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Advice and articles for language learning
We call our free monthly newsletter "Talking Languages". Each edition features learning tips and
a language lesson. Here's the up-to-date archive of learning tips: Private tuition - a unique
experience Private tuition - a unique experience If you've got the incentive to learn, you can not only make a successful start to your learning, but also keep the classes going over a long period. That's crucial because (lest we forget) the time it takes to get to the level you need, somewhere near 'fluency' probably, may be longer than you first thought. Perseverance, then, is a great quality. Here at Talk Languages, our students find that their classes quickly develop into a weekly ritual. A special relationship between student and teacher soon develops; this seems partly due to the session being entirely geared towards an individual's* unique needs, making private tuition an intensive way to learn languages. Intensive tuition is fun - and when an expert private teacher acts as your own special guide to language learning, there is no better way to learn. Mind you, since here in England we can only try to simulate the experience of actually being in the target language country, we encourage our language learners to visit that country, because nothing beats total immersion! * we teach small groups too! Talk Languages If you've already begun your tuition, I wonder how easy it was for you to decide where to learn. Talk Languages offers tuition in the student's place of work, home, or in the teacher's home. Occasionally, we arrange for classes to take place elsewhere, in what you might call a 'neutral' venue. In deciding where best to learn, it is worth considering (however roomy your house may be) the option of travelling to the teacher. My experience is that many students like to 'get out of the house' and learn their language in a different environment. I suspect this option may be especially appealing to those who live in a busy household, or those who feel the teacher may have better teaching facilities. Learning in your own home or place of work is often that bit more convenient, which may explain its enduring popularity. Besides, why leave an environment you're happy in to go and learn in a one you may need to get used to? Either way, the fact remains that sufficient space and a relaxed atmosphere are particularly conducive to speedy learning, and therefore all you need if you choose to learn from the comfort of your own home. As much quiet as possible will always help you focus on the classes and enable you to get the most out of your precious time. Talk Languages 2001: The European Year of Languages You might have heard about this - but what it's all about? Here's the official line: The European Year of Languages is a joint Council of Europe and European Union initiative. The initiative is also supported by UNESCO. It is a celebration of languages and language learning involving all 47 countries associated with the Council of Europe, as well as EU member states. The aims of the Council of Europe are: * To increase awareness and appreciation among young people and adults, including parents, policy makers and those responsible for language teaching, of the richness of Europe's linguistic heritage. * To celebrate linguistic diversity and to promote it by motivating European citizens to develop 'plurilingualism,' that is to diversify their learning of languages including less widely used and taught languages, whilst also protecting and encouraging multilingualism in European societies. * To encourage language learning on a lifelong basis, not only by creating an awareness of its necessity, but also by providing sufficient information concerning ways and possibilities of learning, depending on regional and national situations and possibilities. The aims of the European Commission are: * To raise awareness of the rich diversity of languages in the EU. This implies attention to the less widely taught and spoken languages of the EU. Entertaining and interactive activities - perhaps performances - aimed to attract television coverage are envisaged. * To make the widest possible public aware of the advantages of language competence - employability, career prospects, mobility, job satisfaction, productivity, competitiveness, etc. The aim will be to persuade people that it is in their interest to learn languages. * To encourage lifelong learning of languages including related skills such as interpreting, translation, etc. The availability of information - websites, contact points, open days - will play a key role. * To publicise information about teaching and learning languages. This includes information on new methodologies and the use of ICT etc. If I find out any more of interest, I'll let you know in a future edition. Talk Languages I've been asked this question so many times recently that I've decided to put together a simple, rough guide to show how long it might take you to become as fluent as you would like. The guide is based on a learning programme of two hours' intensive tuition per week, plus two hours of homework. Advanced Level - time dependent on needs Working Knowledge - 8 months (1200-1250 key words & phrases) Survival Level - 6 months (550 - 600 key words & phrases) Minimum Oral Competence - 3 months (250-300 key words & Phrases) I hope that helps. As I've said before, motivation is as big a factor as any when it comes to measuring speed of progress in language learning, but maybe this little guide will give you an idea of what you can expect to learn as your hours of tuition mount up. Talk Languages What's the fastest way to learn a language? Live in the country where it's spoken! Faced with situations in which you have to communicate in a foreign language, like ordering food and drink, going shopping, or (as happened to one of my students recently) having to go into hospital with an emergency, you have little choice but to open your mouth and say what you know - or think you know. Situations like these get you quickly to a stage where you can say you are able to 'get by'. Your brain has to act fast, and when your linguistic skills are constantly challenged, it follows that you learn more and more about the language you want to speak. We can't match that kind of learning here in England can we? Well, we try to get as close as we can. One-to-one language learning is frankly your best bet if you need to learn a language quickly or if you want to learn intensively over a long period. It will get you where you want to go in the fastest time possible. Let's say you are a French learner. If you get the opportunity to travel to France, take it; go there tout de suite and practice with the natives. When you're not in France (that's most of the time, right?) strongly consider getting a professional teacher to act as your guide. Your own private 'trainer' will identify