What’s the best way to learn a language? In today’s fast-paced world, juggling responsibilities while trying to learn a new language can seem like a challenge. Between work commitments and family obligations, it can be an impossible task to find the time and energy for language learning. This is why we want you to know about these three tricks to achieve consistency in language learning, even with a busy lifestyle.
We’ll explore three strategies that can help busy adults stay consistent in their language-learning journey whether they learn a language for travel or for business: regular classes, note-taking during lessons, and homework practice.
Category: Tips and Advice
Learning a new language can be challenging and time-consuming, but the experience can also be rewarding!
As one of the most visited countries in the world, France is a great choice of place to visit (and to retire in). It’s known for its amazing wines, food, and great sense of fashion but there is so much more to explore and learn about France. Whether you’re planning your next trip to France or buying a property, there are many things that you must bear in mind when travelling to the country of love or wine, depending on who you’re asking. We asked one of our native French-speaking teachers for advice on what you must know if you’re planning a trip to France. Here are their tips:
If you want to learn how to drive, you need to have an instructor. The same applies to learning a foreign language.
Learning a foreign language is a little like driving; you can study the grammar and vocabulary (or the highway code) telling you how to write (or understand road signs) for months, but nothing can prepare you for the real thing like communicating with native speakers (or getting behind the wheel). To speak or not to speak a foreign language? It is entirely up to you!
At the MLC, we show you why language learning apps don’t work when it comes to expressing yourself effectively in your target language. Their true value is to reinforce your existing knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. If you want to learn how to drive, you need to have an instructor. The same applies to learning a foreign language. Ultimately, when you travel abroad on holiday or for business you want to make yourself understood and most importantly understand what the locals say to you.
The MLC Method
Unlike language learning app, the MLC specialists will make you speak as much as you possibly can and advise you of the best ways to make progress.
During your free of charge 30 minutes’ introduction lesson, you will have the opportunity to tell your trainer why you wish to learn your target language. Unlike language learning apps the MLC specialists will advise you of the best ways to study and make progress whilst following their effective technique that encourages motivation and enables you to develop your linguistic skills through personalised training and interaction.
The Marlow Language Centre has collected tips from students and teachers and compiled these into a guide that will hopefully serve as a tool for you to implement some daily habits that can help you improve your language studies, which can be long and sometimes frustrating.
Most students often get discouraged and give up. We all know that practising our languages every day is essential and beneficial to all levels of language learners. In reality, we often fall into a routine of doing the same thing every day without even thinking about improving our language abilities. We are all busy but also have gaps in our schedules.
How to improve your language learning?
Listen to podcasts
Instead of watching silly videos or scrolling on social media, listen to language learning podcasts. Listening to podcasts in and about the target language can help to improve your listening skills as well as give you a better insight into grammatical aspects. While eating breakfast or doing the dishes, allow yourself time to listen to language lessons. Podcasts are a great learning tool because they have been specifically designed to make the learning process easier for you.
– BBC Sound Podcasts
– Google Podcasts
– Apple Podcasts
A few words will take you a long way!
At the Marlow Language Centre, we often hear from prospective students about the difficulties they’ve encountered trying to learn a foreign language via self-study methods. Language learning apps have their use but limitations as well. If you want to learn how to drive, you need to have an instructor. The same applies to learning a foreign language, especially to Business Language Courses. A trainer can prepare you for the real thing like communicating with native speakers and portraying the business culture. Ultimately, when you travel abroad on holiday or for business you want to make yourself understood and most importantly understand what the locals say to you.
It is so rewarding to have great feedback from our students and we would like to pay tribute to our German colleague Marion. Amar, one of her students, was particularly looking for an effective technique that enabled him to develop his linguistic skills through personalised training and interaction. He opted for 1:1 tuition and he has been coming to our centre for 6 months, twice a week to learn German. Marion, his teacher, splits each lesson by first teaching core grammatical concepts and then reinforcing these concepts with the use of the language in a business context.
You may recall your school years when everyone would study the same subject in mixed-ability classes. Unfortunately, everybody learns in different ways and one particular method of learning will not suit every student. Our teachers realise these differences and alter their teaching accordingly. They aim to break away from the traditional classroom experience and to make your lessons as personalised, enjoyable and comfortable as possible.
The popular assumption about learning a new skill is that when you are younger it comes very naturally. Although age should not be a barrier, as we grow older our brain takes longer to absorb and retain new information. However, neuroscientists have shown that it is extremely healthy and beneficial to learn a language at any point in your life. The most important thing is to work out what the best study methods are for you as an individual.
This statement is so meaningless! We can all make time for the things we like doing or want to do. And being committed and motivated to learn a language is your choice after all. Our courses are flexible and our lessons can be booked according to your daily routine.
