Author Archives: gabriele monti

Spanish course in London – what to expect on the first evening?

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Students are not expected to have any knowledge of Spanish on the beginner classes, however they should be aware that the classes are full immersion and they will be contacted almost entirely in Spanish. Participants should only bring pen and paper, the tutor will provide materials and a classroom book will be recommended to the student.

Learning a foreign language like Spanish is a great idea and getting acquainted with what to expect from the first lesson is of great significance. One can really feel challenged when they lack knowledge on what happens during their first Spanish evening classes. Just like other courses, being anxious and nervous is to be expected during the initial stages.

 

As a beginner, there are a number of things to expect for Spanish evening courses in London. Usually on the very first evening, getting to know each other marks the start. In this case, each class member introduces themselves and can briefly state why they want to learn Spanish. The tutor also introduces him / herself in order to create awareness. Additionally, the teacher introduces the course in order for class members to have ample time following the outline.

 

In general terms, Spanish basics are all what the first session entails. The very basic things taught include the ABC / alphabet as well as numbers. Some brief teaching on how to introduce oneself, passing greetings to others and asking some basic questions in Spanish language are also to be expected. This goes a long way in enhancing writing and speaking.

 

No matter whether one is a beginner or already has some Spanish basics, all cases are treated equal. There are no assumptions that one has the knowledge on any expressions or phrases. The initial Spanish evening lessons involve learning all fundamental terms and phrases, including the most common ones. This way, someone who has no bit of Spanish knowledge gets to understand every aspect of the language.

 

There are also instructions provided which are to be applied as one moves on. In order to learn fast, only Spanish language, which is the target foreign language is used through sessions. There are though cases in which English is required and one is never limited to using Spanish alone. It is however advised to stick to the target language so as to improve ones speaking skills.

 

With all introductions met during the first evening, class members become more familiar with each other as well as their teacher. One also gets a hint of how the Spanish language classes and lessonswill be structured. Generally, there is no much of resource materials during the first session. This applies from the second lesson onwards through the course. With this information, one can thus be confident attending their first evening Spanish class.

Post GCSE and A Levels how to retain your language abilities in London

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Say that you have put in the considerable effort necessary in getting your GCSE, a University Degree, or an A level in a particular language. However, actually learning a language is only the beginning, it is often just as difficult to keep your language skills from getting rusty. That’s because languages require immersion and constant use. Otherwise, you are apt to forget a lot of your vocabulary and also have problems retaining your fluency. That is where language conversation classes come in! Even if you live in a country where you cannot practice your second language, language conversation classes can help you practice your skills and make sure that they are not forgotten due to lack of use.

 

Language conversation classes are also great for intermediate and advanced speakers looking for a less structured course. Often, at the advanced levels there are little alternatives but official courses designed to prepare students for some kind of accreditation, exam, or diploma. However, many people do not want that, they may simply want to practice their second language in a relaxed environment without the pressure of an examination. While you can do a lot of things to practice your skills on your own (for example, watching TV in a foreign language, watching foreign films, travelling frequently, and reading the news in a second language,) these kinds of activities are only effective up to a point. Eventually you are going to want to have real live speakers to interact with.

 

While regular language conversation classes are often hard to find, speakers in London have access to a great service within easy reach. These kinds of courses will usually be quite open ended and will typically last from two to three months with one or two weekly sessions. They do not need to be too often as the whole point of language conversation classes is simply to practice an already acquired skill, rather than learning a whole new language. Because of this, they are often also considerably more accessible than traditional language courses. Best of all, language conversation classes tend to be a lot of fun, more of a guided social gathering where you will meet interesting people, learn new things, and practice fun activities while at the same time keeping your second language skills from stagnating. Remember constant practice is the best way to keep your acquired language skills polished. Do not let your years of hard work go to waste because of lack of practice, look for a language conversation class today!

Common mistakes that new students do when learning Spanish in London.

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If you are learning Spanish as second language and if you are attending an evening course you should read this brief guide to avoid the most common mistakes that student do.

Missing classes.

This can be the main problem for many students. Someone a lot of enthusiasm and then it comes a time that it is not possible to attend the class. In this case the students feel that if they missed something important and  they will not be able to continue the course. This is not aways the case as the Spanish tutors at our school are very well prepared to deal with this sort of  situations. They will do whatever in their hands to help you to catch up with extra home work, email support.Our classes are always of a very manageable size so the teacher can customise the lesson to your needs. Our suggestion is that if you missed some classes you should contact your teacher immediatly and keep attending as much as you can, you will see that even if you missed one lessons but you keep up with the rest of classes you will soon catch up with the rest of the group.

Arriving late at your classes.

