Frequently Asked Questions

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 Yes, it is. Ear exposure to the language you want to learn is one of the necessary elements of learning that language. Utilize the app to 'hear' the language, even if you have little or no understanding initially.” It will gradually change. However it needs to be a supplement to a real course if you want to be able to converse. 

 It is necessary to be consistent in your learning. Think of it this way: Just like you eat every day, you need to 'feed yourself' with the language each day. If you don’t, you will forget. It’s not you doing it. It’s the nature of this type of learning doing it. 

I agree. That was the most challenging for myself in English as I had seldom heard the language spoken by a native. One sentence felt like one long word. The words will separate on their own when you keep listening as you build more vocabulary in your lessons. 

A. Private class instruction
You get the undivided attention of the teacher and lots of secrets on how to advance faster however it depends on how much practice you do outside of class. The practice is essential no matter what option you choose. 

You may need to find other people to practice with. 

Private classes may be more costly. How quickly do you want to speak?"

 B. Private class Instruction with Self-Study
You will have "off" weeks of classes. Instead, during those weeks, you will receive step-by-step lessons through recorded instructions to grasp the concepts and complete the exercises. The materials provided will be the same as in the Private Instruction. While this option may not be as rapid as the Private option, it allows for progress in your learning faster than in a group class. This flexibility is especially useful for weeks when you are unable to attend a class, such as when you are traveling. Regardless of the chosen option, it is essential to stay connected with the language six days a week. 

C. Group class instruction
The teacher’s attention is divided into each participant. A student that is challenged may hold the others back and the teacher has to teach at the lowest level so everyone can progress without anyone left behind. That is why we do not mix levels.

Advancing in the class: it depends on how much practice you do outside of class. The practice is essential no matter what option you choose.

The class may be more affordable.

Some people may feel uncomfortable speaking the language with others around although it’s a very safe environment. 

 The answer here is: 'With recordings,’ You will repeat what you hear and you will come back to class reading the words or small paragraphs. 

That’s great! It would be possible to do it this way if you were able to learn the language in the country it is spoken. In that case, you’d be exposed to hearing it all day long and will naturally pick it up after sometime and some formal language classes. However, if you are not in the country where the natives are and don’t have a couple of hours a day to listen to the language in addition to
reading it (to form your muscles in your mouth) then you will learn through various excellent exercises that will enable you to engrave the concepts in your mind. Most people are visual learners and they do memorize quite a bit when writing and find the exercises playful and compelling. One of the most efficient ways to learn new words is to write a sentence with that new word or expression. You learn words in relationship with other words. Word lists don’t work well. 

Pronunciation, grammatical concepts, speaking, listening, understanding, writing. 

• Pronunciation enables you to read and understand. It’s challenging to understand a word you have not pronounced yourself.
• When you read you associate the sounds to the words and their meanings.
• When you practice reading you learn to build vocabulary more easily because of the relationship of words to other words triggers memory of the words. In addition, we must repeat reading to get proper correction that in turn will be retained by the brain and able to reproduce when speaking.
• Learning a new language will provide you with a fresh perspective on your native language; you will naturally analyse it in order to understand the foreign language you are learning. Your brain will do it for you, naturally.
• When you do a lesson that contains a grammatical concept, that concept has a name that labels multiple words that go under the same order of ideas. For example if you study the word “the”, you learn that it’s a “definite article” to designate a noun that is known such as “the table” (opposed to “a table”, which is “any” table) and the concept “the” in both French or Spanish is translated into four different words that you will learn to match with the nouns.
• Listening and Understanding - It takes experience listening to the language to finally understand it, especially when natives are speaking. These two skills, listening and understanding, complement each other in your language journey. Be patient with yourself, and clarity will come as the words detach from each other when spoken!
• Writing. It is essential so you can practice the concepts learned. There is no substitute for a good grammar foundation.
• What about verbs? Those are the access to the conversation and they are 75% to 85% of the grammatical concepts. They are like keys you are given to fit the locks of the language. When you have those keys, you can speak. The program is conceived on verbs, of course and the vocabulary comes with it, adding a healthy dose of new words each time.
• Putting it all together. If you read the “How it works” section, you will read that you learn to speak by speaking.
• There are multiple types of exercises that can be done verbally or in writing and you will be exposed to all of it throughout your learning.

