September means late summer here in the UK. Young people all over the country are getting ready to go back to school and college. For The Language Guru, it also means the start of the Autumn courses of language learning.
Our tutors are looking forward to a fresh intake of students as well as some familiar faces returning for more tuition, and we hope our incoming learners are full of motivation and enthusiasm too.
What to expect
We know it can be daunting to go back to class, sometimes after a great deal of time has passed since you were last at school or college. Our tutors always make students feel welcome and explain that you can learn at your own pace and ask any question if you don’t understand something, no matter if it might seem silly to you. The Language Guru tutors are all native speakers or bilingual, so we know how difficult some languages are when you first start to learn.
What you can do before you come along
Focus on why you want to learn and your own specific objectives, for example: Is it for business or pleasure? Are you going on holiday and you want to feel comfortable talking to the locals? What level do you want to reach? By keeping these in mind as well as telling your tutor, we can tailor the course and make it want you need it to be.
Come along with an open mind. In a classroom setting, you’ll be alongside like-minded people also keen to learn. It’s natural some of you will grasp things more easily than others. We like our groups to work as a team and support those who need something explaining more than once. You never know, it might be you! Our tutors will recognise who needs more help and take great care that no-one feels left out.
In between lessons
There are many ways to keep up with your language learning in between lessons:
- Why not use your mobile devices in your language of choice – as well as your social media accounts. Make sure you check what you’re saying first and work out your messages properly beforehand. Learn useful words such as ‘like, follow, share, comment and post’ so you can really take part in the experience
- Try changing the language settings on your PC, Mac or laptop too
- Set up a language lunch club at work or in your social group. It’s a great way of getting to know people and sharing knowledge
- Use smartphone apps to translate useful phrases as you come across them
- Listen to foreign language podcasts, radio stations, or audio books when you’re driving, jogging or on a train (be safe and alert to what’s going on around you though)
- Compile a board using Post-It notes or images of things to help you associate words or phrases. If you’re going on holiday, choose images of things you’ll be likely to need to use, visit or say
- Get a pen-pal so you can send letters, cards or emails in their language
- Watch foreign language films and YouTube videos – don’t forget to sing along if you’re watching Eurovision!
- Subscribe to foreign newspapers and magazines so you can read frequently and regularly, either online or in print
- Visit charity shops, book stores or Amazon and grab yourself some bargain language books
But the most important thing … is to enjoy your Language Guru language learning experience!