The Language Traveler

Séjour linguistique à Bournemouth : témoignage de Marine

2013-05-14T05:00:00.000-04:00

Où es-tu partie et combien de temps ?
À Bournemouth pendant 1 semaine

T’es-tu rendu compte que tu avais progressé ?
Oui, surtout au niveau de la compréhension

Qu’est-ce qui t’a donné envie de partir étudier une langue à l’étranger ?
Je voulais améliorer mon anglais car je trouve cette langue très utile et je voulais vivre une expérience comme celle-ci.

Qu’avais-tu choisi comme option d’hébergement ? En es-tu contente ?
Famille d'accueil ; et oui je suis satisfaite, la famille me manque, surtout les 4 enfants..

Quel lieu incontournable conseillerais-tu à ceux qui vont partir à Bournemouth ?
Je ne suis pas partie à l'extérieur de la ville, mais le parc avec la gros ballon et la mer sont très jolis !

Qu’as-tu pensé de l’école (cours, prof, staff) ?
J'avais déjà vu des images des locaux et de l'Académie en elle même donc je n'ai pas été surprise, mais au niveau des cours j'aurais aimé apprendre plus de choses au lieu de faire des petits jeux ou des trucs du même genre. Mais ma compréhension par contre a fortement évolué, elle !

Une anecdote insolite ou drôle à nous raconter ?
Quand mon amie, mon frère et moi sommes arrivés dans la famille, environ 15 minutes après s'être installés, les petits nous sautaient déjà dessus et nous mettaient à terre ! Au départ mon amie et moi nous demandions vraiment où nous étions tombées, mais finalement on s'est attachées à cette famille où il y avait déjà 4 enfants...

Un conseil à donner à ceux qui pensent partir étudier à l’étranger ?
Qu'il ne faut pas être gêné de parler la langue du pays, même si nous faisons des fautes, on est là pour apprendre et quelqu'un sera toujours là pour nous aider ou nous corriger.

Qu’as-tu pensé du service de Langues Vivantes ?
Tout était super, je repars avec Langues Vivantes sans aucun souci. Les animateurs étaient vraiment chouettes, les activités aussi...

Séjour linguistique en Espagne : quelle ville choisir ?

2013-05-07T09:53:00.000-04:00

Apprendre l'espagnol en immersion, c'est déjà une très bonne décision. Reste ensuite à faire le choix de LA destination. Pour cela, voici quelques questions à vous poser qui devraient vous aider à prendre votre décision :

Envie d'une station balnéaire ou d'une ville étudiante ?

Si vous avez envie d'une ambiance type côte d'Azur, optez pour des stations balnéaires comme Alicante, Malaga, Marbella et Benalmadena au sud ou Valence, un peu plus au nord.

Si ce sont les villes étudiantes qui vous attirent, regardez plutôt du côté de Salamanque dont l'université est tellement réputée qu'elle accueille des milliers d'étudiants espagnols et internationaux chaque année.

Et si c'est une ville à l'ambiance animée et festive que vous cherchez, suivez le top 4 de Cristina et Blanca, nos collègues espagnoles qui vous conseillent sans hésiter Madrid, Barcelone, Grenade et Salamanque.

Voulez-vous profiter de la mer ou préférez-vous être dans les terres ?

Si vous avez envie de pouvoir vous baigner juste après une journée de cours ou de passer vos soirées sur la plage, vous pouvez garder dans vos options les stations balnéaires mentionnées plus haut et y ajouter Barcelone.

En revanche, si vous préférez rester dans les terres, concentrez vos recherches sur les villes de Madrid, Séville, Salamanque et Grenade.

Quelles sont les villes ayant l'architecture la plus dingue ?

Salamanque, inscrite au patrimoine mondiale de l'Unesco, est un chef d'oeuvre à elle seule. Ses bâtiments couleur or, qui lui valent le surnom de "ville dorée" et sa superbe Plaza Mayor en font l'une des villes les plus époustouflantes du pays.

Barcelone, quant à elle, est certainement l'une des villes les plus folles en terme d'architecture, en partie grâce à Gaudi et ses indescriptibles et incontournables constructions dont les plus célèbres sont la Sagrada Familia et le parc Güell.

Alors, pour quelle(s) ville(s) votre cœur balance-t-il ?

Retrouvez plus d'infos sur l'Espagne sur notre app Facebook dédiée !

Témoignage de Marie-lou sur son séjour linguistique en Argentine

2013-04-26T06:22:00.000-04:00

Où es-tu partie et combien de temps ?

Je suis partie à Buenos Aires pour deux mois.

Qu’est-ce qui t’a donné envie de partir étudier à l’étranger ?

J'habitais en Nouvelle-Calédonie jusqu'à décembre et j'ai déménagé pour la France. Comme les rentrées scolaires sont décalées j'ai décidé d'améliorer mon espagnol et mon anglais durant les 8 mois de vacances que j'ai.

Qu’as-tu pensé de l’école (cours, prof, staff) ?

L'école était vraiment bien, les profs très sympa, très détendus, on n'a aucune pression durant le voyage mais ils restent quand même là pour nous aider en cas de problème. Je n'ai eu aucun problème avec mon école, j'en ai été vraiment très contente. La seule chose qui ne m'a pas plu est l'option bénévolat avec les enfants que j'avais choisie.

T’es-tu rendu compte que tu avais progressé ?

J'ai énormément progressé !! Avant de partir je n'arrivais pas à conjuguer un verbe en espagnol, maintenant j'ai vraiment un bon niveau et j'ai des conversations sur n'importe quel sujet, je me débrouille très bien.

Qu’avais-tu choisi comme option d’hébergement ? En es-tu contente ?

Pour l'hébergement, le premier mois j'étais en famille d'accueil. C'était bien, mais si je devais recommander quelque chose ce serait en auberge de jeunesse / résidence. J'ai vécu dans une grande maison le deuxième mois, j'ai rencontré un tas de gens et j'avais des plans tous les jours et tous les soirs, on a l'occasion de sortir beaucoup, on n'a pas le temps de s'ennuyer. Et puis c'est comme vivre entre amis, en colocation, c'est génial.

Quel lieu incontournable conseillerais-tu à ceux qui visiteraient Buenos Aires ?

À Buenos Aires, moi je n'ai pas aimé les lieux touristiques comme La boca (il y a 3 rues, après plus rien), et à el Tigre, faites-vous le trip en bateau, à pied y'a rien à voir sauf le parc d'attractions.

Il faut aller voir :

le club 69 au moins une fois à Niceto, c'est carrément énorme (d'ailleurs il y a un petit bar rock très sympa caché à une rue, demandez aux gens pour le trouver)

Le Troquet de Henry est un bar français très sympa.

Un autre bar caché, à la frontière de Palermo et Belgrano numéro 123, qui s'appelle Congrejos. La bomba de tiempo [groupe de percussions] y est tout les lundis (c'est une obligation)

Niveau restaurant je n'y suis jamais allé à mon grand désespoir et je n'ai pas non plus dansé le tango (quelle honte), donc je ne peux pas conseiller là dessus.

Une anecdote insolite ou drôle à nous raconter ?

Niveau anecdote je crois que le jour où il y avait cette soirée à l'hypodrome de Palermo super classe et que nous on était super crades, on a fait la queue pendant 2 heures (oui oui 2 heures) pour arriver devant le vigil et se faire virer "parce qu'on n'était pas sur la liste". Heureusement, ces 2 heures en bonne compagnie ne nous ont pas dérangées plus que ça. Sinon je vous rassure Buenos Aires c'est cool. D'ailleurs un truc cool c'est qu'on peut sortir en boîte ou dans les bars en short/claquettes. Ca ne choque personne et vous rentrez.

Un conseil à donner à ceux qui pensent partir étudier à l’étranger ?

Essayez de rencontrer des gens à l'extérieur de l'école, parce que certes vous parlez à des étrangers mais ne découvrez pas le pays et les gens du pays, leur façon d'être. En Amérique du Sud, fréquenter ces gens là m'a rendue beaucoup plus zen, "hippie". Ma vision des choses a beaucoup changé, aujourd'hui je ne l'aurai pas si j'étais restée dans le cercle des gens de l'école !

Avoir un ou deux amis français est quand même rassurant en cas de problème et on se sent moins seul.

Qu’as-tu pensé du service de Langues Vivantes ?

Comme je l'ai dit, le bénévolat que j'ai fait avec les enfants ne m'a pas plu du tout.

Mais pour le reste de l'organisation, école, logement, ce n'était pas des personnes qui faisaient leur boulot et basta : ils m'ont conseillée et aidée, se sont assurés que tout allait bien. Je sais que Langues Vivantes est stricte dans les écoles qu'elle choisit et ça se voit. Je n'ai pas du tout été déçue, merci.

Les écoles d'anglais en Australie - côte Est

2013-04-23T09:13:00.000-04:00

Continuons notre série d’articles sur l’Australie. Si vous vous rappelez bien, nous vous avons donné quelques infos sur où aller en Australie en fonction de la période où vous souhaitez voyager. Maintenant que vous avez fait votre choix en toute connaissance de cause, voici une petite présentation des écoles où vous pourrez suivre des cours d’anglais dans l’Est de l’Australie !

À Brisbane et Gold Coast, notre partenaire est Langports : deux écoles familiales où les profs et responsables connaissent leurs étudiants, et où chaque étudiant dispose d’un professeur référent avec qui, chaque semaine, il fait un bilan de ses progrès. Probablement l’une des raisons pour lesquelles Langports a été élue meilleure école d’anglais de toute l’Australie !

