How to encourage people to learn english

How to encourage staff to learn a foreign language

English may be the global language, but mastering a foreign tongue can benefit business and employees. But how should staff be encouraged to do this?

Foreign language skills are, increasingly, a must-have on CVs. As more organisations operate globally, being able to communicate with clients and colleagues in different countries is important.

Recruiting staff with these skills may be half the battle, but what about upskilling the current workforce? It may sound like a long and expensive process, but arranging language training could pay dividends.

Kate Mason, institutional sales manager, Europe, at e-learning training specialist Rosetta Stone, says immediate benefits can be reaped.”These include improved retention, increased customer satisfaction, and enhanced employee communications, to name a few.”

Before introducing training, you first need to get staff interested. Unless there is a business need for themm to learn aspecific language, Mason says that choice can be key to motivation. “Certain languages may not seem immediately relevant, but they may be in the future. If employees can learn languages that are most interesting or relevant to them, they have a higher chance of success.”

You then need to embed a language learning culture into the company.Declan Mulkeen, marketing director of communications skills consultancy Communicaid, says that this can be done by running workshops and events, or bringing together staff of different nationalities to act as mentors. “It’s also a good idea to set up a ‘language laboratory’, where employees can access materials and practice,” he says.

The level of training will depend on current abilities and the language needs of specific job roles. Maria de la Torre, managing director at Accent Consultants, says she provides all levels of training – from the basics of a language and polite chit-chat to higher-level programmes, where business language and terminology can be learned.

“One of our clients is a pharmaceutical company, and although staff are able to speak the required language, they need to understand complex terminology to get on in their jobs,” she says.

Sometimes intensive training is also needed so that staff learn a language in a short space of time.”A company we recently worked with needed to train four employees who were being seconded abroad within six weeks, so we provided six hours’ training a day until they left,” says de la Torre.

The other extreme is where employers provide language training as a perk. De la Torre says this is becoming an increasingly popular employee benefit.”In this case, lessons are usually provided in employees’ lunch hours or before the working day starts. It’s amazing how many people really appreciate being able to learn a new language,” she says.

De la Torre believes that self-study should only be used for very basic learning, and that classroom learning, preferably taught by a native speaker, is the best way to learn.”Self-study simply doesn’t work at a high level unless you have exceptional linguistic skills,” she says. “You need classroom learning with a maximum of eight students for the best results.”

Communicaid’s Mulkeen agrees that face-to-face learning is the most effective method. “However, e-learning and self-study are also important and can reinforce what is learnedin the classroom,” he says.

Like all learning, different methods work better for different people. But if staff do not have the time to attend classes, Mason says e-learning can be a viable option – especially for beginners. “They can establish base knowledge and build confidence in privacy. As skills develop, learners can then expand their use of language in a classroom or in practice,” she says.

The cost of offering a language training programme varies depending on the teaching method selected. If there is a large group of learners, e-learning and self-study will generally be cheaper options per head than classroom teaching.

However, to fully master a language, Mulkeen recommends at least three hours a week face-to-face training.”Typically, you can double this with home study and coursework,” he adds.

As for the cost of classroom training, Communicaid charges between £40 and £80 per hour, depending on whether it is one-to-one or group-based. Accent Consultants charges £35 an hour for classes of up to eight.

With the right approach and budget, there are solutions out there to help staff master a new language from scratch or improve their fluency. For employers, being able to boast a multi-lingual workforce could be just the incentive needed to invest.

Case study: Lloyd’s Register

For the past four years, independent risk management organisation Lloyd’s Register has worked with Farnham Castle International Briefing and Conference Centre to provide its expatriate staff and their families with intensive language tuition as part of a programme to help them acclimatise more easily in new locations around the world.

The language training programmes comprise a residential, intensive one-week programme at Farnham Castle, Surrey.

Tailored programmes cover any language at any level, from beginners through to specialist skills training, including preparation for meetings, presentations, or for improving business skills, and cost from £1,950 to £2,500 a head. One-to-one or two-to-one training is also provided.

Each day comprises six hours of language training, and private study is set each evening. Classroom-based programmes are designed to be as interactive as possible, allowing attendees to put acquired knowledge into practice straight away.

An HR spokesperson at Lloyd’s Register says: “Our training helps staff integrate more quickly into the new culture. Language training is highly valued by staff as it makes the relocation process much easier. In turn, we believe this has a direct impact on the success of foreign assignments for Lloyd’s Register.”