your needs and design a learning programme right for you. As an alternative to one-to-one tuition, learn with a friend or work colleague. With two students in the class, provided those students share a similar level, learning can still be rapid - and though it's less intensive and by its very nature that bit less tailored to an individual's own learning needs, it does offer another dimension: the chance for you to share your learning experience and motivate your fellow student. That can be pretty rewarding. It stands to reason that the larger the group, the less opportunity you'll have as a student to express yourself in the target language. I'd suggest no more than 5 in your class if you are a serious language learner, but small group classes are a lot of fun and do take the pressure off anyone who finds learning a language to be a rather stressful experience! Talk Languages The First Class Talk Languages teachers call their new students at least two days prior to the first class. That way, they can introduce themselves, check directions to where the tuition will be taking place and, importantly, ask more about the language needs of the student. We brief our teachers about each assignment they take on, but this is a chance for both the student and teacher to 'touch base', and get their working relationship off to a good start. So to the day of the first class itself. Adults and children will have different needs, but one principle remains the same: bring pen and paper on the first day! It makes sense to take notes as the class progresses and then copy up those notes later on - a good way to reinforce what was learnt in the session. Do you need a language course book? Well, there's no need for extra expense, though use your teacher as a resource and ask which book he/she would recommend for someone of your level. You certainly don't need to buy a book or any cassettes, but these materials represent a useful investment, and my experience is that students like to supplement their learning outside the class with extra listening, reading and writing practice. If only there were more opportunity to practice the speaking part! At least in your first class you can expect plenty of speaking and listening practice. A number of Talk Languages teachers conduct the whole class in the target language - yes, even for absolute beginners! Talk Languages Think back to when you were at school and you first encountered foreign language learning. What were your options? French, almost certainly, and perhaps German at O-level/GCSE. Nowadays, little has changed in the State system, and French dominates. Only a few days ago I was discussing this issue with one of our teachers. She was telling me how she wanted to get Spanish - which, after all, is an option at GCSE level - onto the curriculum in the school where she teaches. She was facing an uphill battle, and although the school had agreed to a certain extent, there is very little room in the timetable to teach Spanish to any great effect. Does any of this matter? Well, Spanish is becoming increasingly dominant as a world language, and in terms of popularity ranks at #1 with us here at Talk Languages. So perhaps it's time schools looked at changing the traditional pecking order. As for adult learning, typically it's the Modern Languages which are favoured - and that's no surprise, given that we are in Europe and have these great countries and cultures on our 'doorstep'. Many of you have bought properties on the continent or just feel you want to communicate better with local people when you visit for a holiday. Even with little or no experience of language learning in the past, most of us already know some French or Spanish (to name but two!) because, over time, the English language adapts and adopts words or phrases which seem to better sum up what needs to be said: dejá vu; mañana etc. You'll be the judge of what language you need to learn. There's no easy ride, but if it's a grammtical likeness to English you are looking for, then one of the so-called Romance* languages might just be for you. * Basically descendants of Latin, the group consists of modern French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Talk Languages Language skills are good for business and good for people. Used effectively, they can help boost a company's competitiveness overseas, but they also improve career prospects for employees. The truth is that linguistic and cultural competence are appealing to employers, so the better your language ability the more likely you'll be able to progress in the world of business. Although these days it's a global marketplace, time and again I see companies left 'all at sea' when having to do business in a foreign tongue. Yet I feel sure that just a few hours of specialist language tuition could make all the difference. After all, you've noticed (haven't you?) how when you travel abroad, a smattering of the native language can go a long way towards making new friends and crossing the cultural divide. The fact is that when you at least attempt to communicate in another language, your efforts are appreciated. What's more, it makes you feel good that you've have tried and - maybe just maybe - got it right! All of which is why Talk Languages was pleased to participate in last Thursday's national 'Learning at Work Day'. Here in London, we offered free 45-minute 'taster' sessions of language tuition to a number of companies for whom learning a new language could very well add a new dimension to their business dealings. Feedback suggests the one-off classes were fun and rewarding. Ah, no surprise there - learning a language is rarely a let-down. In a recent edition I wrote about the European Year of Languages, adding
that I'd keep you posted if I found out any more. Well, for a wealth of
useful information try visiting the Languages National Training
Organisation's website at
www.cilt.org.uk Talk Languages
Special survey: ‘Europeans and Languages’ With the General Election fast approaching, what it means to be 'in' or 'out' of Europe has featured strongly on the political agenda. Whatever your views about Europe, as a reader of this fortnightly bulletin you may be interested to learn more about the importance of languages in the lives of our neighbours on the continent. A new survey of the language skills of European citizens, and their attitudes towards language learning, has just been published. Highlights of the results are shown below. 1. 93% of parents say it is important that their children learn other
European languages. The survey was fielded in all 16 EU member states in December 2000. In
each case, a representative sample was canvassed and in total 15,900
people gave their views. Talk Languages
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Talk Languages © 2006 |
Private and Corporate Language
Tuition throughout London and the South East |
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