Tag: Language Studies

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Friday morning. My door bell is ringing. I’m like: It’s lockdown. And I’m not expecting any deliveries today. Who could this be? A lady with a beautiful bunch of flowers is on my doorstep. – Are you Gabi?- Yeeaas.- This is for you.- Ahm. Oakeeeey. Thank you. I close the door. Open the envelop like…… Continue reading 300

Why I’d never refer to my clients as ‘students’​

I have a mixed relationship with the word ‘student’ in the context of my work. I’m a language teacher: a German and Hungarian language trainer and coach. I run a boutique language training company called ProLingua Global. My typical clients are executives in the financial services industry.  They turn to me not necessarily because they NEED…… Continue reading Why I’d never refer to my clients as ‘students’​

Cultures, languages and why ancient wisdom matters in the modern world

“A language […] is not merely a set of grammatical rules or a vocabulary. It is a flash of the human spirit, the vehicle by which the soul of each particular culture comes into the material world. Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought, an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities.”…… Continue reading Cultures, languages and why ancient wisdom matters in the modern world

The 3 key ingredients you need to make your language learning journey a success

Are you wasting time learning words that you’re likely never use? Learning animal names can be fun but let’s be honest, unless you are a zoologist, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever use those words, so why would you bother learning them in the first place? Makes sense, right? Yet, so many times, we spend…… Continue reading The 3 key ingredients you need to make your language learning journey a success

Why traditional language courses organised for busy corporates need a fresh approach

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

Meet Iain Lindsay, the British Ambassador adored by everyone in Hungary

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

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

Nothing sucks like Electrolux

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