures.

I love being with our students and listening to how much they find China a great place to explore. Working with EF as a school director also helps me understand customer services are everywhere in the school.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

It has to be the transformation that I see in our students, both in language and, more importantly, in the ability to embracing differences. Hayato from Japan did not speak a word of Mandarin when he first arrived in April and was quite negative towards the cultural difference between China and Japan; however, after a 9-month course, he can now have conversations with all the staff in Mandarin, and he's mentoring new students with some personal tips to help them adapt to the Chinese culture.

A star student for sure! :)

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

The language Academic Year program! Seeing how much fun our students have had and how much they have grown as a person really inspired me. You can not only improve your language skills during an academic year program but also make friends and become more independent. Just be a bit more specific, I wish I could also do a one-year program in EF Barcelona learning Spanish one day. :)

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

I think we do live by our company's core values and mission of "Opening the world through education", which gives us motivation and reasons why we work.

When people share the same values and a common goal, they work as a team and give their best towards the customers/students day in and day out. And that's what makes EF very very special. I am proud of the team every single minute because we are changing the world for a better place by breaking down barriers through education! Seriously!

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I've been working with EF for almost 10 years now and I've been also speaking to a lot of colleagues, and if you ask them the same question, the answer is going to be the same: it's the PEOPLE, and people with the good company culture fit.

I truly believe there's no job that cannot be done by a group of people with a tremendous passion for education that paired up with the "Nothing is Impossible" philosophy. In the meantime, being flexible and agile as a company is also key in my opinion.

Professional Associations

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