Practical insights into studying a foreign language – from useful tools to behind the scene tips.
What can we do to make the language training process more effective in international companies and organisations? Here's what I've seen over the past 10 years of working with corporate clients in the finance industry. Big international corporations who recognise the importance of providing foreign language training for their employees, usually engage independent training companies to … Continue reading Why traditional language courses organised for busy corporates need a fresh approach
In a new series, I'm interviewing clients and friends who moved to either Germany or Hungary and had to immerse themselves into language and culture all of a sudden. I ask them about their experiences, how long it took them to feel at home and learn the language, what challenges they faced and how they … Continue reading Don’t kill yourself trying to find the difference between der, die, das because it will simply NEVER HAPPEN … – An interview
His Hungarian is impressive to say the least, his accent and humour is admirable. He is relatable, funny and intelligent, and very active on social media. Iain Lindsay, the British Ambassador in Hungary, has won over people's hearts and become a bit like a celebrity in Hungary. Why? Nelson Mandela once said: "If you talk … Continue reading Meet Iain Lindsay, the British Ambassador adored by everyone in Hungary
The language learning journey is far more predictable than we might think. No matter for what reason you want to speak a language, there are 4 individual stages you need to get through in order to become a 'comfortable language user'. Each of these phases come with their own set of challenges and struggles. If you … Continue reading The language learning journey
This is the short story of a famous marketing blunder / urban myth in the 1970s. It can teach us a lot about the importance of cultural sensitivity and the dos and don'ts when doing business internationally ... First of all, the actual story: Swedish vacuum manufacturer Electrolux sold products successfully in the UK using the slogan "Nothing … Continue reading Nothing sucks like Electrolux
Trouble getting from A to B, not knowing how to politely apologise for an inconvenience, not understanding what other people are saying around you, afraid of being misunderstood … Just a few of the practical problems my clients articulate when signing up for a language coaching programme. But the underlying problem is much more complex: … Continue reading The true cost of not learning a language
Fact: Good business relationships are more likely when both parties make the effort and try to understand each others’ points of view, including language and culture. I recently came across a brilliant new book called Linguanomics. It's about the market potential of multilingualism, written by Gabrielle Hogan-Brun. Gabrielle takes us back in time to the … Continue reading Why speaking English is simply not enough when doing business internationally
Have you ever struggled with staying motivated and remaining dedicated when it comes to learning a foreign language or in fact, learning anything? Have you ever been in a situation where you set yourself a specific goal that you wanted to achieve, but it felt like you didn't make much progress? If so, then this … Continue reading The secret to staying committed – especially when you’re not seeing the results
Have you ever come across someone, a native speaker who you wanted to talk to in their language, and they kept interrupting you every single time you made a mistake, or they just reverted back to English whenever you took a little more time to gather your thoughts, not letting you express yourself and practice … Continue reading Language studies & making mistakes: How to deal with being corrected all the time …
Thinking about signing up for a language training programme? Most language schools offer 20-hour courses. 20 seems to be a magic number when it comes to language studies indeed. Why? In 20 hours, you can indeed achieve certain short-term goals, it's a relatively low-cost initial investment and it will also help you get a feel … Continue reading What to expect from a 20-hour language training programme