Même école et même région : comment choisir où aller ?

Si vous étudiez à Gold Coast, vous serez à cinq minutes de la plage de Surfers Paradise et à deux minutes du centre-ville; si vous choisissez Brisbane, vous serez en plein cœur de la ville, les plages de South Bank ne seront pas loin du tout... et vous pourrez profiter de la piscine et de la salle de sport de l’école.

En revanche, peu importe quelle école vous choisirez, vous profiterez de toute façon des soirées barbecue et pourrez louer un vélo ou un surf pour profiter de la côte !

Pour plus de détails, n’hésitez pas à lire l’article de Morgane qui a visité les deux écoles lors de son voyage en Australie !

Si vous aimez les grandes villes, notre école ELC à Sydney est probablement un point de départ idéal pour un séjour riche en souvenirs. Située en plein centre-ville, elle n’est qu’à quelques minutes du port Darling Harbour qui offre une superbe vue sur Sydney et à un quart d’heure à pied de la plus célèbre de toutes les plages australiennes : Bondi Beach. Cette école a pour particularité d’offrir des cours en ligne comme complément aux cours d’anglais donnés en classe : indéniablement un point à prendre en compte si l’objectif de votre voyage est clairement de progresser rapidement en anglais.

En revanche, si votre séjour linguistique doit répondre à une soif d’évasion et de découvertes naturelles, notre école SACE dans les Whitsundays est certainement la meilleure solution. Avec ses 74 îles et la Grande Barrière de Corail, libre à vous de vous adonner à la plongée, d’aller observer les baleines et de partir en randonnée dans les nombreux parcs nationaux qu’abrite ce groupement d’îles. L’école se trouve dans la ville côtière d’Airlie Beach et propose un service d’aide à la recherche d'emploi très apprécié des étudiants qui disposent du célèbre Working Holiday Visa.

Les festivals à ne pas manquer pendant ton séjour en Australie

2013-04-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

Quoi de mieux qu’un festival pour rencontrer les gens dans une ambiance détendue et informelle ? Voici une petite sélection des festivals qui rythment la vie des Australiens tout au long de l’année. N’hésite pas à te renseigner une fois sur place, notre liste est loin d'être exhaustive...

Perth : West Coast Blues’n’roots Festival

Pendant deux jours au mois de mars, ce festival de blues parmi les plus importants au monde rassemble les grands noms du blues. En 2013 se sont succédés Ben Harper, Iggy Pop, Manu Chao et Jimmy Clif, pour ne citer que les plus connus...

westcoastbluesnroots.com.au

Adélaïde : Adelaide Fringe Festival

Tous les ans de mi-février à mi-mars, pas moins de 900 événements envahissent la ville. L'art sous toutes ses formes y est représenté et tout y est gratuit ! www.adelaidefringe.com.au

Brisbane : Brisbane Festival

Si tu es à Brisbane au mois de septembre, aucun risque de passer à côté de ce festival. Mais surtout, ce qu'il ne faut pas manquer, c'est le “Sunsuper Riverfire”, feu d’artifice de clôture qui accueille plus de 300 000 spectateurs. Un petit malin m'a dicté cette bonne idée : prépare un pique-nique, installe-toi dans un parc la journée pour avoir une bonne place et profiter du spectacle le soir. www.brisbanefestival.com.au

Melbourne : Melbourne Festival

Au mois d'octobre et pendant 17 jours, Melbourne accueille tous les arts et vous propose des représentations uniques. Au programme : danse, théâtre, musique, arts visuels, multimédia. Toutes les manifestations extérieures sont gratuites.

www.melbournefestival.com.au/index.php

Tasmanie (Lauceston) : Festivale

Si vous devez vous rendre en Tasmanie une fois au cours de votre séjour en Australie, prévoyez de vous y rendre en février. Pendant trois jours, ses vins, ses bières et sa gastronomie sont à l'honneur. L’occasion également de découvrir des artistes au gré des différentes scènes qui jalonnent les rues.

www.festivale.com.au

Sydney, Vivid Sydney

De fin mai à mi-juin, (en 2013, du 24 mai au 10 juin), Sydney s'illumine et habille de lumière ses plus beaux chef d’œuvres architecturaux. Performances gratuites à ne manquer sous aucun prétexte.

www.vividsydney.com

Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise Festival

Absolument incontournable, le Surfers Paradise Festival te transporte, pendant trois semaines au mois d'avril, dans un autre monde. Cinéma en plein air, scènes musicales dans les rues, spectacles, expos dans les parcs, feux d’artifice... la ville se transforme et t’emporte avec elle. www.surfersparadisefestival.com

Whitsunday Reef Festival

Pendant quatre jours au mois d'août, la ville n’est que scènes musicales, spectacles humoristiques, concours en tous genres, films en plein air et marchés nocturnes. An event not to be missed ! www.whitsundayreeffestival.com.au

Mention spéciale pour le “Underwater Festival” : où que tu sois au mois de septembre, prends les plus beaux clichés sous-marins et participe au concours. Le but : s'amuser, partager les beautés de l’espèce marine, mais aussi conscientiser la population face au danger de la voir un jour se détruire.

Quelle saison est la plus appropriée pour visiter l’Australie ?

2013-04-03T11:01:00.000-04:00

Tout d’abord, n’oubliez pas que les saisons sont inversées par rapport à ce que l’on connaît en Europe : dans l’hémisphère sud, l’été c’est de décembre à mars, et l’hiver en juin, juillet, août et septembre. Autant dire que Noël et le Nouvel an sont plutôt synonymes de plage et de soleil que de neige et de ski...

Du coup, je vais vous donner quelques infos pour que vous puissiez profiter de votre séjour au maximum sans être embêtés par les conditions météo parce que, soyons honnêtes, si vous vous débrouillez bien, vous pouvez passer une année entière sous le soleil et profiter de la neige juste quand vous aurez envie de skier. How great is that ?

Tout d’abord, la majorité du pays vit au rythme de quatre saisons, à l’exception du Nord qui n’en subit que deux : l’hiver chaud et sec de mai à octobre et l’été chaud et humide, ce dernier étant caractérisé par des orages et de fortes pluies quasi quotidiennes. Si vous voulez visiter Darwin sous le soleil, n’y allez pas entre les mois de novembre et avril...

Si vous avez envie de skier, par contre, c’est tout au sud du continent qu’il faudra vous rendre en juin, juillet et août : avec des températures aux alentours de 10° et de superbes montagnes, vous pourrez profiter des plaisirs de la neige à Melbourne et plus généralement dans le Victoria, en nouvelles Galles du Sud, ainsi qu'en Tasmanie.

À l’inverse, si vous avez envie d’une cure de soleil hiver compris, le Queensland est vraisemblablement l’État le plus ensoleillé de tous pendant cette saison. Optez donc pour Brisbane ou Gold Coast et profitez-en pour vous initier à la plongée pour explorer la sublime barrière de Corail...

De façon générale, le printemps est la meilleure période pour visiter l’Australie en long, en large et en travers. Et si vous m’avez bien suivie, le printemps c’est quand ? de septembre à novembre :)

Préparer son séjour linguistique : let's pack for Bournemouth !

2013-03-26T11:36:00.001-04:00

En Belgique, les vacances de Pâques arrivent à grand pas et chez Langues Vivantes, vacances de Pâques vont de pair avec séjour accompagné à Bournemouth !

Ainsi les group leaders se préparent : quelle sera la météo ? que faut-il acheter avant de partir ? qu'est-ce qu'il ne faut ABSOLUMENT pas oublier ? Nous avons donc établi notre petite check list, agrémentée de tout ce à quoi nous avons pensé et qui pourraient te servir...

(Et d'ailleurs, la checklist est valable pour tous les séjours linguistiques alors, à vos mémos, que vous alliez à Bournemouth ou ailleurs !)

Que faut-il prévoir avant de partir à l'étranger ?

Acheter un adaptateur pour brancher ton chargeur de téléphone, ton sèche-cheveux, etc. (les prises ne sont pas les mêmes en Angleterre qu'en Europe). On en trouve dans les magasins de bricolage et les quincailleries, ou dans le ferry.

Prendre un dictionnaire de poche (pas pour les group leaders bilingues mais pour toi, of course !). Le but de ton séjour est de parler anglais, alors mieux vaut prendre la peine de chercher un ou deux mots dans le dictionnaire que d'essayer de parler français avec ta famille qui elle, ne te comprendra pas...

Si tu n'as plus de photos d'identité, n'oublie pas d'aller en faire quelques unes. Tu en auras besoin pour la carte d'étudiant que te fournira l'école, mais aussi pour la carte de bus si tu prends un pass.

Commander des livres sterling à la banque. Tu seras tranquille une fois arrivé sur place et n'auras pas à te soucier du taux de change.

Prendre un bloc-notes et un stylo pour noter les informations qu'on te donnera, tes anecdotes et souvenirs, les numéros de téléphone importants au cas où ton téléphone n'ait plus de batterie, etc.

Qu'est-ce qu'il ne faut ABSOLUMENT pas oublier ?

Ta carte d'identité ou ton passeport valide. Sans cela pas de traversée de la Manche et donc pas de séjour... Vérifie bien la date limite de validité, histoire de ne pas avoir de blague au moment des contrôles !