Commitment is an essential part of learning a language.

The main component to your success are:

• Being consistent with your study
• Study in small increments AND frequently to make a significant difference in your results
• Personal abilities may play a role
• Belief in terms of learning. Where are you starting from? We will examine that with your permission
• The size of the class
• The teacher’s experience
• Exposing your ear to the language often
• Materials (written & recorded)

All materials (written and recorded) are included in the packages. There is no registration fee or any other additional charge beyond the chosen package. You can change your package for another one at no extra charge once it has expired.

No, you do not. It’s entirely up to you.

Yes, we do and without disclosing our methods, any pronunciation can be learned if you take the time to practice. It’s a matter of building muscles.

You will ultimately have to pick a horse and ride it!

• Look at which language is most inspiring to you. You will learn more easily something that inspires you.
• Have you been to the country to look at the culture and see if you were attracted to it?
• What about the people who speak that language?
• Do you like the way the language sounds? That is very important.
• Do you already know a similar language? If yes, learning it will be easier.
• Is there someone you know from that country?
• Would it be beneficial to your business if you speak that language?
• What is your exact goal? Personal growth? A hobby? Challenge your brain? Reading in the text? Some languages may be more suitable than others for these type of goals. Ask us.

Usually yes. As in any coaching, you will have to be willing to receive the coaching to get the results. Please ask us to know if we have what you are looking for.

That’s the million dollar question. If you are not going to learn the foreign language in its country, it

will take significantly longer because there is no immersion. The time it will take you to become fluent will depend on:

• How much you will study and practice each day (that is the biggest part of your success depends on and it is under your control)
• The choice of how ot learn: a self-study, a private class or a group class (the private option is the best one however you have to listen to the language daily)
• The age you are when you begin
• The materials you are using
• Your personal abilities you were born with. 

No matter what, it’s NEVER TOO LATE to start!

There certainly are and we will reveal the secrets throughout the different stages of the instruction at the appropriate level. Those tricks may range from speaking to yourself in the foreign language aloud during your 'off' class time, be curious on how to say certain words, expressions or just turns of phrases.

Yes, it can be done however it may be tricky. It depends where you are starting from in terms of your language ability. It may be much easier if you already know a foreign language. Ask yourself why you’d like to learn each one first.

Everyone procrastinate at one time or another. All you need to do is first make sure that you are doing this learning for yourself. It will keep you inspired.

Then you must declare what you want to do and give your word to yourself to learn.

If that is of any interest to you, we do an exercise to check that you are in alignment with what you say you want to get out of the class. If you do it and intent your best, it will reveal any past obstacle that may come in the way and we can take those away together. The exercise can be repeated as needed.

My answer to you is: Do you like language? That’s important. Anyone can learn the language. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses and you may surprise yourself. You don't know how it’s going to be before you start. Allow yourself to be immersed in the words of the language you're learning.

Everyone is different on how fast they absorb knowledge and you are able to use it. But if you want to be able to communicate at the basic level, to be safe, you should wait a year. However if this is not your first foreign language it may be sooner.

It depends on people. Have you been working your brain through learning academics during your life? because if you haven’t it’s a muscle so I will need to build up

We can assess your level.

Unfortunately, our instruction begins at 14 years old.

Everyone is different because some people take more time to absorb the knowledge. As a general guide on half-hour to 45 minutes of practice per day will give the results desired over time. Practice must be in small increments and often. Two sessions of 15-25 minutes per day yield better results than one session of 30-45 minutes.. You may take one day off per week. That is the way studying a language or an instrument works.

If it’s a private class, yes you can make up the class. For group classes that are on a set schedule, you will be able to listen to the recording of the class at your convenience.

Classes are available both online and in-person in Santa Monica. You can choose from three different options: a 50-minute (for those on a budget) or a 60-minute class up to a 75-minute class, offered in packages of 8 classes. Small group classes are held once a week, lasting 2.5 hours. The course spans a year with various levels available.