{"id":5911,"date":"2019-08-28T16:12:13","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T16:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.applelanguages.com\/blog\/?p=5911"},"modified":"2019-12-17T13:56:40","modified_gmt":"2019-12-17T13:56:40","slug":"and-the-winner-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.applelanguages.com\/blog\/information\/and-the-winner-is.php","title":{"rendered":"Shut Up and Go with Apple Languages!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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!<\/p>\n

WHO?<\/h2>\n

\"\"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.<\/p>\n

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Apple Language Courses, meanwhile, have been helping international students of all ages and backgrounds realise their dreams by providing a variety of language courses and accommodation options for almost 30 years. We’re a member of the Wyse Travel Confederation, the Association of Language Travel Organisations (ALTO), and IALC (the International Association of Language Centres), all organisations which are committed to maintaining a high standard of language tuition. We’re a small team based in the UK, and each of us is passionate about learning languages and providing excellent advice and service – you can find out more about us here<\/a>!<\/p>\n

We at ALC are always keen to get more people involved in language travel – especially at a time when funding for languages is decreasing in UK schools.<\/a> This goal is shared by our friends at Shut Up and Go; regular readers may remember Jo’s trip to Athens<\/a> last year, and Damon’s time in Vienna<\/a>; Nasir also went on a language course in Malaga with us! This time, the team decided to give one of their followers the chance to experience a course abroad, and we were more than happy to provide the opportunity!<\/p>\n

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WHERE?<\/h2>\n

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The chosen locations – Valencia, Seville, and Montpellier – are three of our most popular schools, with modern facilities, friendly staff members, and proximal locations to the best sights and sounds of each city. Hundreds of students of all ages and backgrounds attend these schools each year, enjoying both the high-quality tuition and the exciting social programmes offered by each facility.<\/p>\n

Our new-look Valencia<\/a> school is situated in a stunning 153-year-old property in the heart of the city\u2019s Old Town, the Carmen district. The building – newly renovated and still containing segments of the city\u2019s 11th-century Arabic walls, a vestige of Spain\u2019s Moorish occupation – boasts 28 spacious classrooms spread across two floors, a kitchen used for cooking workshops, and air-conditioning throughout. It also has an outside patio area, two terraces, and a caf\u00e9 where students can relax and enjoy a snack between lessons. Various quiet study areas dotted around the building allow for extra-curricular study. Its central location makes it a perfect base for exploring the city, while its friendly and welcoming staff will do their utmost to help you learn Spanish, whether you are a complete beginner or already have some experience.<\/p>\n

Our Premium school in Seville<\/a> is located just a short walk from the main historical centre of the city, with its winding alleyways and narrow \u2018kissing streets\u2019. With 35 classrooms and a maximum of 10 students per group, this school is able to offer its students bespoke attention and language instruction that is tailored to their individual needs. The building boasts a student lounge and a ground-floor patio with its own caf\u00e9, providing snacks and drinks directly on-site! If you want to catch some sun after class, look no further: the school has its own rooftop terrace, complete with a small pool! For those looking for quiet study, the school also has a library offering free textbooks and video resources to all students, as well as a self-study room.<\/p>\n

The language centre in Montpellier<\/a> is one of our most popular French locations, perhaps in part because it is so close to the famous and luxurious C\u00f4te d’Azur. Lessons take place in a gorgeous Neoclassicist building located right in the centre of the city, which boasts bright classrooms across four floors, a computer lounge, a library stocked full of multi-media learning materials, vending machines serving drinks and snacks, and its own courtyard, complete with a Greek-style sculpture and a small garden! With a maximum of just 10 students per class, this school is also able to provide tailored instruction to all students, with a level test prior to arrival to ensure that students start at the right level.<\/p>\n

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HOW?<\/h2>\n

Our ethos of encouraging students to step out of their comfort zone and immerse themselves in a language and a culture, in order to get the maximum educational benefit, really lines up with the ethos of the Shut Up and Go team. So what better way to celebrate this ethos than to give others the opportunity to get involved, too?<\/p>\n

We asked participants to post a photo or collage of themselves explaining why they wanted to win a study-abroad experience and what ‘Shut Up and Go’ meant to them. Over 60 contestants entered the competition over a single week, providing amazing insights and feedback about their own experiences with travel and language travel.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

W<\/span>e’ve featured some of our favourite comments and pictures below.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
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@rebekah_baird: Being completely immersed in a new culture and language is definitely not the easiest thing to do. However, studying abroad must be the most rewarding experience there is. You come out the other end with new stories, life-long friends, and new skills (like a new language for example??!!), not to mention becoming more independent, open-minded and mature.<\/p><\/div>\n

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@thelifeofz0e: To me Shut Up and Go is a reminder that time won\u2019t stop for you; you have to make the most out it and choose how to spend it.<\/p><\/div>\n

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@mitchel.parum: The reason I seek this experience is to be able to know roads, trails and rivers that allow me to meet a lot of people and a lot of random things. And I know that feeling this intense call from the world means that I\u2019ll have a shining future without losing the amazing present.<\/p><\/div>\n

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@luke.williams113: Till the day I die I will never stop adding languages to my arsenal, because I truly do believe that the more languages I know the more pairs of eyes I have with which to see the world and the more meaningful relationships I can make with confused strangers in gelato shops in Italy because I can speak with them in French. (Too specific? 😂)<\/p><\/div>\n

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@disposable.desechable.jetable: I shut up and went, and all I got were these meaningful lifelong memories…. and new best friends… the self confidence I didn\u2019t know I had…. and a notebook full of bad French puns …. (and tbh some pretty dope instagram photos too) ⭐️<\/p><\/div>\n

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@erika.jane6 created a truly beautiful handwritten collage for her entry, noting that one should never let easy excuses get in the way of growth-inducing experiences: If life has taught me anything so far, it is that there\u2019s truly nothing more valuable than connecting with others, in sharing the things that bring us joy, lifting each other up, relating to one another, and showing those around us and beyond that we are never alone in our experiences. Learning another language (or several) opens the door for so many more friendships and connections than before and studying abroad allows you to appreciate the beauty of other countries and cultures and gives you perspective as a global citizen.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Several entrants even made videos – such as @jenschaller_ …<\/p>\n

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✈️ Contest Video ✈️ After practicing my French in Montreal this year, I caught the language bug!! And thanks to @shutupandgo and @applelanguages for hosting this suh-weet competition, I could be able to check off my next language: Spanish. Enjoy this video that looks like a combo of a medicine commercial and a University promo lol. Special thanks to my sister @sarahschaller3 for helping me film this in a couple of hours. Also to the cute couple sitting outside the coffee shop and laughing with me when I told them I wasn\u2019t trying to vlog but create a competition video 😂🤷🏼‍♀️ [this video is for @jenschaller_ because my personal account has to stay on private!]<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Broads Abroad<\/a> (@broadsabroadtravel) on