Students frequently asked questions

LanguageBookings.com's main office is in Dublin, Ireland. Although we do not have an office in every city in the world, we have student advisors who speak different languages and can answer your questions in English, French, German, Spanish and Italian through live chat, email, phone or Skype.

 Contact is handled wholly through the site up until a booking request is confirmed. Prior to this stage, you can use Message box to approach schools and hosts. This allows us to provide you with customer service and maintain your privacy.

The online registration process saves on administration costs and the distribution of information about the courses. The schools online (as opposed to in catalogues) also reduces costs significantly. These savings are then passed onto the clients. Therefore, you can benefit from a superior service at the lowest prices available.

 
Booking with us is really easy. You just have to go to the link of the school you are interested in. Where it says COURSE and then START, you select the dates you wish to study there. Afterwards, you select how many weeks you want to study.

You then select the course you wish to attend. You can add optional services, such as accommodation and airport transfer. If you would like to add these additional services, you need to go further down the page where you will find the section relating to ACCOMMODATION. You select the option of the type of accommodation you want (You do not have to select the dates here if they are the same as the course - they are automatically selected).
After the Accommodation, you have another option,  that of TRANSFER. This option allows you to book a transport that will pick you up at the airport and will take you to your residence or host family.

Once you have selected all these options, on your right hand side, you are going to see a summary of your reservation with all the information about the course and the accommodation, together with their prices. Also, the deposit you have to pay will be displayed there. You just have to press the Orange Button that says BOOK NOW and this will take you to another page to enter your personal details. When you are booking you only have to pay the little deposit. After that, we will contact the school and request your booking. When your booking is confirmed by the school or host, they will hold your place until the your booking balance is paid in full. The same applies for the accommodation. You can pay either with credit card, paypal account or bank transfer; as you prefer. This deposit you pay now will be discounted from the total price. The rest of the money will not have to be paid until 15 days before your course starts. In any case, you will be receiving emails about your deposit payments; and also, reminders about the rest of the money when it needs to be paid.

 You can find the availability status underneath each price on the school / host page. Nevertheless, if you submit a reservation request and your place is not available, the deposit paid will be 100% refunded.

Best price guaranteed: 100% guaranteed  that you pay the lowest price. We offer you the lowest possible course rates - you never pay more than if you booked directly with the school itself or anywhere else. Besides, our service is free. We do not charge for any booking fees.

Trust & Safety: We are a marketplace that promotes trust and collaboration. This is the reason why we have built the best ever class tools and services to surely assist and hone you into making the right decisions. Find students' reviews, host references, school quality seals and accreditations, ... learn more

Customer Support: If you ever need assistance, you will always be able to call our customer support whether you are a host, a school, a guest or a student. Before, during and after your course, we are here for you. You can easily contact our experienced and friendly consultants. We are always a click away from e-mail, phone call, skype or even live chat!

Your booking 100% confirmed: It is very unlikely that something goes wrong with your booking once confirmed by the school. In fact we are so confident, that if you do not achieve a place for a course at the selected school, we will credit your account with your full deposit and find another possible alternative for you.

The start dates of intensive and standard language courses are generally flexible. If you have some basic knowledge of the language, you will be able to start any Monday of the year at almost any school. If you are a total beginner, courses usually start once or twice a month.
You should be aware that language schools have more students in July and August than during any other time of year, which means that course fees, housing prices and the overall cost of living are often more expensive during this time. If you would like to book a course in July or August, you should do so very early: schools have limited spots and might be booked well in advance for the high season. Your chances to get your preferred housing type are also greater if you book your course early. Housing options near the school are especially difficult to secure in the summer and tend to fill up quickly.
Language courses during the low season (September to June) are not only less expensive, but also have smaller classes. If you are able to wait to take your courses during this time you will pay less for your courses, and  you may even receive better housing, since demand is much lower. Please, review this information within the language course details on the language school page.

The maximun students per class and the average number of students per class is specified on each language course information within language school page.

Many schools provide organized activities after the courses, such as trips to museums or to other cities. This will help you to meet other students and have a nice time throughout your stay. Please, check the information for each school to find out more.

Most of the language courses are available for all levels: Beginner, Elementary - Level A1, Pre-Intermediate - Level A2, Intermediate - Level B1, Upper Intermediate - Level B2, Advanced - Level C1 and Proficient - Level C2. Therefore, also students with no or little knowledge of the language can join a course. Please check the detailed information of each course to make sure that the language course that you wish to attend is available for your language level. Please, note that students will take a level test in order to assess their language level and will be placed in a class with students of the same level.