Tes essuies de bain (serviettes de bain pour les Français) : ils ne sont pas fournis par la famille

Un réveil, si tu ne veux pas arriver en retard et manquer les explications du premier jour ! (ton gsm peut faire l'affaire :)

Pour ce qui est de la météo, nous mettrons les tendances annoncées sur facebook un ou deux jours avant le départ et n'oublie pas, nous changeons d'heure le week-end prochain : il faudra ajouter une heure à ton horloge samedi 31 :)

Justine, partie avec le Plan Marshall à Vught (Pays-Bas) et San Diego (Californie, USA)

2013-03-12T10:39:00.000-04:00

Qu’est-ce qui t’a donné envie de partir étudier à l’étranger ?

Mon frère et ma soeur étaient déjà tous deux partis pendant un an aux États-Unis. Ils m’ont dit que c’était une expérience unique et que je devais partir si j’en avais l’occasion. Et ils ont eu raison car ça a été ma plus belle année et on en revient grandi. De plus, de nos jours les langues sont vraiment très importantes.

Qu’as-tu pensé de l’école (cours, prof, staff) ?

J’étais à l’école Converse à San Diego. Elle était idéalement située, en plein centre. Ce n’est pas une grande école, il y avait plusieurs petites classes dont une salle informatique. Mon professeur était génial, d’ailleurs on se donne encore des nouvelles. C’était un plaisir d’aller étudier dans cette école, jamais je ne me suis sentie obligée d’y aller. J’y ai rencontré énormément d’étudiants provenant d’un peu partout dans le monde et il y a vraiment un échange culturel.

L’école à Vught, institut Jeroen Bosch, est aussi chouette. Les infrastructures sont très bien. Les cours étaient diversifiés comme des cours d’actualité, des cours de grammaire, des jeux... Là, contrairement à San Diego, on avait des profs différents en fonction de la matière que l’on étudiait.

T’es-tu rendu compte que tu avais progressé ?

J’ai beaucoup progressé et ces voyages m’ont apporté beaucoup. Je n’avais eu qu’une année ou deux d’anglais. Je suis donc arrivée avec un anglais très basique sur place et je suis rentrée presque bilingue.

J’avais un peu plus de connaissances en néerlandais mais j’ai vu un réel progrès qui d’ailleurs à été confirmé par un test de niveau à mon retour.

Qu’avais-tu choisi comme option d’hégergement ? En es-tu contente ?

À la base je voulais être en résidence mais je n’ai pas eu le choix et j’ai dû aller en famille d’accueil. Finalement il s’est avèré que c’était le choix le plus judicieux que ce soit en Hollande ou aux États-Unis. La famille d’accueil est vraiment un plus. Elle nous fait rencontrer des gens, découvrir des endroits… Beaucoup de personnes ont un apriori quand on parle de famille d’accueil mais ils nous laissent très libres contrairement à ce que l’on pense. Ils nous permettent de mettre en pratique ce que l’on a appris aux cours et on attrape vraiment l’accent. Chose qui n’est pas possible en résidence.

J’étais avec une étudiante allemande puis une japonaise puis une suisse dans ma famille à San Diego. J’ai donc beaucoup appris sur ces différentes cultures et se faire des amis d’autres pays est vraiment chouette.

Quel lieu incontournable conseillerais-tu à ceux qui vont partir dans la même ville que toi ?

J’ai eu la chance de rencontrer quelqu’un de là-bas qui m’a montré les plus beaux endroits de San Diego. Il y a tant de choses à faire à San Diego que ce n’est pas facile de ne citer que quelques activités. Je conseillerais d'abord d’aller à Coronado, il y a sur cette île un minuscule petit parc dans lequel on peut aller la nuit et qui offre une vue imprenable sur San Diego. C’est vraiment reposant, avec des bancs le long de l’eau et un jeu de lumière incroyable avec les buildings.

Sinon il y a le cinéma en plein air qui est vraiment très chouette. Et pour ceux qui aiment les sushis, je leur recommande d’aller les chercher à Pacific Beach, après les avoir goûtés ils ne voudont plus manger ceux de Belgique !

San Diego n’est pas loin de la frontière mexicaine, Rosarito est vraiment chouette. On y goûte des tacos délicieux et l’ambiance est au rendez-vous ! D'ailleurs, à San Diego il y a un concept que j’adore qui est celui des Taco tuesdays, où tous les mardis, les restaurants proposant des tacos les font pour 1 dollar. C’est un régal pour un prix mini !

En ce qui concerne Vught, c’est une petite ville donc il n’y a pas énormément de choses à faire. À 10 minutes à vélo il y a une plus grande ville avec plus de possibilités dactivités. En général les étudiants organisent entre eux des activités ou des visites pendant le week-end donc on ne s’embête pas !

Une anecdote insolite ou drôle à nous raconter ?

La personne que j’ai recontrée sur place était un boxeur professionnel, j’ai été voir ses entrainements et ses matchs, c’était incroyable !

Un conseil à donner à ceux qui pensent partir étudier à l’étranger ?

Évitez de rester avec des francophones et essayez de rencontrer et de rester le plus possible avec des personnes du pays, c’est le meilleur moyen pour apprendre et intégrer au mieux la langue. Les Américains sont très accueillants et c’est toujours chouette de garder contact avec eux par après. Je conseillerais aussi aux personnes ayant un permis de louer une voiture et d’aller visiter les alentours.

Qu’as-tu pensé du service de Langues Vivantes ?

Mon voyage s’est tellement bien passé et était tellement intéressant que j’ai décidé de faire le tourisme par après. Je suis actuellement en dernière année et j’ai dû choisir une entreprise pour y faire mon stage. Mon voyage à été tellement bien organisé et l’équipe de Langues Vivantes tellement chouette que j’ai voulu en savoir plus et savoir le travail qu’un séjour comme celui-là demandait, j’ai donc choisi de faire mon stage chez Langues Vivantes.

Morgane a testé nos écoles partenaires Langports, élues meilleures écoles de langue de toute l'Australie !

2013-03-05T06:04:00.003-05:00

Quand on m'a demandé d'aller faire une petite visite des écoles représentées par Langues Vivantes en Australie, je me doutais bien que je ne serais pas déçue du voyage, et en effet, pas de mauvaise surprise. L'école que j'ai visitée, Langports, possède deux campus : un à Brisbane et un à Gold Coast, dans la zone de Surfers Paradise (oui, je sais, un nom qui fait rêver). Les deux écoles fonctionnent sur le même principe, ce sera donc principalement la situation géographique qui fera pencher la balance. Langports est une entreprise familiale, c'est donc tout naturellement que lors de ma première visite à Surfers Paradise, Renee et Nadine (mes deux hôtesses lors de ma visite) m'ont expliqué qu'elles connaissaient le nom de tous les étudiants, condition indispensable à la bonne intégration de tout le monde.

L'école de Gold Coast est plus petite que celle de Brisbane (deux étages au lieu de trois), mais cela lui confère donc un charme plus familial. En terme de situation géographique, le campus de Gold Coast se trouve à 5 minutes de la plage de Surfers Paradise, 2 minutes du centre-ville et de son fameux Hard Rock Café, et tout se trouve à proximité. Le campus de Brisbane est en plein centre-ville, mais il ne vous faudra pas marcher trop longtemps pour profiter des plages intérieures adorables de South Bank. Si jamais vous avez la flemme de marcher, ce qui peut toujours se comprendre, l'école se situe près de la gare et donc des bus. Vous pouvez également profiter de la piscine privée de l'école et de sa salle de sport directement sur le campus (toutes deux en rénovation lors de ma visite).

Les écoles sont extrêment bien équipées en terme d'informatique et de divertissements. Des ordinateurs sont dispersés dans les différentes salles et couloirs, avec libre utilisation par les étudiants, évidemment. Les salles de détente sont aménagées pour faire en sorte que vous puissiez vraiment vous changer les idées : longs canapés confortables, grandes baies vitrées, tables de ping pong, billards, baby-foot. Les deux campus possèdent également un espace cuisine avec grands frigos, micro-ondes à foison, distributeurs, machines à café, tout pour ne pas avoir besoin de quitter l'école lors de la pause déjeuner en somme ! Pour parfaire votre anglais en dehors des cours, une petite bibliothèque est à votre disposition. Vos professeurs se feront un plaisir de vous conseiller les livres et films adaptés à votre niveau d'anglais. L'école propose également des vélos et planches de surf en location, pour vous défouler un peu lors de votre temps libre. Langports organise quotidennement des activités dans la région, gratuites ou à prix préférentiels, ainsi que des barbecues sur les terrasses de ses deux campus, et tous les vendredis, des petites fêtes de départ ont lieu, mettant à l'honneur les étudiants ayant terminé leur bout de chemin au sein de l'école.

En terme d'enseignement, chaque campus comptabilise une petite vingtaine de professeurs et autant de salles de classe pour des étudiants de tous les niveaux. Les salles de cours sont généralement en forme de U, pour une meilleure communication professeur-élève, et chaque étudiant possède son propre emploi du temps et un enseignant référent qu'il consulte une fois par semaine pour établir un bilan de ses progrès. À Langports, toutes les conditions sont réunies pour que vous progressiez à votre rythme, puisque vous pouvez vous trouver dans un groupe avancé pour l'écrit, et intermédiaire pour l'oral (par exemple).

