Responsible travel: a how-to guide

It’s 2020 and climate change is a topic that’s almost unavoidable. It’s also one of the most important global topics – if not the most important topic. Many people worldwide try to reduce their carbon emissions where they can, but what about travelling? Travelling is as popular as ever, while at the same time the word ‘fly shame’ trends in Sweden – meaning you’re ashamed to fly because of the environmental impact. As we become more socially and culturally aware of the impact of our trips abroad, ‘responsible travelling’ is becoming more important to us. It’s a step in the right direction, but what does it mean?

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Dreaming of Spanish in Valencia

Hello! My name is Sylvana. I was an intern for Apple Language Courses back in 2017. I have always dreamt of continuing my language learning and now I’ve got that chance! I’ve just started a Spanish language course with the Apple Languages school in Valencia – I am enrolled on an 8-week Intensive course, so hope to make excellent progress!

In this blog post, I will explain a little bit about what it’s like to stay with a Spanish host family. I’ll tell you my current level of the language and what I hope to achieve during my time in Valencia. I will also give you a small itinerary of a typical week with activities at the school.

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Studying at a German university

Famous for literature, engineering, and inventions, Germany has a reputation as a key European hub of education and culture. Studying in Germany gets more popular each year, but why is that? Why are young people going there, not just for a semester, but for an entire degree? Why do a quarter of international students want to work in Germany? And why do a fifth of international students in Germany want to continue their studies there?

There are many factors that influence these decisions. Read to find out more, and to learn how we can help you study at the German university of your choice!

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Shut Up and Go with Apple Languages!

Many of you may already know that we have recently teamed up again with our good friends at Shut Up and Go – this time we’re providing an incredible two weeks of *free* language tuition in France or Spain to the lucky winner!

WHO?

Shut Up and Go was first set up by the itchy-footed duo that is Jo Franco and Damon Dominique over 10 years ago, as a way to share their experiences. Originating with Youtube videos documenting their travels, the pair now have over a million followers across various social media platforms. They’ve also grown the partnership. Now a core team of 4 with over 20 regular contributors, Shut Up and Go provides advice and guidance on what not to miss on your own journey, how to make the most out of your time in any of the hundreds of locations the team have visited, and even about learning new languages. Their Spunky Word of the Day is similar to our own Weird Word Wednesdays, giving viewers the opportunity to learn vocabulary as they browse.

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Russian Language Day

Today, the 6th June, is the UN’s Russian Language Day! This day was created in 2010 by UNESCO to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity within the United Nations’ member states.

The UN Language Days serve to promote the equal use of all six official languages.

We mentioned French language day in a previous post from March, but the special focus today is on the Russian language!

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Game of Thrones filming locations

You may know that Ireland‘s tourism industry is seeing a real boost in Game of Throne fan tours. The majority of these tours are take place in Northern Ireland, starting from Belfast, about two hours from our English schools in Dublin.

If you are a GoT fan you may want to create your own tour! In this case you should be interested to know many of our other language schools are located very close to areas where scenes from the hit series were filmed!

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Writing systems of the world

Most of us are aware there there are thousands of languages spoken across the world – but do you know how many alphabets there are?

We’re not just talking about the difference between, say, the Latin alphabet (the one you’re reading now) and the Georgian alphabet (a sample of which you can see below) – we’re talking about the difference between abjads and abugidas, and between syllabaries and ideograms. Confused? Read on to find out more!

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The French language

Did you know that March 20^th is the United Nations’ ‘French Language Day’? It has been recognised on March 20^th every year since 2010 and celebrates multilingualism and cultural diversity.

To celebrate, here are some interesting facts about the French Language:

French is one of the United Nations’ official languages. The other five official languages of the United Nations are Arabic, Chinese, English, Russian and Spanish.

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Your Apple Languages BREXIT GUARANTEE

Will Brexit affect my language course?

No, we don’t think so – but we will guarantee that you are not affected regardless.

If you are planning on taking a language course and travelling to Europe from the UK, or vice versa, there’s no need to worry!

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‘Tis the season to be jolly!

Christmas is celebrated across the Christian world and – in more recent times – in other non-Christian countries. Its increasing popularity is perhaps due in part to the appeal of Christmas decorations, Yuletide gift-giving, and festive feasts. But how much do you actually know about this famous time of year?

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