You certainly can. In fact, booking the accommodation is optional.
Booking with us is really easy. You just have to go to the link of the school you are interested in.
Where it says COURSE and then START, then you select the dates you wish to spend studying. After that, you select the course you have chosen. Once you have selected these options, on your right hand side, you are going to visualize a summary of your reservation with all the information about the course, together with its prices. Also the deposit you have to pay will be displayed there. You just have to press the Orange Button that says BOOK NOW (place the inverted commas) and it will take you to another page to enter your personal details. When you are booking, you only have to pay the small deposit. This assures your place in the school. You can pay either with credit card, paypal account or bank transfer; as you prefer. This deposit you pay now will be discounted from the total price. The rest of the money has to be paid until 15 days before your course starts. In any case, you will be receiving emails about your deposit payments; and also reminders about the rest of the money when needs to be paid.

 In general, most student or tourist visas do not allow you to work. In the US, the F-1 student visa restricts work authorization for international students enrolled in language studies. In Canada, the Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) does not provide work authorization. In the UK, the student visitor visa does not allow you to work.

 Yes. Most of the schools provide a certificate of attendance after the students finished the course. To ensure that you will receive a certificate at the end of the course, please check the language course information within language school page.

 We have offers from schools with Junior Programs for students under 18.

We do not charge you any fees to use our service. We only make a small commission from the school when you book a course and accommodation through us. Part of this commission is used to finance our service and another part of the commission is passed on to our clients as a discount on the school's prices.
Our online registration process saves administration tasks and makes everything faster. Schools have access to LanguageBookings.com School extranet panel where they can manage all the information that is shown on our website, including description, photos, a map, and details of all its courses prices and services. This provides more accuracy on the information presented to students and also reduces maintenance costs.
Due to the fact that the schools are presented online (as opposed to printed catalogs), more information than you may find in a brochure is provided. This also reduces costs significantly.
These cost savings are lowered down to our clients. This way, you can benefit from a superior service at the lowest prices available.

Do not worry if you do not know exactly what your language level is. A placement test will be taken on your first day at school to evaluate your skills and assign you to the correct classroom for your language level.

If you are planning to take a course during the high season (June-August), it is best to book at least 1 month in advance. However, even if we receive a registration request at very short notice we will always try our best to complete it - and we do succeed quite often. If you need to apply for a student visa, it is best to book it at least 2 or 3 months in advance.

LanguageBookings.com is a community marketplace through which people can discover, book and list language courses and student accommodation around the world. This way, students can find a wide range of schools and student accommodation in many countries.
LanguageBookings.com has designed a partnership program and world class tools to allow language schools to manage all aspects of the information displayed on our site. Our user friendly Extranet allows schools to maintain and update their information, update seasonal prices, create special offers and add last-minute availability, among others.
We are constantly approached by a large number of schools which would like to offer their language courses in our website. However, only the best language schools worldwide are chosen, to ensure the highest quality of the programs.

In LanguageBookings.com you can find language courses available for all ages, from juniors to adults. Most of the language courses have a minimum age required, which is specified on the course information details in the language school page.

Choosing the right language school is the first and most important step in planning your next language learning trip. LanguageBookings.com helps students to choose the best school. We advise our students to:

Compare language courses offered by each language school by using our search engine. Thanks to the filter options on the left side of the search result screen you will be able to narrow your search down in terms of price, type of course, students per class, preparation of the exams, etcétera. If you click on the title of each school, you will be able to see the courses and the accommodations it offers, as well as a description of the facilities and comments from former students.

Review the quality seals and whether or not the school have been accredited by well-known associations to ensure that schools meet your expectations. We have a screening process where only a small percentage of schools interested in being represented on our website pass our thorough.

Read reviews from other students and guests like yourself and learn about their own personal experiences. Then you can decide which school or accommodation is PERFECT FOR YOU. Please note that these reviews were made by actual people and not computer generated or made up. The most important aspect to note is that the person who elaborated the review is somebody who stayed, hosted or accompanied another member in our community.Trusted reviews are the basis of a reputation system that fuels our community marketplace.

Check the school score, which is based on students’ opinions and reflects their experiences when studying at that school.
The school overall score is based on their facilities score, teaching score, fun score and school location score.

Check the school location, when deciding what type of location you would like to study in. There are a few things to think about. However, the most important thing to consider is your personal preferences. Generally speaking, if the school is in the center of a town or city, you will be closer to places like restaurants, bars, shops, cultural events and leisure activities. However, because housing options in these areas are more expensive, you may have to live farther away from your school than you would if you studied in the suburbs. If the school is in the suburbs, you will usually be in a quieter, more relaxed and often safer area. You will also be able to live much closer to the school than you would in the city. The only downside to studying at a school outside of the city is that you are more dependent on public transportation to get you around, which can be a challenge, especially late at night. LanguageBookings.com shows the complete address of each school and shows each location on an interactive map as well, so that you can evaluate its exact location as you make your decision.