En ce qui concerne le logement, Langports possède un très bon réseau de familles d'accueil, et si jamais vous préférez un hébergement plus indépendant, entre étudiants, l'école vous propose également des Student Houses. À Surfers Paradise, Langports possède trois maisons, dont deux à 5 minutes de l'école, et une à 20 minutes. Chaque Student House peut héberger 5 personnes. Elles possèdent toutes un garage (vélo, voiture, scooter, planche de surf...), un barbecue, toute la vaisselle et literie nécessaire, ainsi qu'une machine à laver. Je n'ai malheureusement pas pu visiter l'intérieur de ces maisons, mais l'extérieur très propre donne fortement envie ! Ces logements sont très demandés, et il vous faudra réserver le plus en avance possible pour avoir la chance d'en bénéficier. À Brisbane, Langports travaille avec des agences qui s'occupent de trouver les logements en résidence pour l'école, il est donc difficile de donner une description plus précise de ce type de logement, mais cela a pour résultat qu'il est plus aisé d'être logé en résidence.

Pour conclure sur ce billet, finalement pas si court que ça (c'est qu'il y a beaucoup à dire sur Langports !), et comme je le disais en début d'article, ce sera la situation géographique qui jouera sur votre décision. Brisbane ou Gold Coast, la ville ou la plage, chaque campus possède ses atouts, et tous deux méritent qu'on s'y attarde de toute façon !

Si je vous ai un peu vendu du rêve et que vous êtes un peu ou beaucoup intéressés par des cours de langue dans le sud du Queensland, n'hésitez pas à contacter directement Langues Vivantes. C'est un réel plaisir pour moi que de vous recommander cette école, et je ne devrais pas être la seule à être tombée sous le charme :)

Langports Gold Coast, élue 1ère école de langue en Australie

Des envies d'exotisme

2013-02-22T13:00:00.000-05:00

C’est lorsque Yusuke, notre collègue japonais, nous a proposé de goûter les spécialités culinaires ramenées tout droit de son pays d’origine, que m’est venue l’idée de cet article.

Suite à ses anecdotes de voyage, je me voyais déjà remplir ma valise et partir à la découverte de ce pays que je ne connaissais - mais alors - pas du tout. Puis il y a eu le patate douce en apéritif et les boulettes marrons fourrées de pâte violette pour le dessert, et là, je suis très vite descendue de mon nuage : comment pourrais-je me débrouiller seule, dans un pays où rien ne ressemble à ce dont je suis habituée ?

C’est ainsi que j’en suis arrivée à la réflexion suivante : pourquoi ne pas prendre comme prétexte le challenge d’aller apprendre le japonais dans une école de langue pour, en fait, découvrir la culture nippone ? parce que si beaucoup d’entre nous partent en séjour linguistique pour apprendre l’anglais, c’est pour le plaisir bien entendu, mais souvent d’abord dans une perspective “professionnelle” et au passage, on y découvrira une nouvelle culture.

Alors pourquoi ne pas inverser le processus ? Partir suivre des cours de langue avec pour principal objectif de se dépayser totalement. Pourquoi apprendre le khmer ? pour découvrir Phnom Penh et le Cambodge. Pourquoi apprendre le thaï ? pour découvrir l'île de Phuket et ce superbe pays qu’est la Thaïlande !

Alors si comme moi, vous avez des envies d’exotisme tout en assumant de ne pas être la personne la plus téméraire du monde, demandez-vous quelle destination insolite vous aimeriez découvrir et partez y suivre des cours de langue !

Mogadishu: Don't diss the mogul

2012-06-28T07:18:00.004-04:00

For a very long time Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, was unofficially marked as the most dangerous city in the world. Known for the drought, famine, muddy roads and many attacks and civil war, it was far from a place to be. For 20 years the civil war had ruined this once beautiful city and was ruled by Al Shabab islamitic group. It was known as a lawless city where the government hardly had a say. And although you mostly will read warnings on the internet when wanting to go to Mogadishu, the city is slowly changing. Mogadishu is losing it's label for most dangerous city in the world and is trying to built up something we could call at least more sustainable.

Since the militants left the city, peace is coming back to the city. Embassies are re-opening and Somalis who fled decades ago are coming back to their homeland. They are willing to invest their money in the city. Restaurants are opening up around the shore and people are slowly enjoying the Indian sea. To be able to built up the city, policemen and government troops are trained and construction materials are transported to the country. The government is trying to make the city safer, and in the future it might even be open to tourists.

Although at the moment the city is still not near a 'tourist city', the willingness to do something is definitely there. Somalia has suffered enough for the past two decades and it is time to start from scratch and make Mogadishu a safe and happy environment for people to be. The first step has been taken as it is no longer the most dangerous city in the world. We all know it is easy to see the piracy when we look at Somalian waters, but it is also impossible to look beyond its natural beauty. Even while it is difficult to predict how this damaged city will develop over years, I will end with an applicable quote by M.L. King: "You do not have to see the whole staircase, to take the first step".

Someday this will be a very normal picture from Mogadishu.

Source: Feisal Omar / Reuters

Lemme take y'all down South!

2012-06-11T07:16:00.001-04:00

Ozark National Forest, Arkansas. Photograph by Peter Essick, National Geographic

I can hear you thinking: what a beautiful picture... Such a breathtaking panorama, yet so unknown by the majority of people. Arkansas is one of the southern states in the US, surrounded by Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi.

While most people choose to visit the famous East and West (New York or Los Angeles), the southern states of the US have more to offer than you think.

The southern area is known for its distinct American culture that we often see in Wild Western movies. This regional subculture is one of the most written about and studied in the US. While most people think of these states as conservative, religious or rural, it has a rich and vibrant culture which makes the states absolutely worth a visit.

For many years the Southern culture was the only one known in the US. Soul, gospel, rock-and-roll, country and jazz are all products of these states (let's not forget to mention that Elvis himself was born in Mississippi), and still have an impact on the country these days.

But back to what you can do in the Southern states. Below you will find a quick overview of what to do when you're heading down South:

Arkansas - Experience live music during spring and go to the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival at Mulberry Mountain in northwest Arkansas, Toad Suck Daze in Conway or Riverfest in Little Rock.

Louisiana - Avery Island: Home to the wildlife sanctuary. This island is an 8 mile deep salt-dome where visitors are able to walk or drive through 250 acres of subtropical flora and fauna.

Texas - Texmex, the famous food from this state, is definitely worth a try! Filled tortillas with sauces, meat and cheeses. Nachos, chili con queso, fajitas and hot salsas are many of the dishes Texas offers. Food in Texas is mainly influenced by the Mexican kitchen.

Oklahoma - The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is located in Oklahoma city, can it get any more Southern than this? This museum includes the American Rodeo Gallery and the American Cowboy collection.

Mississippi - Fancy some good ol' blues? The city of Indianola organizes the B.B. King homecoming festival every year in June. A big Southern bbq is also offered at the festival.

Tennessee - Nashville is of course the country music capital of the world, but Tennessee also offers the Great Smokey Mountains, Dollywood (Dolly Parton's amusement park) and Graceland (Elvis' mansion in Memphis).

So buy your plane ticket, rent a camper van, some cowboy boots and a hat, and head off for an amazing road trip in America's Southern states!

And for those of you interested in going to an American High School in one of these beautiful states (or any other state across the US), check it out here, here and here!

Good bee, see you loter!

2012-05-25T08:08:00.000-04:00

" One time when I was Spain I went to a kiosk to buy stamps and an envelope (...)
I knew the word for stamp was 'sello' and that an envelope was a 'sobre', so I thought nothing could go wrong. However, the shopkeeper gave me a desperate look after I have placed my order and started to look for a cigarette brand behind him, which he almost knew didn't exist. Later, when everything was solved, I wondered what the conversation must have sounded like if it would have been in my native language.

I suppose it would have gone as followed:

'Good afternuffle' (the shopkeeper already got a skittish look on his face)
'Two stampers of bla peezzetas and an enveloke, please'.
'Which brand did you say exactly?' (...)
'No, no, I don't want cigarittties. I would have to like stoomps and an enveclock. Please.'
Fortunately another customer just walked in and says he would like to buy stamps himself. I start nodding excitedly at the stamps. The shopkeeper understands me and a moment later I finally have my stampies and my enveloke. With a well-meant 'Good bee!' I left the store."

Freely translated from Remco Campert -'Tot Zoens'.

This phrase is just one of the many language incidents that happen while being abroad. You think you know the language, until you actually have to use it. It might seem more difficult than it looked on paper, and you were so sure you pronounced it correctly...

Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to take a language course in Spanish, Italian or French, to make sure you are able to talk with the locals, to know what jokes they are making during dinner, or to just buy some stamps to send a postcard back home. Languages enrich your life, and you will benefit from them for a life time. They come in handy, even at moments you didn't expect them to.

So think about it, maybe you want to go to Argentina, or to China and you could use some extra lessons in the language they use over there.

Just have a look at our website and see if there is anything that you'd like, we are happy to help you.
www.easylanguages.com

The living dead

2012-05-08T03:43:00.000-04:00

"Jippus in horto ambulabat. Omnium taedebat. Ecce autem! foramen in saepe factum conspexit, non ita magnum. Mirabatur Jippus quid rerum trans saepem appareret. Regia domus? Murus? An heros? Humi subsidens per foramen spectavit. Quidnam conspexit? Nasum pusillum, osculum, ocellos duos caesios. Ecce puellam, non maiorem Jippo. ‘Quid est tibi nomen?’ rogavit Jippus. ‘Jannica sum,’ puella dixit."