Time keeping is important for everyone, and arriving constantly  late to the lessons wil lead to frustration, yours and that of the other people in class. So it is well worth to make an effort and arrive on time. This will enable you to cacth th lessons from the beginning without missing anything important. We understand that everyone is London is very busy however with some planning you will see that lateness can be easily corrected.

First impact and shock.

Some students find hard to find themselves in class where they find hard to follow what it is being said in a foreign language. This happen if you never had any contact with the Spanish culture or Spanish language sound. Our classes are based on the communicative method and our aim it is to deliver them in the target language, of course the difficulty is gradual and the teacher is trained to give you instructions in Spanish and he or she  will make sure that you understand with drawings, mimes, and pictures. In short the student should not be afraid of letting the teacher know about any issue related to comprehension.

Spanish it is too different and many rules do not make sense.

Some students think the above and just stop learning as they see dealing with a different culture too difficult. Learning a language will require you to leave some concepts that you accept for granted behind, it is about being open to other cultures.  Spanish words will have feminine and masculine ending, and they will change if they singular or plural. It might take time to grasp these abstract concepts but it is not that difficult after all.

Lack of confidence.

Sometimes, we see students in the Spanish course who think that they are worse off than the other student in the class, If this is the case they will be shy and they will not try to speak in the class. However you should compare your achievement only with yourself. Only your progress matter, since everyone is learning at a different pace.

Tips for learning Italian

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How can I learn Italian in London?

If you are interested in learning italian while you live or work in London, you will soon find out that you have many possibilites some can be also free.
You can attend meetings and events at the Italian cultural institute in London.
The Istituto culturale Italiano  always organises plenty of talks, film projections, classes and workshop throughout the year. Therefore if you are planning to get acquantied with the Italian  language and the Italian culture this it is a very good option. Furthermore the institution has an extensive library where you will find anything to help you with the language and also it can help you  if you would like to learn more about travelling, working or studying in Italy.

 

Italian language exchange.

London is a melting pot and you will never be too far from your local Italian community, so why don’t you put on some adverts at the restaurant or cafe’ around the corner indicating that you are loooking to set up a language exchange. I am sure you will get plenty of interest, Italians like to travel and they will be very happy to teach their own language to you in exchange of English, Spanish, French, German or whatever your first language is. The classified website Gumtree is an other place where you should look at, as there are many adverts regarding language lessons there too.

Watch Italian movies or listen to the Italian radio.

This might be ideal if you already know some basic Italian, or if you want to get accustomed to the sound of the Italian language. The best it is to get DVDs of Italian movies with subtitles, this will help you to understand the plot. Students don’t need to focus in understanding every single word said in the film but they should rather  focus in having an idea of what is going on.

Don’t Buy self learning material, phrasebooks and cds that promise that you will learn Italian in one month.

I do not especially recommend this method for various reasons. Firstly a language is about communication and these methods fcous on memorising set sentences so they just don’t full fill the purpose of learning a language: communicate.  As soon you stop using the cds you will forget evething. An onther factor is that these self learning materials tend to end up on your bookcase shelve quite quickly due to the lack of self motivation.

Attend an Itailan course in London.

Group coures are one of the best ways to learn Itailan simply beacuse you will be meeting new people, the teacher will motivate you, it is fun and you will soon understand how fast you can learn by just attending the lessons. The fees are normally reasonable as you will be splitting the cost of the teacher with other students. The Language Class organises a variety of group lessons either in the day time, weekend or evenings. So if you are looking to get started with Italian give us a call we have something for you.

Living in London: how to keep practising a language after your evening classes

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What to do after you lessons to keep the language you are learning

While taking language courses is a great way to learn a new language, foreign language require practice and, most importantly, immersion. How can you practice your new language skills outside of your normal lessons? In this article we will take a look at some great ways you can get the practice you need to ensure that the hard work you put into your language classes does not go to waste.

  1. Pen pals offer a great way to practice your new language with a native speaker. Decades ago, pen pals would communicate through snail mail. New technology can let you communicate with a pen pal through video chat, text messages, or email! There are many communities online that allow you to search for a suitable pen pal and you can even narrow down your search to people with your same interests, age and background.

  2. Television and film are great ways to practice your foreign language. Getting a foreign DVD from your local library or school or searching online for videos in your desired language can get you the immersion you need. The great thing about this is that it is a lot of fun, even if you do not understand half of what the people in the film are saying because they will often speak rapidly and use a lot of slang. You can do this with friends and also help yourself with close captioning or subtitles. Watching foreign films and TV can attune your ear to the language you are trying to learn, an invaluable skill in learning any new language.

  3. In that vein, you can also get your news in other languages. The Internet gives computer users access to innumerable news agencies in dozens of languages. This content can often be accesses for free and can also help you familiarize yourself with a foreign culture and with a different take on international news. A good way to go about this is to read the news in your own language and then reading the same article in the language you are trying to learn. That will give you context and allow you to puzzle out the bits and pieces that you may not yet understand.