Indeed, English is widely spoken in the world but it is not the only international language. Over 400 million people speak Spanish, not just in Europe but also in Latin America. Spanish is considered to be one of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers. It is also a language spoken widely on the internet and in business.
French is also an international language, being an official language of organisations such as UNESCO, the United Nations, NATO and more. It is spoken in many European countries (France, Belgium, Switzerland), in Canada and in many North-African countries.
Chinese is also an official language of the United Nations. It is spoken by over 1 billion people i.e. one-fifth of the world’s total population.
Language learning apps will not enable you to speak your target language. Their true value is to develop your knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. If you want to learn how to drive, you need to have an instructor. The same applies to learning a foreign language. Ultimately, when you travel abroad on holiday or for business purposes you want to make yourself understood and most importantly understand what the locals say to you.
Think about the money that you may spend on other non-essential activities to entertain yourself. It will certainly cost you more than a language learning app but you will progress far more quickly. We offer very small groups so you can spread the cost but still learn efficiently and effectively.
Regrettably, this is wrong. The more students there are in the class, the less you will be able to speak. In private classes, you will have the opportunity to converse in the language that you are learning with your teacher who is a native speaker. The sounds and phrases you will hear are authentic!
Your school days may have put you off speaking a foreign language in front of your classmates. As an adult now you have made the decision to learn a language and attend a course. If you feel embarrassed about making mistakes in a group, you can have one-to-one tuition! The most important thing to remember is that practice makes perfect!
Revision is an important part of the learning process so homework should not be seen as a negative process of language learning. On the contrary, it gives you the opportunity to practise what you have covered in class. Homework should help you learn.
It is true that we all began to speak our native language without studying grammar by the time we were about two or three years old. As we grow older, unfortunately, this does not quite apply to learning another language as a total beginner. Grammar is a set of structural rules composed of words. If you want to communicate in a foreign language effectively, you will need to memorise basic words. You may not necessarily want to learn the grammatical terms such as verbs, prepositions and pronouns, but you will need to memorise these words, to hear and reproduce the different sounds they make if you want to communicate effectively in a foreign language. Basic knowledge of grammar will help you develop your vocabulary.
Learning a foreign language is a little like driving; you can study the grammar and vocabulary (or the highway code) telling you how to write (or understand road signs) for months, but nothing can prepare you for the real thing like communicating with native speakers (or getting behind the wheel).
At the MLC, we show you why language learning apps don’t work when it comes to expressing yourself effectively in your target language. Their true value is to reinforce your existing knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. If you want to learn how to drive, you need to have an instructor. The same applies to learning a foreign language. Ultimately, when you travel abroad on holiday or for business you want to make yourself understood and most importantly understand what the locals say to you.
WHAT IS OUR METHOD?
How proficient are you in a foreign language? The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) offers a handy measure.
The CEFR operates a scale of 1 to 6: proficiency levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2.
- Level group A = basic user – divided into A1 (lower) and A2 (upper)
- Level group B = independent user – divided into B1 (lower) and B2 (upper)
- Level group C = proficient user – divided into C1 (lower) and C2 (upper)
Our advice for adult language learners
The popular assumption about learning a new skill is that when you are younger, is that it comes very naturally. This is attributed to the still developing, curious, creative and dynamic human brain – something neuroscientists refer to as ‘neuroplasticity’. However, this suggests that when you reach maturity you begin to lose the ability to learn new things, whether it is a new sport, a musical instrument. Yet, both contemporary sciences, and our own experience with over 30 years teaching foreign languages prove this to be largely false. Indeed, there is no better time to learn a language, than right now!
There is such a proliferation of language learning applications for your tablet, PC and phone in 2019 that it is often quite difficult to define what they actually can and can’t do. Indeed, when ads claim you can ‘learn a language in a month’ or ’spend 10 minutes a day to achieve fluency’, is this actually the case? As we know, language learning is a multifaceted exercise, so can we take advantage of technology to help make the process as enjoyable and efficient as possible? Today we will be taking a look at the pros and cons of different language learning apps in comparison to other learning methods.
We all know immersion is the best thing for language learning. But outside of the classroom, going on holiday, and meeting people, how can we really engage with languages in an exciting and stimulating way? Movies! There are a huge variety of foreign language films available through a variety of sources, and watching with or without subtitles can make it less or more of a challenge! Movies are also fantastic for vocabulary building, by allowing you to associate language and words with a visual stimulus, helping your brain make the connection and remember it with greater ease.
With this in mind, today we have decided to run through a few of our favourite foreign language movies for different languages!
One of the best parts of learning a language at The Marlow Language Centre is the variety of course options we have to suit every kind of language learner. We have recently been asked some questions about the differences between our two main kinds of course; 1-1 (private) classes, and group classes. Read on to find out more!