*Translation: Jip was walking in the garden. He was tired of everything. But look, what did he see there? A small whole in the hedge. What can be at the other side of the hedge? Jip thought. A palace? A fence? A hero? He sat on the ground and looked through the whole. What did he see? A small nose. A small mouth. And two grey eyes. There was a girl, not taller than Jip. "What is your name?" asked Jip. "Janneke", said the girl.

This is a phrase in Latin, one of the 'dead' languages we know in the world. Jippus et Jannica is a parody on the Dutch book: 'Jip en Janneke', which has been a popular book by children for many years. The Dutch book is written by Annie M.G. Schmidt, the Latin version is a translation.

Is Latin a dead language?

Latin is not spoken any more, but many of us still learn this language in High School. Many languages in Europe are a derivative of Latin, and it is still widely used in biomedics and the creation of new words. Even though English derives from a Germanic Language, around sixty per cent of the language comes from Latin. The roman languages like Italian, Spanish and French derive directly from Latin, and therefore they are easier to learn when studying Latin first. Latin is intensively grammatical, so looking at grammar in your native language is therefore highly recommended. The largest institution that is still writing and even speaking in Latin is the catholic church. You often still see motto's in Latin, and Wikipedia even has 70,000 articles written on the Latin page.

Cicero, Plato, Shakespeare and many other 'fathers' of the past have written their books and plays in Latin. Even though they are dead, we are still learning the wise ideas and words they wrote. More and more students are taking the Latin exam, and seem interested in this language. They learn about the history of Rome and the understanding of Western civilization, sociology, culture and philosophy. Learning Latin helps them also to expand their vocabulary and has a positive result on their test results in general.

Having this all said: what do you think? Is Latin dead or alive?

Source: Athenaeum-Polak & v Gennep

Stuff Dutch people like

2012-04-26T11:30:00.000-04:00

Being a native Dutchie myself, I do sometimes feel proud of our little country, of our soccer team, our cheese, windmills and bikes. Occasionally I feel the connection with my country while living abroad, and am reminded of my background. We are quite down to earth, and often use the slogan: "Doe normaal!" which means: "Be normal!". However, no other website makes me confront myself with my habits and other customs more than the website stuffdutchpeoplelike.com.

For example, I found out that not every nation puts a birthday calender up their toilet so if you have guests over they can check out everyone's birthday while doing their thing. Isn't it just very convenient? What else do you do while being in there, sitting and waiting?

Other than that, we congratulate each other with someone's birthday. If it's Piet's birthday, you congratulate Piet's mother, father, sisters, brothers, neighbors, friends and other family with his birthday. Myself, I just find it very nice that you think of everyone, and share the joy of Piet's birthday together. However, if I do this while being abroad, I always get incredibly weird glares my way..

Apparently, we also tend to say certain sentences a lot in public. Two examples are "dat mag niet", which means: you are not allowed to do that, and "dat kan niet", which means: that is not possible. Often when you call any customer service you will get to hear the latter unfriendly sentence. A lot of things are not possible to them, because of the many many strict rules we seem to follow in my homeland. The sentence "dat mag niet" is often said to children, when they are behaving in a bad way. Children are taught on a very young age that they should do what is right, and not behave badly. This goes of course perfectly with our very organized, strict and bureaucratic lifestyle. Okay, so that does sound boring, but in a way I believe everything is so well taken care of because of it, that I don't mind those little rules.

Another (seemingly very weird) habit is that we swear with diseases. Not so much normal diseases, but the ones that are not so common anymore. We swear with the plague, the smallpox, cholera, tuberculosis and typhus. It's not like we use these commonly, you will probably just hear them when people are in a fight, or get extremely angry with the weather (something else we Dutchies love to talk about).

So having shared some of my country's habits, I would like to know: What do you think? Are they weird? Did you burst into tears because you had to laugh out loud? Or can you actually relate to some of them?
Leave a comment below and tell us about your country's habits :)

For more funny Dutch habits, check out this website: http://stuffdutchpeoplelike.com/

Man vs. Wild : The new adventure travel

2012-04-23T07:24:00.000-04:00

In todays society people want more, better, cooler and newer. This also goes for the travel industry. If you have some money and you want to be 'cool' you don't go to the Greek islands for a holiday anymore. For this new and wealthy generation it's just not done to go camping in France or stay on the seaside of Spain. They want something outrageous and adventurous, they need something spectacular. Or, do they maybe just want to escape from the fast pacing lives they live and discover the unknown gems of nature?

Forbes has made a list of the most remote and adventurous travel destinations in the world. It includes the Galapagos islands, Antarctica and even outer space. Most of these destinations are quite expensive and difficult to reach. On the other hand, they offer a travel that you will probably never forget. Something you will not easily do or see again and will give you lifelong memories.
Check out a few of these remote travel destination below.

The Galapagos islands
Known as the island archipelago of Darwin's theory of natural selection, the Galapagos islands offer an amazing selection of unique animal species. The archipelago is listed as a World Heritage site and strict controls and tourist access make sure the islands protects its flora and fauna. Therefore there are only flights from Guayaquil and Quito, in Ecuador. Once arrived in the Galapagos, you need to stay with a trained guide and walk on the marked paths. This destination can offer you the most amazing snorkel and diving tours, as the islands are listed in the best diving spots in the world.

Antarctica
As the most southern, coldest ad driest continent on Earth, Antarctica is definitely a challenge of adventure. As it is hardly touched by people, and has some permanent scientists, the continent is only populated by unique wildlife. However, traveling there is anything but easy. You have to travel to the southern tip of Argentina and pass the Drake Passage in about two days by boat. If you won't sleep on your boat, it is possible to sleep in tents during land expeditions. Temperatures can fall to -40 C at tourists destinations, but fall even to -80 further down to the South. Antarctica has an extreme climate and therefore many accidents happen every year. In case you didn't think of this yourself yet: This trip is only for die-hards and thrill-seekers.

Easter island
Considered as one of the remotest islands on earth (around 3500 km from Chile) and known for the Moai, the stone sculptures, Easter Island is on the list of remote destinations. The island offers great volcanoes, caves and white beaches. Most other sides, including the Moai, are for free and located on the coastline. The island is only accessible by taking a flight from Santiago in Chile.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
If you feel like some real adventure, it is possible to climb the Kilimanjaro. There are different routes to the top and there is lodging available. It is also possible to camp on the mountain, but make sure you have all necessary gear with you. You need to have a licensed guide to go with you, to make sure the journey is safe. The mountain offers amazing views and has rich flora and fauna. Flights are operated daily from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro (JRO).

Rafting in the Grand Canyon
Many tourists go see the amazing view of the Grand Canyon every year in the United States. But only a few decide to go rafting and experience the inner beauty of the Grand Canyon. You will raft on the Colorado river and camp at night under the blue skies. Trips can be from 3 days up to a 15 day journey in which you will see the entire 225 mile Canyon.

Adventure travel might be the traveling of the future! The good thing about it though, is that in case you are still planning on laying on the Spanish beaches, it won't be busy, cause everyone will be on Antarctica or the Galapagos islands this summer ;)

Parents nightmare of a gap year...

2012-04-17T03:18:00.000-04:00

It might seems like a nightmare to many parents: A gap year...

Many students nowadays choose to take a ' year off ' between high school and university. To parents it's usually not the best decision their teenager can make as they are afraid their kid will never attend university anymore. But before parents should freak out about this hype called gap year, let us look at some reasons why or why not take this year off.

So really, do students who choose to take a gap year after high school only think about partying and being extremely lazy? Not quite. It's not their plan to stay degree-less forever, it is their plan to get different experiences in other countries, learn another language or even attend high school in a foreign country. In fact, in many cases it makes students even more focused and they are more sure on what they want with their life. Cause face it, if you're young and not so experienced, how should you know what you want?

If we look at most facts and figures, many students change their degree because they didn't know what to study. Or, it takes them one or even two more years extra to graduate as they can not seem to find motivation for their studies. Sending a child to university who is not ready, may even result in a real nightmare. Better prepared students, means high completion rates in university.
Even prestigious universities like Harvard and Princeton are talking about students taking a gap year before attending their studies, to be more focused, experienced and sure of their academic journey.

Gap years can exist of many different programs and destinations. So in case your parents are persuaded by you taking a gap year, it is still necessary to have a look at the possibilities and make sure you go as prepared as possible. The planning of the gap year is almost as important as the gap year itself, as you will learn how to take care of things on your own.

Money matters
Taking a gap year costs money. Language courses, high schools years, internships or volunteering programs all cost money. Of course you can save up money or earn money during a summer job before leaving the country. In most cases a financial hand from the parents is still needed. Make sure you go prepared financially, especially in case unexpected expenses occur.

Choose the dream
Gap years can be a journey of a lifetime. It can teach you who you are and what you want in life. To be able to make this happen, it is important to choose the right program. As there are so many different websites about gap years and tons of programs, it's not so easy to make that decision. Inform yourself well before you go and make sure you go for something you think fits best with you, or, is the biggest challenge..

Planning is the key
It sounds a bit cheesy, but you do need to plan this whole thing. Make sure you know the deadlines, take care of insurances, get your malaria pills and think of an option for plan B in case your choice doesn't work out. And oh yeah, don't forget the application deadlines of universities for the year after.