  4. Wherever you live in London, if you search you are likely to find native speakers in your local community. You can looking for exchange students in local schools or placing an ad looking for someone to practice your language skills with. Often, all it will take is a single person to put you in contact with many other native speakers of your desired language in your community.

Also remember that the Language class offers additional support to your learning, if you think you need additional help to get the fluency you need we can arrange private lessons in any of the following languages: Italian, French, German, Spanish and English. Of if you are in London only for a short period or you are travelling soon we can organise a private intensive course for you.

Language learning faqs for our students in London

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Why should I learn Spanish, Italian, French or German?

Learning a new language will enhance your career possibilities, you will have more chances to get a better job a and since our economy it global companies are looking for  individual who can speak more than language?

I live in London what is the best way to learn Spanish or Italian?

Here at the Language class we would tell you to start attending one of our evening courses for example. Our classes are a good step to get you started in learning one of these language. With our conversation  lessons you will develop the confidence that you need to speak the new language. Other ways to learn it is to participate to language exchange programmes, we are sure that in London it will not difficult to find someone who is willing to do it. If it is Italian that you want to learn we also recommend to get in touch with the Italian cultural institute in London as they organise plenty of events for anyone in love with Italy.

I have just started to learn French, how long before I am fluent?

It is a very common question that we get from our students all the time, and it is very difficult to answer. Learning a language is an ongoing process that it will take some time, even years, depending on what level you want to achieve. It also depends on how much time you want to dedicate to this task. The more you practice the faster your learning.
If you have French friends you can practice with them while taking some classes, you will see that you will be progressing much faster.

I have seen that you use the European Framework for language to describe your levels, what A1 and A2 mean?

A while ago people a the European community decided to give everyone a set of standard level for evaluating language students. In short the beginner level is called A1 for some one who has no knowledge of the language. It is then followed by A2 which we also call false beginner, someone with a very basic use of language. B1 and B2 are the intermediate levels and it is when the student starts to be independent. Finally we the have the advanced levels called C1 and C2. When you have reached these level so will not need your tutor any more!

Language lessons for Children in London

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Do you want your child to learn a second language? Read on!

The Language class specialises in teaching languages to all ages. So if you would like your child to speak a second language from the early stages of his or her life, we can definitely help. We recommend to start from 4 years old and not any earlier as they children would be to small to be able to participate and interact with the teacher. It is also ok to have a mixed age classes and have a learning party with other friends, however the ages should not to different, as a rule of thumb there should be no more than 2/3 years difference between the kids.

For children younger than school age we do not recommend to have a teacher, however playing with a native nanny would help the start to learn a language.

Why should children start to learn a language that young?

In London many families are naturally from different countries and backgrounds, it is a straight forward choice for them to have their children to learn a language very early. It is actually at this age that a language is learned very easily.
The classes we proposed are based on activities that children like the most, such as rhymes, songs, colouring, and general play, and all of this is done in the target language. At this stage grammar plays a secondary role as children might struggle to intricate rules, however they will be very good at literally absorbing the language, an ability that it is lost as we grow up.

The Language class and our native qualified language tutors.

Our teacher are all native and qualified, for children lessons we make sure that our teacher are screened with a face to face interview and they are CRB cleared. Most of the times we employ teachers with actual elementary school experience so they know how exactly  to handle class. The tutor will provide fun, dynamic and professional lessons.

Where can my child take the lesson, do you have groups at your location?

Unfortunately we do not organises children lessons here at our class, however we will be very happy to come you in London.

Can I and my child learn together?

The parents can participate in the class, however the lessons will be focused on the children, as adult and kids have different learning patterns and necessities.

 What Languages do you do for children?

We teach Italian, French, German, Spanish, and English.

 

German lessons in London

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The Language class and German courses.

As for all other languages we also teach German in the evening at our classroom in Aldgate east. Our lessons run from 7 pm till 9 pm and they are held once a week at our classroom in the city.
Student come to learn German for various reasons, many want to take advantage of the dynamical German economy so learning this popular modern European language will open many possibility for employment. Also many people applying for work in Germany now they they to demonstrate to have a basic ability in the German language at least at A1 level, therefore studying the language has become more essential than ever. Here at the language class we will be able to help so you can learn the basics and obtain your visa to live and work in Germany.

The European Frame work for languages and the German language.

The A1 requirement refers to the European framework for languages. This is a set of level specified by the European community in determine the level of proficiency that people can achieve. A1 and A2 are refereed as the beginner levels, each level is about 100 hours of learning material, the 100 hours are normally composed of classroom hours, and self study.  The next levels are the B1 and B2, or the intermediate levels, from this stage the German student will start to be independent so he or she can learn faster on their own. The advanced levels are classified as C1 and C2, and at this stage the students have mastered the language and have specific knowledge in terms of vocabulary and proficient use of the German grammar.