How to Motivate Students to Learn English?

This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Monika B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.

There are two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic

Extrinsic motivation is a push that comes from outside of a person. When people want to gain a reward (good grades) or avoid punishment, they are usually extrinsically motivated. Intrinsic motivation is a push that comes from inside a person. When people enjoy doing a certain activity they are intrinsically motivated.

At times, when a person has an intrinsic motivation, rewarding them can reduce their intrinsic motivation, which could make them less interested in the activity, thus decreasing their performance.

On the other hand, when a person is not interested in English, it means they have no intrinsic motivation to learn. In this case, giving rewards can get them to participate in the activity, which may then trigger some intrinsic motivation inside them. From this example, we can see that extrinsic motivation can turn to intrinsic motivation.

This is not the case most of the time, because most ESL students want to learn English, therefore they already have intrinsic motivation. They want to engage in the language because they are trying to reach a certain goal where the English language is a necessary tool for them, whether it is academically or business-wise.

With this type of mindset, extrinsic motivation could potentially slow their learning process. The students will perform best when the teacher focuses on motivating them intrinsically rather than extrinsically. Therefore, rather than tempting them to learn with external rewards, the teacher should encourage their already existing desire to learn.

Tactics to motivate students:

1. The teacher should make the class more communicative

The main reason students want to learn English is so that they can communicate with people from other countries, at school or/and for job purposes. The main goal for some students is being able to communicate in the business world.

The students will be more motivated if the teacher encourages them to communicate in class. Seeing the improvement, they are making throughout, will make them want to study and engage within the class even more.

How can the teacher make the class more communicative;

2. The teacher should make English practical

People, in general, do not like to do things that are not beneficial to them. They want to know that there is a reason behind what they do, regardless of whether the action is simple or hard.

One approach to keep things more practical within the classroom environment is to use realia whenever possible. Realia is one more approach to use objects and materials from everyday life.

Introducing realia into your class will allow the students to be prepared for what they will encounter in the outside world.

Project-based learning starts with true-to-life problems, which is a great way to keep things focused on reality where the students will have the chance to solve them. The students come across a series of steps that will guide them to the problem in the project-based activity.

Some of the steps include: collecting necessary material, identifying different steps students will have to take to unravel the problem, recording the information crucial for coming to a solution, concluding and finally presenting their solution.

Of course, the process of this activity is more important than the outcome, this is where students are practicing the language. By focusing on the communication process throughout the activity, the teacher is motivating the students because he/she is not concentrating on the extrinsic motivation when it comes to grading the assignment at the end of the lesson.

Another way to stay focused on the practical is to role-play. Recreating real-life situation the students are likely to experience outside of the classroom will allow them to prepare for the future in a secure setting.

3. The teacher should try to make the class a fun setting

If a teacher can make the class fun for the students, it is a way to up the intrinsic motivation levels. Students are more prompt to be engaged in the learning process if they are having a good time.

Strategies for making the class a “fun class”:

4. The teach should form a relationship

If a teacher is teaching an international class, he/she may be the only English speaker they will see or speak with daily. Therefore, showing support to students is something the teacher needs to do before trying to motivate them.

A way of letting the students know the teacher cares is by encouraging expressions of culture in the class. Attention should be paid when the students are describing their traditions, beliefs or values.

Another way to form relationships with the students is to show consideration. The teacher should try to bond with the students to allow them to see they can turn to him/her for advice/help.

5. The teacher should give feedback

Feedback should be carefully considered. The way the teacher delivers his/her feedback to the students is important for forming the right relationships with students.

If the teacher corrects every mistake every time a student makes one, students will end up estranging themselves.

Giving positive feedback is as important as giving criticism. If there is any mistake in need of addressing, the teacher should also have some positive feedback to deliver afterward.

Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!

At the same time, the teacher does not need to be the only source of feedback, the students should be encouraged when it comes to peer feedback as well as self-evaluation.

Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad.

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How to Encourage Student Interest in Foreign Language Learning

Olivia is a journalist who is always ready to experience new things and share this experience with others. She is passionate about art and writing, therefore she usually spends time writing new articles or travelling around the World.