And while you might start planning your maybe-expensive gap year abroad, consider the following quote:

' Travel is the only thing you'll buy that makes you richer '.

I rest my case.

How shocking can culture be?

2012-04-12T04:46:00.000-04:00

Imagine, you planned your first long-term trip abroad, have packed your heavy over weighted suitcase, pictures of mom and dad peeking out of your agenda and some magazines in your bag in case you'll forget your mother-tongue.

While reading this, you might think: Ready to go! But much less is true. Many people are not well prepared for a so-called culture shock. Or even less expected: a reverse culture shock!
If you think of most countries, they all have food, families eating dinner at night, a t.v., a bathroom and children going to school. So how can having dinner with your family at home, be so different from having dinner with your family abroad?

About a year ago, I planned my own backpacking trip to Thailand and Malaysia. With only 8 kilos in my backpack, I felt the king of the world and ready to go for this amazing adventure. While having never been in an Asian country before, I thought I'd knew enough looking at brochures, pictures and stories on the internet and a few Lonely Planets. The media nowadays is able to portray much more of a country than it did years ago. Everyone can see commercials on ' Malaysia truly Asia' and get a quick preview of what the country must be like. Travel agencies inform you about the beautiful temples you'll see and the good value for your money. In a way it is great that we are able to gather so much information before our departure, but on the other hand it can in no way describe what you will experience in your journey..

Arriving in Asia, I immediately felt the heat and moisture of the climate, something I'm definitely not used to. Just a few seconds later the assistant of the hotel came to greet me with the widest smile and right away it became clear to me that Asian people are one of the most welcoming people I ever met. They love showing their culture, their country, their food and everything else they have to offer. Not a moment during my travelling through Thailand and Malaysia I had doubts in my mind about their willingness of making my stay as pleasant as possible. Of course you have to get used to the bugs, the not always hygiene in public bathrooms and the not always fast pace working style.

The best way to deal with the culture shock you will experience is to not cling too much to your own culture and embrace the culture you are about to see and feel. The key word is to be open minded and to let yourself be overwhelmed by the beauty of other people, culture and food. Try something new, dare to do something you never thought you'd do before and try not be afraid of what might happen.

The world has so much richness to discover, and it's not all gold that glitters. It's in the little things that you'll learn while being abroad, that make you realize how important it is to travel. After I had returned in my own country, I tried to implement these things I've learned while being in Asia. The hospitality of the people, the try-not-to-worry-so-much attitude and the respect they show to nature and animals. Cause even though you can have either bad or good experiences abroad with different cultures, it will always change your life and will teach you that going abroad is the best choice you ever made.

Brand new interns!

2012-03-28T04:28:00.001-04:00

Howdy guys and gals!
I would like to introduce you to some of our new interns here at Langues Vivantes - Easy Languages!
We are very excited to be able to add some new members to the Brussels team, who are willing to work for our different language teams. Being an intern at Easy Languages means not only work for our office in Brussels, but also being able to travel around Europe, how cool is that?
Since our employees come from all different countries and regions, many languages in the office are spoken, like French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Polish and Portuguese. Definitely a good opportunity for the interns to work on their language skills and get to know other cultures. Enough with the small talk, let me introduce you to our brand new interns!

Name: Marlène Hamon

What do you study? I study economics

What is your position? I work for the french market

Which country and city are you from? I am French and I come from Vannes (Brittany)

Why did you choose for Easy Languages / Langues Vivantes? Because it is a young, dynamic and international firm

Which language would you still like to learn and why: Spanish because it sounds good and there are so many spanish speakers

What's your favourite holiday? That would be backpacking in Marocco

Name: Damien Eck

What do you study? I study Tourism and Recreation Management in The Netherlands

What is your position? I work for the Dutch market

Which country and city are you from? I am from The Netherlands, from the city of Leiden

Why did you choose for Easy Languages / Langues Vivantes? I chose for the company because working in a small and ambitious company in the tourism sector attracts me a lot.

Which language would you still like to learn and why: Improve my Spanish, because it is one of the most important languages in the world.

What's your favourite holiday? Any country that offers a perfect mix of culture, nature, sun and sea.

Name: Bernardo Starita

What do you study? I study International Relations and political science in Bologna

What is your position? I am an intern for the Italian market

Which country and city are you from? From Livorno - Italy

Why did you choose for Easy Languages / Langues Vivantes? I think it's a great opportunity to put in practice the tools I gained during my studies

Which language would you still like to learn and why: I'm currently learning French, as soon as I can I want to move to Brasil to learn Portuguese and discover the dynamic life of a developing country

What's your favourite holiday? The best holiday I can think of is a tour around the Mediterranean on a sailing boat

Name: Sophie Faniel

What do you study? I am studying International Business

What is your position? I work on the French market

Which country and city are you from? Liège, Belgium

Why did you choose for Easy Languages / Langues Vivantes? Because I love travelling and learning foreign languages so I’m more than happy to promote all the linguistic programs of the company. I also really like the international team I’m working with.

Which language would you still like to learn and why: I really need to improve my Dutch because that’s one of the official languages here in Belgium.

What's your favourite holiday? City trips with friends all around Europe.

Name: Yashira Groenendijk

What do you study? Cultural Economics / Management

What is your position? I am an intern for the English market

Which country and city are you from? I'm from the harbour city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Why did you choose for Easy Languages / Langues Vivantes? The reason I chose for Easy Languages is because I am interested in working in an international environment where I can work with one of my greatest passions: travelling!

Which language would you still like to learn and why: I would like to learn Italian, because I love the way the language sounds. Also, I want to enhance my language skills in French and Spanish, because these languages are spoken worldwide.

What's your favourite holiday? Either backpacking in South East Asia or a safari in deep down Africa.

Name: Ellen Vanbaelen

What do you study? Master degree in Marketing and Business

What is your position? Administrative assistant for the French market

Which country and city are you from? Montpellier in the South of France

Why did you choose for Easy Languages / Langues Vivantes? I choose Easy Languages because for me it is the perfect link between languages, business and marketing.

Which language would you still like to learn and why? I would like to learn German or Italian as they are languages of countries I like and would like to spend some time in

What's your favourite holiday? My favourite holidays are holidays with my boyfriend or family. I like European trips so that I can easely visit many places

Get ready for Bournemouth!

2012-03-22T06:13:00.000-04:00

Just a little more than a week to go, and our first students will head off to Bournemouth to study English ! In both Easter and summer holidays we offer students the opportunity to go on an accompanied group travel from Belgium to the sunniest city of Southern England! As for now, the weather prospects for Easter in Bournemouth are quite good. It looks like we have some sunny days ahead of us!

Bournemouth is said to be one of the finest student cities in Southern England, and has long beaches to relax on. It has a yearly mild climate which invites many people to come and visit for their holidays. Besides beaches, Bournemouth has other things to offer: many shops, restaurants, parks and gardens, water sports and theatres. It is also known for its pier at the beach, where people can walk from the Boscombe pier to the Bournemouth pier. It seems like our students won’t have any time to be bored.

Our two language partner schools, ETC and Westbourne, are carefully chosen and both have a long history of providing English language courses. Most of our students will take the vacation course load, where they get 20 hours of lessons per week, and can combine this with the activities that are organized in the afternoon. They will receive five half-days a week of activities, such as cultural outings to Swanage, Poole and Christchurch, go bowling or have a lovely barbeque at night.

Overall, we think Bournemouth is a great place to mix studying with pleasure and we hope that this Easter trip will be a good start of the season. We hope our students will enjoy the trip and learn to love the beauty that the United Kingdom has to offer!

For more information on our Easter and Summer courses in Bournemouth, click here

Easy Languages: Coming to a fair near you?

2011-11-03T12:06:00.000-04:00

A snapshot of the Easy Languages / Langues Vivantes stall at Lille's Student Fair last year

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Every once in a while, when the planets align just right, and the spirit of travelling abroad (perhaps the ghost of Erasmus - nobody knows for sure) takes hold of our hearts and minds, Easy Languages takes to the roads. All across Europe (and by Europe I of course mean select locations in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands), agencies - like your faithful Easy Languages - get together in hustling, bustling arenas of energy called work - or business, or travel - fairs (Salons en français) and talk about what we have to offer.

This year is no different, and we're taking the EasyMobile (name pending) to a whole bunch of destinations to tell you, the wonderful language-learning public, anything and everything you need to know. And then some.

Read on to find out where we're going...

These locations and dates are also found on our website, under the tab "Events".

As you can see, we're hitting the main hubs of francophone activity, such as Paris, Lyon, Brussels, Liège, and even Geneva in Switzerland. If you've got a spare morning or afternoon and you're not too far away, you're more than welcome to swing by and say hello. We're ready to talk about anything - whether you've got a specific programme in mind, like studying Spanish in Madrid or Russian in Moscow, or you have absolutely no idea but you've got that itch and want to do something brave or exciting by travelling abroad - so come with your questions!.

By default we're all French or Dutch speakers, but we all have fluent levels of English and one or two of us - depending on who comes to the fair - might speak something else, such as Italian. At each of these you'll find an Easy Languages stall with two, three, or perhaps more (if it's a big salon) of our trusty employees.

Hope to see you there!

In France...

