Amy: Spanish in Madrid (1 week)
Many thanks to Live Languages Abroad for all their help, support and advice. I couldn`t have done it without you.
Billy: Spanish in Madrid (6 weeks)
" I have just returned from a six week course studying Spanish in Madrid, and decided to go with live languages abroad on the recommendation of a friend, and I'm so happy I did, from the accommodation to the school, the teachers and all the people I met, everything was even better than I could of expected! The support I received from Gemma was second to none and all efforts were made to make me feel comfortable on my journey. I can wholeheartedly recommend Live Languages and Gemma as a provider to anyone looking at studying abroad. Five stars isn't enough!"
Ava – French in Lyon (4 weeks)
"I am currently in Lyon studying French. It is excellent here. My host family were warm and welcoming from the first instance and the school staff are escpecially helpful. We go on cultural activities after class to help familiarise us with Lyon. The food is AMAZING. Apparently, Lyon Bleu (the school) is the best one in Lyon. If you want a warm welcome, a good education in French and excellent food - Lyon is the place to go. Thank you Live Languages for making the organisation of this trip so easy!"
Garbis: Russian in Moscow (4 weeks)
Staff are excellent professionals and always follow closely everyone's work and progress. The accent on speaking is something I like and believe is extremely useful.
I will certainly be back at some point in the future.
Garbis Latifyan (32)
4 week Russian course in Moscow
Nick – French in Biarritz (8 weeks)
Nick's mum (Debbie):
"My son just returned from Biarritz after spending 8 weeks there. He had a great time and met lots of fun kids there at the school. He really liked his host family, said that they were so good to him and Marie & Patrice were great to him at the school as well. He managed to do quite a bit of surfing there which was one of his dreams. He has been surfing for years so didn't need to take lessons but Patrice helped him out with a board and wet suit rental. This was my second time dealing with Gemma at Live Languages Abroad and she was wonderful once again! I would really recommend anyone to book through her, she makes it all so easy!"
Nick- French in Nice (15 weeks)
Debbie (Nick’s Mother) :
"Nick comes home from Nice tomorrow. He left there today and is in the UK with my brother overnight before flying back home to Barbados. He had a great time in Nice and really enjoyed the course and everything there. He was very proud of himself, as he went up 3 course levels whilst being there. Not sure if that is normal, but for him, it is a huge achievement as he has struggled his whole life with school work! He did say that he enjoyed the fact that the classes were sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon. He liked that he got to sleep in late some days! Typical! He said that the teachers were very nice to him and he enjoyed the atmosphere of the school. To him, it was more like being at a college and not a “normal” school. The teachers treated you more as an adult. Oh and he really liked the host family he was with. His host “mother” treated him really well and he really enjoyed being there with them, especially loved the family cat that evidently slept with him most nights! :)"
Nick is now going on to study French for a further 8 weeks. He is a very keen surfer and has opted to head to Biarritz to catch some waves whilst he progresses his French.
Grace: Russian in St Petersburg
Grace Dickinson (23)
Russian course in St Petersburg
Ali: Spanish in Barcelona (12 weeks) & Madrid (8 weeks)
“I started out on my gap year with very basic Spanish. I could count to ten, say hello and goodbye and of course… what every gap year student needs to know… how to order ‘dos cervezas, por favour’. I knew that I wanted to spend time in two different cities and that I wanted excitement, culture and to meet as many people from all over the world as possible as well as improving my Spanish. After talking to Gemma @Live Languages Abroad she advised me that Barcelona and Madrid would give me exactly what I was looking for. She was so right. Barcelona is a dream! It’s a very cosmopolitan city, full of people from all walks of life, vibrant, busy and full of excitement. The school was amazing, I spent 3 months in Barcelona and my Spanish went from very basic to me holding conversations in Spanish throughout the days without even thinking about it. For the first 6 weeks in Barcelona I stayed with a Spanish host family. They were so welcoming and treated me as another member of the family. If you want to progress your language skills as quickly as possible, live with a Spanish family. Listening to the language being spoken and conversing with the family on a daily basis is invaluable. The last 6 weeks I spent in the student residence with the best group of girls that I will be lifelong friends with. I have some fantastic memories of Barcelona, from visiting ‘la Sagrada familia’ to dancing with the street dancers on ‘las ramblas’. It is a truly amazing city and I can’t wait to go back.
Next on to Madrid. I spent 8 weeks in Madrid and to be honest as I sat on the train from Barcelona to Madrid I began to wonder how Madrid could ever top my time in Barcelona. Well it’s right up there with Barcelona! Madrid is full of hidden treasures and you really need to spend some real time in Madrid to fully appreciate everything it had to offer. The school was yet again brilliant and only a few minutes’ walk from the beautiful Retiro Park. I spent hours walking in the park or just sitting with a book and a coffee, watching the world go by. The teachers were so enthusiastic and they make you feel so welcome. My Spanish progressed even more and I now have a very advanced level of Spanish. One of my proudest moments of my gap year was having a conversation about the economy of all things and putting the world to rights with an elderly Madrileño gentleman in a tapas bar just off Gran Via. Of course a little sangria for Dutch courage helped the conversation flow, but this was my moment of realisation, that I had done it… I’d learnt to speak Spanish… WELL!! I stayed in the student residence in Madrid and again, met a fantastic group of friends.
I had the most amazing gap year, not only did I learnt to speak Spanish, I saw so much culture, made soooooo many friends and grew as a person too. Thank you so much Live Languages Abroad, your advise was spot on and I’m so grateful for all your help in organising a fantastic gap year and helping me throughout the whole 5 months I was in Spain. When can I go again?”
Megan: Russian in Moscow (4 weeks)
Meggan Beddoe (21)
4 week Russian course in Moscow
Sam- German in Munich (4 weeks)
"I am two weeks into a German course in Munich and am thoroughly enjoying the experience so far. The multicultural Carl Duisberg Centrum offers courses for all abilities and takes a pleasantly surprising interest in maximising the development of individual students. Munich is a great place to live with plenty of activities to keep you entertained, whatever your interests. Live Languages Abroad made the booking process quick and easy and ensured I had all the information I needed prior to departure. I get the impression that they would have been quick and eager to assist with any problems, had I encountered any."
Ellen Cusack – Spanish A-level revision Madrid (1 week)
"I went to Madrid with live languages abroad to study a language course, everything was arranged so efficiently and well and I would highly recommend the company to anyone. Gemma was so helpful and so was the language school. I would definitely tell anyone who may not be used to travelling alone to go as it was so easy and well arranged. I would recommend it for any age, it has improved my Spanish speaking skills hugely, to have intensive courses with native teachers as well as being immersed in the language all day every day."
Mark: Russian in Riga (6 weeks)
Mark Kennedy (23)
6 week Russian course in Riga