People who learn new languages get so many benefits from it. They gain practical knowledge, learn valuable things about foreign cultures, and discover a whole new world outside of their own. However, English-speaking countries have by far the lowest interest in foreign language learning. Recent surveys have revealed that not more than 7% of college students in the U.S. participate in a language course.

It is true that academic authorities in almost all countries in the world consider English a preferable second language but it doesn’t mean that learning other languages became futile for native English speakers. So how can you encourage students to learn another language?

5 tips to make students more interested in a language course

Language teachers have the privilege but also a great responsibility to make their students more interested in foreign languages. Here are 5 things they can do to make this happen.

1. Explain the benefits

As a teacher, you should be wise enough to subtly explain the benefits of learning languages to your students. Try to elaborate how mastering foreign languages is rewarding and beneficial. You can also add that language learning correlates with better academic results. This applies to career and self-development as well.

And keep reminding students that not everything is about English– other languages such as Chinese, Spanish, or French are widely spoken and used in the scientific and political community. Additionally, students will probably consider it worthwhile if you suggest that knowing one more language could make them look cool among their peers.

2. Let them know the results of learning

Let students see the results of their learning every once in a while; it’s up to you to choose how. There are numerous ways to do it but keep in mind that young people are usually impatient and yearn for some encouragement from your side.

It may be done by organizing a language speaking club with discussions on the specific topic that they already perfected. Introduce gamification elements with scores and objectives, so that students can enjoy achieving results through correct use of foreign language. Any method that makes students feel proud about the progress they made is valid.

3. Let art help you

It’s often very practical to involve art in the language course. Popular culture is always a good tool to attract students’ attention— feel free to include movies, songs, interesting stories, or even cartoons into the learning process. It will help young scholars familiarize with the content and learn by association.

Every kind of art that you consider unconventional or exciting can help you immerse them into the language and culture discussions. The result will most likely be an open conversation about the topic, which will eventually lead to better understanding of the language they learn.

4. Make them use the language

Theoretical knowledge is the basic precondition for language learning but it is even more important for young learners to practice what they learn. Therefore, you should create possibilities for them to use the language. You may invite native speakers from time to time and organize debates, where many students will understand what they do or don’t know.

Of course, mistakes come as a natural part of this process so you have to provide support and encourage students not to give up on expressing their opinions in foreign language. The more they speak the more they are going to learn.

5. Give rewards

We already mentioned that language students need occasional encouragement and support, but it should be one of your top priorities since a nice reward is always the best way to keep them interested and engaged. Give your praise to the best learners but also approve the knowledge of the most dedicated students or the ones who do some extracurricular activity.

Conclusion

Today’s kids are not that much into language learning. But with enough dedication and passion from their teachers, it’s not too difficult to make them more interested. A nice combination of teaching techniques and practical lessons will be able to motivate and inspire students to learn faster and more effectively. Keep our 5 tips in mind when giving a language lecture and you’ll find the results much better and the job more satisfying.

Motivations for Learning English as an Adult

The trend of learning a foreign language, especially English became quite popular as soon as people understood that knowing more than one language can open up wider opportunities for them. From then on, language schools and tutoring have become quite well-spread. As a result, there are globally very many adult learners of foreign languages and English is on the top lines. So, what motivates adults to learn English? Let’s look at some factors that play an important role here.

Learning a new language creates new possibilities for people to travel and learn more about the world. They are not restrained by the language barrier, can socialize in a new culture, ask for directions, order at a restaurant and feel good about themselves. It’s much more interesting than carrying a dictionary with you, learning a couple of keywords and phrases and gesturing around to make yourself understood.

It’s not a secret that English is the language of globalization. Everything is happening in English, international conferences and events are held in English, computer language is, well, basically English, many countries in the world have English as their state or at least second mandatory language, etc. Hence, knowing the language brings you closer to the world and whatever’s happening there.

Knowing English helps you create and maintain relations with people from different countries and nationalities. It widens your contact list, creates more opportunities for personal and professional development, acquiring leads that can later help you in your job or business, etc. This also makes you feel more of a wide-scoped person if we can so, granting you a wider scope of worldview.

If you know English, it will surely make you look more attractive to prospective employers. We know that businesses are trying to employ people who know more than one language, can communicate for business needs, negotiate and sell to foreign clients, make the business more presentable and modern. It will increase your promotional opportunities and pave the path of climbing a better career ladder.