Our primer on learning a language!
Learning a foreign language at the Marlow Language Centre is a fantastic opportunity. However, people often have many questions about the process, and it’s safe to say in our 30 years providing bespoke tuition, we have heard them all! Read on for our top 10 frequently asked questions about learning a language.
One of the most valuable, but often most ephemeral, aids to language learning is immersion. A New York Times article in 2017 revealed how 27-year-old Philadelphia ‘Phillies’ baseball shortstop Freddy Galvis from Venezuela, learned English entirely through back-to-back binging the American sitcom ‘Friends’. He would watch in English with Spanish subtitles for hours every day after practice, and within a few years, was semi-fluent in English. While we are not recommending that strategy exactly (we wouldn’t wish that amount of Ross Geller on anyone!), it is proof that immersion is a fantastic way to aid language learning. Here are our top tips for immersion.
Is language learning beneficial to your health?
One of the most significant but often overlooked aspects of learning a foreign language are the health benefits. In recent years, more and more studies are showing far reaching cognitive, emotional rewards to language learning. In this article we are going to try to separate the fact from the fiction.
Five reasons why you should choose our group classes
In addition to our wide variety of bespoke private courses here at the Marlow Language Centre we also operate regular mini-group classes. Some students prefer to take tuition in a group format rather than one-to-one; there are many benefits to both kinds of tuition, and learning with other people presents a different style of language learning to private tuition. Here are our top five reasons why our group classes are so popular:
Live like a local
When you finally achieve the dream of buying, renovating, building or even renting your dream home abroad, the idea of embracing the local culture suddenly takes on a new significance. Naturally, you’ll be excited about learning how to live like a local – knowing the best places to eat, engaging in new traditions and understanding a different way of life but, more unexpectedly, living like a local becomes an absolute necessity if you want to get anything done!
Our insights after 28 years of teaching
They say the first step is always the hardest and that’s especially true for something like learning a language. It’s always so rewarding to see our students take their (usually trepidatious) first steps in language learning, before falling in love with the whole process of discovering a foreign tongue.
From what we’ve learned in 28 years of teaching, these are the top ten reasons to love learning a language:
… and why you can’t use them!
It goes without saying that we’ve heard every excuse in the book in the last 28 years… and we’ve overcome every single one of them.
At the Marlow Language Centre, we come across the same reservations time and time again, but the trick to surmounting those mental blocks is to see those “reasons” for what they are – unfounded excuses that you don’t have to be guided by!
Want to know if your favourite excuse is on our list? These are the five most common reasons we hear for shying away from learning a language – and why you can’t use any of them…
Perceived obstacles and how to overcome them
Learning a second language can be a smart career move, yet many 
employees find themselves terrified of tackling such a challenge.
Ten things to bear in mind when you’re thinking of striking up a conversation
Chatting to locals can be one of the most rewarding and enriching parts of travelling, giving you the chance to learn about a new culture and lifestyle and really get a feel for a different country. It can provide a wonderful mixture of practical advice and cultural insight and an experience you’ll remember for years to come.
Research shows that the majority of us (60%) would like to speak to locals when we travel abroad, but with only a quarter of us managing to do it, how do you strike up and hold a conversation when you’re travelling?
How to maintain motivation for your language learning in February and beyond
Hands up if you started the year with a flurry of new year’s resolutions and career goals.
Even for the biggest procrastinators amongst us, January 1st seems like an enticing time to start developing our skillset by setting goals like learning a second language.
Categories
More than words
How introducing children to languages enriches more than just vocabulary
The ability to order a cup of coffee when travelling abroad is undoubtedly a useful one, but supporting your child in learning a language will give them far greater benefits than just being able to get themselves a hot drink or even pass a particular exam.
The “national priority” we need to focus on for the UK to compete internationally
The British Council has called for languages to become a “national priority” in the run-up to Brexit after research shows that English youngsters are among the worst in Europe at foreign languages.
Past studies suggest that our young people are lagging far behind their European peers, with many unable to understand more than basic words or phrases and new research confirms that two-thirds of adults (67%) surveyed said that the UK does not encourage enough young people to learn other languages and 63% said schools should dedicate more time to foreign languages.
All businesses have one thing in common – the bottom line.
The need to consider how everything the business spends will impact that bottom line is what makes the idea of training your staff to improve their language skills through distance or online training programmes so enticing.
Why face-to-face interaction matters
A funny thing happens when you meet somebody face to face – your brain starts creating sensory-rich memories attached to the information you’re receiving consciously.
A large proportion of the information we absorb from direct interaction isn’t from the words we hear, but nuances from vocal tone, pacing, facial expressions and body language which is why, no matter how far or fast technology moves, the need for human interaction is fundamental.