School sizes vary greatly—from schools with just a few classrooms to schools with several buildings dedicated to language learning. Although each school is different, it may be helpful to know what you can usually expect when it comes to school size. Generally speaking, larger schools offer better facilities, such as libraries, cafeterias and multimedia language labs. They also offer a bigger range of class levels, which ensures that you will be in a class with other students who share similar language proficiency. If you are looking for specialty courses, bigger schools also offer more options for groups such as children, teenagers, business executives, and specific age ranges (like 50 and up). Finally, large schools have more students and offer the opportunity to meet more people during your studies. Small schools, on the other hand, offer a more personal atmosphere, typically with fewer students per class (especially during low season), greater flexibility for taking individual student requests into account and the opportunity to establish closer relationship with teachers and peers

If you are not able to find a Language school in the destination that you want, we encourage you to post a request on our webpage explaining the language course you would like to attend and where. It is a totally free system, very easy to use and it will only take you a few minutes. This way, language schools can see it and offer you great deals. Go to http://www.languagebookings.com/profile/services and post your ad today.

 No, it is not. LanguageBookings.com is a martketplace with the best language courses and accommodation around the world that promotes trust and collaboration. LanguageBookings.com is constantly approached by a large number of schools which would like to be included on our website. We have a screening process where only a small percentage of schools interested in being represented on our website pass through. If the school passes our screening process, it will be granted access to our School extranet panel, where the school staff can manage all the information that is shown on our website, including description, photos, a map, and details of all its courses prices and services.

The minimum duration for a standard or intensive language course is usually one week, but students benefit most after the 3rd or 4th week of their language course, after they have had the chance to get used to their environment. By this time, students have usually settled-in and have become comfortable with their surroundings. This is when they are able to really focus on language learning. On average, students at LanguageBookings.coml take about 12 weeks of language studies abroad.

LanguageBookings.com is a community marketplace built on Trust and Safety, which facilitates the meeting of people in real life. By creating a profile, you allow other members of our community to learn more about you. This implies that you do not to send information about yourself repeatedly, every time you want to contact a school or host. Please, be aware that some schools and hosts may require a completed student / guest profile to provide you with better and specific pieces of advise or before they accept a booking request (check listing descriptions to see if this is the case).

Schools try to not place students of the same nationality in the same host family or apartment, to enable the students to improve their language skills after the courses and meet people from all over the world.

You have two options for accommodation: can you book the accommodation through the school or directly with the host or accommodation provider.

If you decide to book your accommodation directly with the host or accommodation provider on our site, you will find on their page a map with the location of the accommodation and all the language schools near the accommodation and the distance between them.

If you decide to book your accommodation through the school, on their page, schools will provide you with all the information about their accommodation and the proximate distance from the school.

Most of the host families welcome students of all ages and nationalities. Sometimes, host families can select the minimum age the guest should be. However, this does not frequently happen.

The Meal options depend on the accommodation. There are possibilities with full board, half board or self catering. Please check out the information for each school. You can find the meaning of the different boards below:

• Self Catering (SC) means that no meals are included in the cost of your accommodation, but you will be provided with catering facilities in your accommodation to cook light meals.
• Bed and Breakfast (BB) means that breakfast is included in the price you have paid for your accommodation/holiday package.
• Half Board (HB) means that your breakfast and evening meal is included in the price you have paid for your accommodation. In some cases you can choose to receive lunch instead of breakfast - the host will confirm this upon arrival.
• Full Board (FB) means that breakfast, lunch and evening meals are included in the price you have paid for your accommodation.

Schools and hosts will send you all the information about the accommodation by email, as soon as your booking has been accepted and confirmed.

We recommend that you arrive at your destination a few days before your course starts. Normally the accommodation is available one day before the course starts. If the course starts on Monday, we suggest that the students arrive on Sunday.

LanguageBookings.com is not a travel agent and does not book flights for our students. If you are seeking airfare costs, we recommend that you use Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options based on your budget, schedule and preferences. In the school profiles on LanguageBookings.com, you will find information about the closest international airports to the school.
Almost all the schools we work with provide an airport pickup service. If you wish to be picked up, just give us your flight details and arrival date. Airport transfer fees will vary depending on the city you are going to and the airport where you are landing at. The school profiles on our website display the airport pickup costs. You must book your airport transfer in advance.