Student Fair in Calais: Friday 4th of November 2011
Student Fair in Nantes: Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th of November 2011
Studyrama in Nice: Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th of January 2012
Student Fair in Lille: Thursday the 12th - Saturday the 14th of January 2012
Student Fair in Lyon: Friday the 13th - Sunday the 15th of January 2012
Studyrama in Paris: Sunday the 15th of January
Expolangues Fair in Paris: Wednesday the 1st - Saturday the 4th of February 2012
Aquitec Fair in Bordeaux: Thursday the 9th - Saturday the 11th of Februrary 2012
Studyrama in Aix-en-Provence: Saturday the 18th of February
Student Fair in Paris: Friday the 9th - Sunday the 11th of March 2012

In Belgium...

SIEP in Brussels: Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th of November 2011
Vakantiesalon in Antwerp: Thursday the 26th - Monday the 30th of January 2012
SIEP in Charleroi: Friday the 3rd and Saturday the 4th of February 2012
Holiday Fair in Brussels: Thursday the 2nd - Monday the 6th of February 2012
Studyrama in Brussels: Saturday the 4th of February 2012
SIEP in Namur: Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th of February 2012
SIEP in Tournai: Friday the 2nd and Saturday the 3rd of March 2012
SIEP in Liège: Thursday the 8th - Saturday the 10th of March 2012
SIEP in La Louvière: Friday the 20th and Saturday the 21st of April 2012

In Switzerland...

Studyrama in Geneva: Saturday the 28th of February 2012

And in the Netherlands...

Studiebeurs in Zwolle: Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the10th of November 2011
Buitenland Buitenkans in Doorn: Tuesday the 22nd of November 2011
HAS in Den Bosch: Thursday the 1st of December 2011

Remember, if you can't make it, there's still a lot of information available on our shiny new website. Check it out, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop us a line!

Easy Languages 2.0 has ARRIVED! (We're shiny and new!)

2011-10-17T11:44:00.001-04:00

That's right kids. Easy Languages 2. The sequel. Bigger, brighter, bolder. Guaranteed to improve your life.

After many months of blood, sweat, and tears (and maybe some light programming and translation), late nights and neglected spouses, our elite team of internet gremlins, coding wizards, and psychologically vulnerable translators have finally fine-tuned, spruced-up, and polished to a shine the long awaited NEW Easy Languages website. We've revamped its skin, its functionality, and even (!) the font. While official verdicts are still being processed (the site has only been online for a week, after all), this may well be one of the Greatest Websites on the Internet in the History of the Entire Internet Ever (unaccredited).

Read more to find out what kind of goodies we've got in store for you...!

So what's new?

Behold! It is a thing of beauty. Don't just stand there - click on the image to SEE FOR YOURSELF!

The first thing you'll notice will probably be the interface. And unless you have very, very high standards (give us a break, jeez!) you should be particularly impressed by just how jaw-droppingly gorgeous it all looks now. Our graphic design team (currently one overworked man by the name of Romain) has pulled out all the stops to deliver a slick new appearance, making your programme-browsing experience easy on the eyes as well as the wallet. Soft blues, tasteful sun-baked oranges, nice glossy photos from our own exchanges and destinations (who wants to read too much text anyway?), clear menus, and all with the same great content.

That said, the organisation of our programmes has been rethought considerably. To be kind, our old website had its moments, but browsing for programmes was often clunky, disorientating, and unsatisfying. Now, thanks mainly to swishy swooping buttons and graphics (and also, well, some quite clever re-categorisation), it's easier than ever to find the programme which suits your needs best.

Our traditional categories remain as the first point of contact, sorted either by duration or type (so we're talking Gap Years and studying abroad , Total Immersion programmes, that kind of thing) or age (our classic divisions of Youths and Students and Adults and Professionals, as well as School Holiday programmes for juniors). And of course there's always the option of going abroad and having accommodation without any classes at all!

What's also great is the clearer listing of destinations and languages: it's now very easy (I managed it to find our popular Summer and Easter programme in Bournemouth with my eyes closed!) to find what you want with everything sorted by country and language.

We've got plenty of new programmes, too, notably: learning English in Great Britain (such as Winchester, England and Cardiff, Wales) but also for learning French in France (the Antibes, for example) and German in Germany (in Wiesbaden). There's a lot to discover so start looking now!

The biggest difference overall is one of clarity. Our Facebook page is so obvious you should almost be ashamed you couldn't find it before. (Don't be ashamed. Just be relieved and go ahead and LIKE our page!) It's at the bottom of every page.

If you have a questions about our company or how we operate, the link to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page is right there on the main page's central banner. Should there be, somehow, a question which hasn't been asked frequently enough to be called a FAQ, send it our way - either using the details on the Contact Us page, or by using the form at the bottom of the main page (and every single other page on the website)!

And if you've already decided where you want to go (and congratulations, there should be more people like you! Pat yourself on the back - go on - you deserve it), don't waste any more time. Enrol now (it's even easier!) and a member of our experienced and eager team will deal with your request with lightning (or an approximate "really fast" but still human) speed! You know you want to.

Easy Languages. Now with 50%* more "Easy"! Try yours TODAY!
*according to a survey conducted among one (1) blog post author

Metaphors and Language Learning

2011-08-29T09:09:00.001-04:00

A metaphorical work of art, La trahison des images,
by René Magritte

As my début post on the Easy Languages blog, I thought I'd kick things off with a theoretical musing that's been bubbling away at the back of my mind for some time. It's not only fascinating but it also sheds some light on the elusive, frustrating, but endlessly beguiling enigma that is our capacity for language - and how we learn it.

The creation of this post has been spurred by a link sent to me by my colleague Kate (a fellow contributer to this blog) to the twitter page PreschoolGems. This feed shares snippets of quotes from preschool children, at times hilarious, at times precociously poetic. While not immediately relevant to the process of language learning, I found amidst its overwhelmingly candid creativity a link to a blog post on Wordpress from earlier this year discussing loosely the idea of metaphor, and also a more in-depth analysis (from a neurostructural perspective) in the NY Times last year. For those who (understandably) aren't going to trouble themselves with reams of dull academic ramblings, I'll highlight some key nuggets. Ongoing studies in neurology - the study of brains - coupled with more linguistically-driven insights - are revealing the increasingly central role of metaphor in not only language but also human behaviour.

For many of you, the word "metaphor" will no doubt conjure up memories of bygone English lessons, dryly reciting the differences between them and similes, and robotically identifying them in hackneyed chunks of famous writing. But in the evolving understanding of human biology, it's becoming evident that we should update that stuffy elitism and recognise metaphor as a marvellously inventive and fundamental cognitive talent. Fencing off metaphor as the quirky practice of poets and novelists is not only misinformed but also entirely misrepresentative. Our ability to express and relate complex ideas through conceptual "shortcuts" is hard-wired into our language system: think about prepositions, for example! If you're "in a mood", there is no physical "mood" for you to climb inside; if you're "under stress" the same applies - stress does not float above us nor weigh on our shoulders. But we understand these readily without batting an eyelid. Even something as basic as tense: saying "I'm going to eat a sandwich" bears no intention of conveying motion, but in English we take it for granted that "go", in such a context, denotes a kind of close future that isn't quite as strong as the auxiliary "will". What's more, there's neurological evidence to suggest that when we are casually uttering a phrase such as "I just can't grasp the idea..." or "I'm over it...", it activates the same spatial orientation regions in our listener's brain as when they process physical space. We think metaphorically.

This quote from a comment on the Wordpress blog was what made me start writing this post:

We get so used to the architecture of our native grammar that it becomes invisible to greater and lesser degrees; learning other languages (I used to know a few quite well) throws a light on the structures and idioms we take for granted. - "Stan"

There's definitely an element of truth to it, too. It's funny how when you start learning a new language you'll spot an odd construction which is either entirely logical (from a metaphorical point of view) or, revealingly, identical to a construction in your native tongue. The first time I learnt "Je vais + infinitive" in French as a "close future", my knee-jerk reaction was "How strange, using a verb of motion to express tense..." until I realised it's the same in English. French goes one further and uses the construction "venir de" to express something along the lines of "having just done..." - and analagous "close past" using the same idea of motion. English and French share a couple more motion constructions, such as "J'allais faire..." ("I was going to do...") or even "Va chercher..." ("Go look..."). And it's not just French and English; every language, to some degree, possesses this kind of 'recycling' of lexical material to create new meanings, all thanks to metaphor. And this is because it's not a characteristic of language alone but rather a trait shared by humans. As the NY Times link discusses above, we have metaphorical associations relating to all sorts of phenomena, processed in the exact same areas of the brain as their literal counterparts (physical nausea vs. moral disgust, for example). It's efficient and economical usage of cerebral real-estate: without metaphor, we wouldn't be able to communicate effectively. We'd be rooted down in concrete language, which is not only dull but ultimately inexpressive.

This is all a whimsical tangent, and lovely to think that we are all born instinctively creative, but in fear of straying far from the point, I'll reiterate. It is often through learning a foreign language that we are reminded of our capacity for metaphor; in fact, to learn another language is to open your mind to new metaphors, to new thinking. It encourages open-mindedness simply because many metaphors, particularly the ones that have grown with the language and have become conventionalised, obscure, and embedded in idiom, are indecipherable without immersing yourself in that culture. Textbooks can't teach you that final, unique thrill of acquiring, understanding, and using a truly native turn of phrase.

