Needs

Even though my website was visited 968 times in February (that’s 4514 hits!), nobody asked any language related questions.  Could it be that English language training is becoming obsolete? Has English truly become the contemporary lingua-franca, and anybody who’s anybody can already speak it extremely well?

There is a difference between language based learning and content based learning. At the moment, there appears to be a bit of confusion as to what people or employees seem to need. 

Language based teaching focuses on language – meaning: grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation etc… The content is simply the vehicle used to practice the target language and can vary according to the learners’ interests. Content based teaching focuses on content – that could be anything from how to use Microsoft Word to negotiating with difficult clients, and correcting a learner’s language usage is secondary.  

Increasingly, my clients want content based learning in English, but are asking for language based learning using a specific topic as the vehicle. The former requires wide-ranging knowledge of the subject, and the latter requires wide-ranging knowledge of the language.

And now I know what you are thinking: “We want both!”

Being a qualified language trainer doesn’t seem to be enough anymore. Training budgets are shrinking and training demands are becoming more complex, and competition amongst providers is growing. That is why I am trying to continually expand my knowledge and experience in order to offer more content along with language usage expertise.

So, if you have any questions about anything, ask me! And I will answer in English

All the best,

Julia