5 Ways to Stay Motivated When Learning a Language!
When you start learning a language as a complete beginner it is easy to feel focused and motivated as it is fairly easy to grasp the basics, learn key words and start to make yourself understood in the language. Even asking for a coffee in the target language on your holiday can feel amazing once you realise that people really do understand you. As you progress in the language you come across more difficult things to understand and as you try to have a real conversation you realise how hard this can be. It is then easy to feel de-motivated and as if you will never be fluent in the language. This is normal! The key is not to give up and try the following tips to help you stay focused and motivated to keep learning: Continue reading
9 ways to overcome the language learning plateau
Why do we reach a plateau?
Problem areas
One reason people learning languages lose motivation and feel they aren’t progressing is because they come across parts of the language they find difficult to understand. For example, tricky parts of grammar such as the subjunctive in Spanish, how pronouns or commands work. Continue reading
Top tips & useful resources for reading in a foreign language
Being able to read in a foreign language is a great achievement and something which most people enjoy.
It is an activity that you can fit into your busy schedule whether you have 10 minutes to spare, half an hour or a 3-hour train journey!
Apart from books here we will look at many more useful foreign language reading resources available today. Continue reading
6 Reasons why private language tuition is worth the investment
Last academic year 2018-2019 we were so pleased to have a record year of results for the students that we tutored in foreign languages. All students achieved levels 8 or 9 at GCSE with one achieving nearly 100% on her papers and another receiving the award at the presentation for best attainment in Spanish.
September is a busy time when students go back to school and especially those in GCSE and A-level year groups start to panic about the exams in the summer. Often parents want to help their children by booking private tutoring sessions to help them prepare in time and to reduce the stress nearer exam time.
Private language tuition is a particularly good idea due to the reasons we will go through in today’s blog post: Continue reading
How Cultural Activities Boost Language Skills in Young Learners
Learning a new language involves more than just memorising vocabulary and grammar rules. For young learners especially, cultural immersion creates meaningful connections that support language acquisition naturally. When children engage with music, art, storytelling and traditions from other cultures, they develop linguistic skills in a way that feels enjoyable and engaging.
When children participate in cultural activities such as singing songs in another language or joining a cooking class, they use multiple senses and reinforce learning through experience. For example, singing a song in Spanish or making a French recipe exposes learners to new vocabulary within a hands-on context. Connecting words and expressions with actions helps make information easier to remember and use later.
Language programmes with cultural elements encourage regular use of new vocabulary within real activities. Children practise language as they complete tasks or participate in events, gaining comfort speaking, listening, and understanding in authentic settings. When lessons incorporate culture, students encounter situations that mirror real communication. Continue reading
6 Tips to Set Realistic Goals for Language Learning Success
Why is it important to set goals when learning languages?
One of the first things people ask me when they start to learn Spanish, is “How long will it take me to learn Spanish?” The problem with this question is that it is not clear what they are actually asking or what their expectations are. What do you actually need to learn the language for and what level of fluency do you need? Do you need to order a mean and drinks? Do you need to call a colleague, attend a business meeting? Are you planning to move to Spain? If you have a more definite idea of what you want to achieve and in what timescale this can help avoid disappointment when you feel you aren’t achieving what you hoped to and it can also help you plan your learning to suit your goals.
This blog post gives a few tips of how to set realistic but achievable goals so you get the most out of your language studies: Continue reading
How to Speak Confidently With Native Spanish Speakers
It is a scientific fact that Spanish people speak much faster than English people. Most learners notice straightaway how fast Spanish people speak. Even if they think they are slowing down to help you, they don’t realise that this is still probably too fast for you to keep up.
In this blog post we will teach you some little tricks to make a conversation with a native speaker much easier for you to deal with.
Why is listening to natives so difficult for learners?
The reason that learners of Spanish find listening to native speakers so hard could be for several reasons.
The Lifetime Value of Learning a New Language
Image source: Unsplash
While some people take to language learning like a fish to water, other people struggle with even the most basic vocabulary. Learning a new language isn’t a simple journey.
But when you feel like giving up (or are mustering the resolve to get started), remember the myriad benefits that come with achieving bilingualism or even multilingualism. Knowing the lifetime value of learning a new language makes it easier to pony up the investment of time and brainpower.
Perhaps you’re a monolingual living in an English-speaking country like the United Kingdom. You might think there’s no need for you to learn another language. After all, so much of the world speaks English these days.
While it’s certainly possible to get by just speaking English, you’re missing out on perks and opportunities that could enrich your life. From monetary value and demand in the workplace to utility with increasing globalization and making friends from around the world, knowing the lifetime value of learning a new language will make you eager to schedule an online lesson.
5 tips to get the most out of your language exchange session
So you have found yourself a native speaker of the language you are learning who also wants to improve their English. You have arranged a first meeting or have had your first meeting and are now wondering how to make the sessions work for both of you. What can you talk about? How often should you meet? How long should you talk for? Here are a few tips to help you get the maximum benefit out of your language exchange sessions: Continue reading
How Technology is Shaping the Future of Language Learning Careers
Thanks to technology, which has become an indispensable part of our daily lives, language education, like other areas, is also undergoing a profound transformation. Earlier, learning a foreign language required personal attendance at classes. You also had to be armed with paper dictionaries and keep notes by hand. Today, students can immediately immerse themselves in the language environment thanks to their smartphones, apps, interactive platforms, and AI. This trend is especially evident in teaching and learning English. And this is not surprising, as it is the global language of business and technology. That is why English-speaking audiences are more interested than ever in understanding how technology has changed the English language. And what career prospects it opens up. Continue reading
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