So if you really want to learn a foreign language - get under its skin, to use a metaphor - you've got to go to the country and live it. Breathe it. Get lost in it. Rather romantically, that's what Easy Languages is all about - the incomparable immersive aspect of language learning. Why not check out our hundreds of available programmes in a wide range of destinations, and learn a new language (or brush up on an old one!) in the most effective way possible - abroad!

Photos: (1) Wikimedia.org

Office Update: Welcoming three new interns to the Easy Languages team

2011-08-19T06:39:00.000-04:00

It seems like just yesterday we began saying our goodbyes to some interns. Alas as the clock moves forward and the days turn into months, we see fresh faces come and go. This post is on a happier note, fresh faces! We're excited about 3 new interns joining us the month who together represent three separate countries: Italy, England, and the Netherlands!

First up, we have Francesca Impagliatelli fresh off the plane from Bari, Italy.

Viva gli spaghetti!

She is a recent university graduate with a degree in Business and Marketing from the Università Degli Studi di Bari. She's is currently working with us under an agreement with Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, a program that matches recent university graduates with established businesses that have a similar business model. During her studies she was an account manager for AIESEC, an international intern/work abroad organization run only by students, for students. Francesca hopes to open a study abroad agency in Italy after her 4 month placement with us. Best of luck to you Francesca! Languages: Italian and English Countries visited: England, France, Greece Favorite food: Anything with tortellini (Editors note: how typical) What she hopes to get out of this internship:

"I'm excited to learn everything about the language travel industry. Everyone has been really nice and I hope to get as much advice and insight as possible from the experienced staff here at Easy Languages. I also look forward to growing personally and professionally in the international city of Brussels." -Francesca

We're also welcoming an Englishman to our team, George Sully.

This is my cheerio face.

George studied French and Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh where he found this placement through his previous position at the International Writing Center at his university. There he would help international students with their English writing by proofreading and editing. He also has a strange fascination with the 7 dwarfs from Snow White. George has a true passion for language and takes pride in his sharp, very "French" accent. At Easy Languages he will be representing our English speaking contingent at our office in Paris, France as well as updating the blog with some fresh content!

Languages: French and English... with some Latin in there for good measure.
Countries visited: England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, USA (Florida, Georgia, Illinois), France, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Spain
Favorite Food: Fajitas!

What he hopes to get out of this internship:

"I want to see more of Europe, practice and improve my French, and spread the magic of language learning!" - George

Lastly, but not leastly, we have Stef Rozemeijer hailing from the shipping docks of Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Not literally, more like, figuratively)

Kom maar op met die stage! (I'm pumped for this internship!)

Stef here is currently studying Small Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. He landed this internship by taking the initiative and emailing us directly. During his internship he will remain a critical member his university's "Secretaris medezeggenschapsraad" (Student Advisory Council). On the council he researches student needs for the greater student population. Stef looks forward to opening up his own business when he graduates and becoming a successful entrepreneur. During his internship, Stef will be helping to serve our Flemish and Dutch clients needs and requests as well as updating and refreshing the Dutch version of our website. Veel succes Stef!

Languages: Dutch, English, French and some German
Countries Visited: The Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Italy, France, Germany
Favorite Food: Hutspot (Mashed carrots, potatoes, meat and onions...)

What he hopes to get out of this internship:

"I hope to develop and explore my marketing skills as well as broaden my world view." -Stef

Wish them all good luck in the comments!

Photos were provided by the interns themselves.

Win 2 Weeks of French Lessons in Brussels!

2011-08-14T18:00:00.059-04:00

The gorgeous flower carpet of Grand Place

At Easy Languages, we want to see the world become bilingual. Each person on our team has a passion for learning languages, so we’re putting our money where our mouth is. Starting now, we are announcing giveaway for a French language learning trip for 2 weeks including accommodation in Brussels, Belgium! Language immersion is the best to learn a new language. When you live, breath, and sleep with the language, you can’t help but absorb it. One lucky winner will be treated to this fantastic, immersive experience free of charge.

**CONTEST ENTRY PERIOD ENDED**

To enter simple leave a comment below and make sure the “Post to my wall” box is checked. If all goes as planned, on Friday September 2, 2011 we’ll announce the randomly selected winner via facebook and twitter.

About Brussels, Belgium:
Brussels, often referred to as the capital of Europe, is characterized by its vast diversity. Its leading role within the European Union has acted as a magnet, drawing all sorts of commercial and non-profit organizations. Brussels is also city with a rich cultural history, proudly exhibiting the artifacts of its heritage. It has attracted writers and artists for hundreds of years, and Belgian artists, such as Victor Horta, René Magritte, Paul Delvaux, Hergé and Jacques Brel. Each of whom have contributed extensively to building Brussels’ global reputation. In addition the city is well known for the large murals of famous comic book characters such as Tintin and the comic book museum.

Can you spot Tintin?

Brussels is also a very ”green“ city. It's packed with numerous parks throughout the city offering plenty of space to enjoy a nice sandwich with friends or go for a jog. One favourite is the beautiful Forêt de Soignes, or Forest of the Swans, which extends all the way from deep in the Southwest to almost the heart of downtown! It goes without saying that Brussels is certainly an exquisite capital with great cuisine as well as awesome chocolate, beers and desserts. In contrast to France, known for its extensive wine section, restaurants in Brussels often have separate menus for their beer options. If you're lucky enough to win, make sure you visit a traditional Belgian bar like A la Becasse (The Lark) to practice your French and enjoy some traditional cheeses from the area.

Best of luck to all of you and don't forget to follow us on twitter and "like" us on Facebook!

We would like to extend a special thanks to the following blogs that helped to promote our giveaway: Jennie en France, Omniglot, and Third Year Abroad.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN GIVEAWAYS. A PURCHASE WON’T IMPROVE AN INDIVIDUAL’S CHANCE OF WINNING.

Langues Vivantes - Interlingua, Easy Languages, The Language Traveler, and it’s contributors are referred to interchangeably as “Easy Languages” in the following rules.

1. Eligibility. This giveaway is open to US and UK residents over the age of 18 only.

2. How to Enter. To enter leave a comment on this giveaway annoucement post. A limit of one entry is allowed per person. You may not enter more than once, whether or not you use a different e-mail address or Facebook account. Subsequent entries determined to be submitted with the same email address or from the same individual using multiple email addresses may be declared ineligible.

3. Grand Prize. The prize for this giveaway is 2 weeks of French courses in Brussels, Belgium including accommodation in a residence valued at €795.00 or approximately $1, 100.00 (USD) - £700.00 (GBP). This prize does not include airfare or any ground transportation.

3. Disclaimer. Easy Languages will not be responsible for: (a) any late or lost entries; (b) telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet, or other computer or communications-related malfunctions or failures; any giveaway disruptions, injuries, losses or damages caused by events beyond the control of Easy Languages or by unauthorized human intervention; or (c) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the giveaway.

4. Entry Deadline Date. This giveaway will run from Monday August 15, 2011 at 12:00am EST (UTC -5:00) until Monday August 29, 2011 at 11: 59pm EST (UTC -5:00). All entries for this giveaway must be received on or before August 29, 2011 at 11:59pm EST (UTC -5:00) to be eligible to win a prize.

6. Winner Selection. A prize number will be assigned to your entry upon receipt of your entry. A winning number will be generated using Random.org on or shortly after the Entry Deadline Date. If your Prize Number matches the Winning Number, and you meet the eligibility requirements and otherwise comply with these Official Giveaway Rules, you win the prize.

7. Winner Notification. You will be notified within three (3) days after the Entry Deadline Date if you win the prize via a reply to your comment.

8. Claiming Your Prize. Winner must respond by emailing us via giveaway1 [at] easylanguages [dot] com within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected. The winner will also be require to complete an affidavit of eligibility, which will be provided by Easy Languages.

8.1 Booking Your trip. A fully-refundable deposit of €500.00 is required to book your trip with us. In lieu of a deposit, Easy Languages will accept a valid credit card, which will be charged $1.00 USD or £1.00 for verification purposes.

9. Taxes. ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TAXES ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OF ANY PRIZE ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER.

10. Prize Substitution. Winner may not substitute the prize for any other prize or for cash, however, Easy Languages may substitute the prize for any other prize of equal or greater value, in its reasonable discretion, in the event the prize is not available for any reason outside of our reasonable control.

11. Publicity. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission to use winner’s name and prize information for promotional purposes in any medium, except where prohibited by law, without further payment or other consideration.

12. Errors and Disputes. In the event of a dispute as to the ownership of any entry, the person whose name appears on the entry form associated with the prize number for the winning entry will be deemed to be the winner. It is your responsibility to control access to your email account. In the unlikely event that the winning prize number is duplicated, or a similar error occurs, Easy Languages may conduct a random drawing among such inadvertently duplicated numbers or apply another equitable remedy in its discretion to determine the winner. Decisions made by Easy Languages are final. By entering the giveaway, you agree to be bound by the decisions of the Easy Languages staff and these official rules. You and your entries may be disqualified if you attempt to circumvent these official rules.

13. Technical Problems. The giveaway may be canceled, suspended and/or modified, in whole or in part, if in the opinion of Easy Languages management, any fraud, technical failure or other factor beyond its control impairs the integrity of the giveaway.

14. General Release. By entering the giveaway through this website, you release Easy Languages from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the giveaway or delivery, misdelivery or acceptance of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses and damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light, whether intentional or unintentional), whether under a theory of contract, tort (including negligence), warranty or other theory.

-VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW-

Photos: (1) Snezana, (2)Yusuke