German courses in London.

We organise evening courses to help you to learn and master the language of your choice, so if decide to do one of our courses at beginner level you will learn the alphabet, numbers, the differences between masculine and feminine, the German cases, and many popular verbs at the present tense. As you go along you will learn irregular verbs and the past tenses. All our classes are aimed to develop the oral ability in the students, with our communicative method you will speaking the language from the first lessons.

Native German tutor.

If you require a teacher for private lessons we can take care of that and one of our qualified teacher will come to your house of office to teach the language. Private classes can be also taken here at our classroom. Timing is totally flexible and you can decide when to take the lessons directly with the teacher, a 24 hour cancellation notice is always recommend, so the teacher will not charge for the lesson.

 

Where and how to learn French in London

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The Language class and our French lessons.

The French language is one of the most studied languages in the UK as some of our students have already done some French when they were at school. They come to us to do some refresher classes in the evening or during the daytime as they take intensive courses. Of you course if you are beginner we can also help you to build your ability from scratch.

Our native French tutors.

We only employ native French tutor with at least a degree in humanities, they are all CRB screened and they have been carefully selected by our school according strict parameters. Most of out teacher have been trained at the International House and they have graduated from their CLTA courses which enables them to teach French as a second language.

What is my level in French?

Many people phone or email us to ask about their level. It is very difficult to determine someone level by judging from email or a quick phone call, we also recommend to take an appointing and come to a forma level check at the class, so we can determine your level with accuracy. If you have learn some French at school at GCSE or A Level and you have used it occasionally for travel you might be ok to start from the A2 level (false beginner), otherwise if you are rusty or never done any French before it is better to start from the A1 Level which is the total beginner level. If you decide not to start from the beginner level A1please bear in mind that in our classes you are expected to participate actively in the class and you should be able to understand at least the basic commands of the teacher.

Evening, Weekend, or intensive French courses, when is best for me?

It is totally up to you to find the right and most suitable course for you. Beginner French evening course and Saturday classes will have approximately the same lenght in number of hours, and the content (syllabus) will be very similar. In fact it is only the time of delivery of the course that changes.

 What will I learn in the 10 weeks, French evening course?

In the 10 week we will aim to to introduce you to the basic of the French language and you will learn, greetings, how to introduce yourself, ask direction, order food at the restaurant, describe yourself and your friends. Bear in mind that learning a language is on going process and it requires a certain degree of motivation. Of course our lessons put you in the right direction and you can continue for as long as you want with us.

How long does it take before I am fluent in French?

This is a very difficult question to answer as everyone’s learning pattern is different. Some people acquire languages very quickly other people need more time. This has to do with your general educational background, your age, past experiences in learning French or even other languages, and of course the time your are prepared to invest in this task.

 

Italian lessons in London

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The language class and how to learn Italian in London

We at the language class offer a wide range of way to learn Italian in London. First of all we are based on the edges of the City so coming to us it is very simple. The nearest station is Aldgate east and it is served by 4 different lines, we have the District, Metropolitan,  City and Hammersmith and the central Line from Liverpool street.

 Courses for adult learners in the evening.

Our courses are held mainly in the evening after 7 pm to allow everyone who want to learn Italian to come to our classes, the evening lessons lasts 2 hours and they end at 9 pm, normally the classes will least for 10 weeks. Our lessons are centred on the needs of the students, so you will be the star in our classes not the teacher. This means that all classes are tailor made to the needs of the group as a whole. The student will discover the language with the help of the teacher, in fact discovering it is much more effective than being passively taught. Our Italian courses are based on the communicative method, this guarantees that you get a lot of oral practice to build confidence form the the start. Therefore when you will travel to Italy you will know how to handle situations such as ordering food and asking directions.  Also the lessons are task based, and this means that you will have to complete task at the end of each lesson in order to put into practice what your have learned.

Other Italian courses: weekend, daytime intensive and private lessons.

For those who want to  learn Italian in London we have also have other formats if you cannot attend the evening classes. Our Italian native teachers are available to come to your office, or you are welcome to come to our classroom in Aldgate if you cannot arrange a meeting at your work place. We also organise weekend Italian lessons on Saturdays or you can take one of our intensive courses that run from Monday to Friday and they are very good if you are travelling to Italy at short notice.

Italian language children lessons.

If you have plans for your children to become bilingual in English and Italian or you have family in Italy we are here to help. We recommend that the children start the tuitions when then are at least 4 years old. In this case the tutor will always come to your home for the lessons as we do not do children lessons at our classroom. Our teachers are highly qualified to teach and they all have CRB clearance for extra peace of mind.