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Something
to read before you start learning with us
Our Language Programmes
and Approach
Adults generally learn language better when they
can use their understanding of their native language
and logic and reasoning capabilities to greatly
aid the process of leaning an additional language.
Most adults are practical learners, learning based
on usability and objectives rather than based
on theories or purely academic pursuits. They
tend to show the most progress when presented
with a practical combination of reading, writing,
listening and speaking, a practical mix of English
and the language being learned and a focus on
useful aspects of the language that they can use
from the very start.
Additionally, language
learning is much more effective in small groups.
It is extremely important when learning a language
that the student speak and receive appropriate
guidance. For this reason, it's not practical
for one language instructor to effectively help
a class of thirty students.
Using our approach,
adults learn language quickly through interaction
in small-group classes.
Learning a Foreign Language - It's Not
Easy, or Is It?
Whether "learning" a foreign language
is easy or not depends on your objectives. Ordering
food in a restaurant and handling basic introductions
can be learned without too much difficulty. Achieving
true fluency requires substantially more time.
The idea of a person
who learns a foreign language fluently in almost
no time with no effort is largely a myth. It generally
takes time and practice, but the process can be
a fun and rewarding experience.
Schools of Thought
There are many schools of thought on how best
to learn a foreign language. Many of these schools
claim they have found the "best" way
to learn. We feel that the best way to learn depends
on the person. Some people learn better orally,
some visually. Some learn best when they want
to, others when they have to. Some prefer rules
and structure, others practice and application.
Nobody can tell you what works best, but teachers,
books, and experience can help show you the way.
Furthermore, we also
believe that a foreign language can best be learned
through a combination of instruction, study, and
practice. Any one of these in isolation, while
still be helpful, will generally be less effective
and rewarding.
For instance, consider the benefit of having a
lesson each week and doing nothing else, compared
to having the same lesson each week but learning
the vocabulary beforehand, or reinforcing what
you learned after the lesson through actual use
in conversation.
Vocabulary
Some people benefit from learning vocabulary lists,
while for others the effort exceeds the rewards.
Regardless, vocabulary forms the building blocks
of language. Whether by studying lists or learning
though usage, you'll want to develop some vocabulary.
The amount of words
in a language can be staggering (from twenty thousand
to more than one hundred thousand depending on
the language and how the words are counted). However,
one hundred words can be sufficient for basic
conversation, and a couple thousand for fairly
normal conversation.
If you want to improve
your vocabulary retention, consider trying word
associations. The association can be either logical
or illogical, whichever works best for you.
The time it takes to
create these associations can pay dividends later
on through easier retention. As you practice,
you'll get quicker and create better associations.
Grammar
People often point out that kids learn language
easily, and kids don't study grammar. Kids do
learn easily in some respects (i.e., accent),
but consider the amount of time they spend playing
with friends, watching cartoons, or with other
activities in that language. Many experts feel
adults prefer to think logically, and learn better
based on structure and rules such as grammar.
Comprehension
Comprehension
improves with practice, whether through lessons,
reading, or conversation.
The recent growth of
DVD's provides a great tool to improve comprehension.
The language options vary by movie, but many have
audio and/or subtitle options in major languages.
For instance if learning Chinese, try watching
a movie first in Chinese audio with English subtitles,
then Chinese audio with Chinese subtitles, then
Chinese audio with no subtitles. For better results,
watch the movie with a dictionary nearby, and
when you hear or see a word you still don't understand,
look it up! The audio track and subtitles do not
always match, but they are usually close enough
to provide a very effective learning tool.
Summary
We feel there's no "secret" to learning
a foreign language. We recommend you learn based
on what works best for you. Discuss different
methods and tools with us or with your teacher.
If possible, use a combination of instruction,
study, and practice. Best of luck in this fun
and rewarding experience!
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