 We offer exclusive discounts for the participation in our Facebook activities like sharing photos. You don`t have to pay school registration fee (charged by the school) again when you extend your booking through LanguageBookings.com.

LanguageBookings.com provides you with a totally FREE service, so that you always pay the lowest price in a secure and easy way. LanguageBookings.com does not charge you any additional fees to the price that you would pay when booking directly with the school and in many occasions you will obtain even a lower price. We guarantee that you will always be paying the lowest price for your language course. If you find a lower price for the same course, we promise to refund you the difference.

If you encounter any problem while trying to book a course, please contact us. You are always invited to call our customer support. Before, during and after your course, we are always here for you. You can easily contact our experienced and friendly consultants. We are always just a click away from e-mails, a phone call, skype or even live chat!

 Please check your junk or spam mail folder. Sometimes confirmation emails accidentally end up there. If you still cannot find it, please contact us with your name and email address, and we will be happy to email you another.

You can pay your deposit by credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Maestro and Laser. As well, you can  pay with credit card through Paypal.

It is very unlikely that something goes wrong with your booking once it has been confirmed by the school. In fact we feel so confident, that if you do not achieve a place for a course at the selected school, we will credit your account with your full deposit and find another suitable alternative for you.

The BOOK NOW button on the Shopping Cart's page will take you through a very quick and user-friendly online application system, where you have to pay only a deposit as part of your total fees by credit card, Paypal or bank transfer. The Balance should be paid directly to your chosen school or host prior to your course start date or upon arrival. We strongly recommend that the fees are fully paid 14 days before the course start date.

 Once a language school has been chosen by you and a deposit has been paid upon booking, the language school / host will confirm the availability of the services required and process your booking, at that time you receive a second e-mail with confirmation of your place and bank details to pay the balance of your reservation.

 - once I complete the online booking?

As far as changes are concerned, the special policies of the individual schools and host apply. LanguageBookings.com will not charge you an additional fee for changes. We will do our best to accommodate your desired changes.

- once I have received the confirmation and the invoice

If for personal reasons, your availability have changed or you need to change your course or accommodation, please let us know immediately so we can inform the school and the host and make changes on your booking

 LanguageBookings.com does not charge cancellation fee. By making a reservation with a language school / accommodation, you accept and agree to the relevant cancellation and refund policy of that language school or host, and to any additional (delivery) terms and conditions of the service provider that may apply to your reservation or during your stay, including for services rendered and/or products offered by the language school (the delivery terms and conditions of a language school can be obtained with the relevant language school).

 We strongly advised to all students to take out insurance in case of the need to return home early, medical conditions and other unpredictable circumstances. European students should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which may give you access to reduced-cost medical treatment if you are travelling within the European Economic Area country (EEA) or elsewhere in the world. .

Yes. It is extremely important that the availability of your accommodation is accurate, otherwise you will have to refuse bookings made for unavailable dates, which could affect your listing's position in the search results.

 LanguageBookings.com cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, we can supply you with all the documentation you need from your school as part of your application, including a letter of acceptance and a receipt of payment of fees. The application process for a visa is different for every country, but these two documents are required in most situations.
To obtain these documents you need to book your language course and accommodation and pay the required deposit as part of your total fees, once your, the school will proceed to your enrolment. You will need to pay the balance of your booking to your choosen school or host. Once the full fees has been paid you will then your letter of acceptance and a receipt of payment of fees. Now you can ask for a visa with these documents.
Your documents will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you. If you wish to receive your paperwork by express mail, you will be charged a shipping fee. This fee is determined by the school location and your country of residence. The school profiles on LanguageBookings.com show information regarding express mail fees. To ensure timely and guaranteed delivery of your documents, LanguageBookings.com recommends using express mail.

 If you have been refused visa you must inform us immediately, and at least 14 days before the course start date so we can consider a refund.
Please note each school has their own visa refusal cancellation policy and some fee may be charged by the language school in this event. You can find the visa refusal policy of the school in the school profile in our website.

  Your personal data will be treated as absolutely confidential. Only the school that you want to enroll with will receive your data. The submission of the payment information is 100% safe as it occurs on a secure encrypted site, which is fully protected against unauthorized access. We have a secure server to process credit card payments and work with Paypal service to guarantee that all your personal information and credit card data are safe. We handle customer data within the guidelines of European Data Protection Laws and complying with Customer Privacy regulations.

 We value your privacy. Your personal data will be absolutely confidential and will be shared with no one else except the language school or host of your choice in order to facilitate your booking.