Other than the extrinsic motivation, we cannot fail but mention that some people learn just because they want to, they want to enrich their knowledge and worldview, become more educated, etc. This, probably, is the best motivator, as intrinsic motivation always works better than the outside factors. It is more stable and constant.

We should probably also state that adults are not always self-motivated to learn. Sometimes, it’s just their employer who wants them to level up, sometimes they just need to study for a test, etc. In these cases, it’s very important to help the learners find the motivation they need to learn better. All the aspects mentioned above can help, however, making learning more enjoyable and fun is the best way to encourage the learners to participate in the classes and register progress. How to do it? — We’ll talk about it next time.

Second language acquisition in early childhood

Human language is a highly complex and complicated skill, and because of that, it develops brain more than anything else. Up to the age of 6 when we learn another language, or 2 languages, or 3 languages, brain development is much greater than anything else we could learn. Preschool children have a natural ability to learn and, according to research, at the age 3-4 years learning a second language is as easy as learning the first.

Advantages of early language learning

Babies, infants and children learn all language levels (prosody, phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics) simultaneously and they learn it really well because an early age is a time when the brain is programmed to learn the languages.

Early language learning can influence attitudes towards other languages and cultures. As children have to learn a foreign language naturally, in the way they learn their mother tongue, they learn the culture, the rhymes, the movements, the cognitive development.
Lots of researches show that an early language learning experience generally results in the development of native or near-native pronunciation and intonation. Bringing very young children in contact with foreign languages may result in faster language learning, improved mother tongue skills and better performance in other areas.

Studies by Harvard University confirm that the creativity, critical thinking skills, and flexibility of the mind are significantly enhanced if children learn a second language at a younger age. Moreover, the research has shown that 50% of our ability to learn is developed by age 4 and another 30% by age 8. This is why three-year-olds are encouraged to learn a second language.

Complexity of the process

It is not an easy task to teach a very young learner. Here is the complexity of an early second language learning:

Children have to obtain all those levels and aspects of a language. So there isn’t and there can’t be just one and the only right method of teaching. Mixed methods are widely used to teach a foreign language.

Moreover, we should remember the importance of a vital language combination of literacy and oracy. Developing a child’s speaking and writing skills shouldn’t simply be ‘tagged on’ to a sequence of lessons or tasks, but arise as an integral part of everyday teaching.

Ways to teach first English words and grammar

Besides, visuals and realia are one of the most effective ways to provide a relatable reference. For instance, if you’re teaching about elephants, it’s better to have pictures of elephants available to share with children. For toddlers it’s more effective to use and show big bright toys. For older kids cartoons and even children’s documentaries work well. It’s easy but gives kids a tangible object that they can fully “experience” to help deepen understanding. Or if you’re teaching about plurals, have one apple available to show the meaning of “singular,” and two or more apples available to show the meaning of “plural.”

The role of physical response in teaching language

A total physical response is also essential. It is a language acquisition method developed by psychology professor James Asher after long observations of infants acquiring their mother tongue. TPR uses a combo of language and physical actions to engage children in the language learning process. It’s a pretty low-stress strategy, which is one of the keys to its success. Kids just listen and respond in a physical manner. For example, hearing commands “Sit down, give a high five, jump” etc., they just do it without a fluent communication yet. However, they do pick up syntax and speech patterns. TPR can be a great pre-cursor to verbal communication. For very young learners, though, it’s better not only say but show movements and actions. In this way they match an action with a sound and pronunciation of the word of the language.

Developing of literacy at an early age

How can we develop literacy at an early age? First of all, a child should be immersed in a print-rich environment so that he or she has constant opportunities to interact with the written word. For instance, posters on the walls, cartoons’ subtitles, bright stick notes with words and pictures, books with simple words, alphabet albums, flashcards.

Importance of variety

Anyway, all activities and visual aids, props have to be meaningful to children. Parents and teachers of the youngest learners should focus on providing a wide variety of sensory experiences for kids to absorb an English accent, practice their first words and accumulate vocabulary. This can be done by having fun through music, movement, games and a lot of nurturing. All of these extremely boosts early brain stimulation that leads to the creation of neural pathways. Introducing a second language to children as early as possible is the best way to add these neural pathways and increase their capacity for intellectual development. Different musical styles and activities for developing cognitive skills encourage understanding, speaking and a love of learning English. Through repetition, example, and experience, children learn how to use their new English vocabulary and how to speak with a good accent.