Categories
Language learning

Is Language Learning Only for Children?

There is a common belief that language learning becomes impossible with age due to brain plasticity decreasing in the later years. In other words, adults learn slower.

However, if you look further into the subject you will find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Some of our students learning in our French classes.

Adult learners have strong advantages over children that put them in an excellent position to speak another language

Advantage: You already speak one language fluently 

Firstly, you already speak your mother tongue well in comparison to a child. In your adult life, you have encountered complex texts and have had to express yourself to a much higher standard. You have a better understanding of reading, speaking and understanding. This would serve as a foundation on which you can compare a foreign language to. When you learn a new word you would already know the English equivalent and when and where to use it. This prior knowledge means you are building your language rather than a first-time discovery.

Categories
Internal Language learning Tips and Advice

How to help your employees love learning

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.

This can be both frustrating and baffling for you as a manager – especially if you find language learning easy yourself – so how can you best support your employees to not shy away from the benefits of bilingualism?
Categories
Internal Language learning Tips and Advice

Languages: a national priority for Brexit

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.

Categories
Internal Language learning Tips and Advice

Why face-to-face learning is better for your bottom line

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.