FAQ
FAQ: General
Why learn a foreign language?
This is the most important question. It involves MOTIVATION and personal circumstances. There has to be a good reason to start and then it may develop into something more established.
Possible reasons:-
1. World travel, live abroad, work abroad
2. Common interests, dance, cooking, sports
3. Better career opportunities, companies do not want to train staff, they want multilingual individuals
4. Business opportunities (corporate and individual image)
5. Personal enrichment (new perspective on your own language and culture, contact with other people, their language and culture, get to know the culture from the inside).
For many people, English is the main international language. It helps them travel, communicate with foreigners and gives them advantages in their future careers. In addition, it is fashionable and a way of understanding modern pop culture, music, cinema etc. English is an international language but it is not the international language. More people in the world don’t speak English than speak it. We live in a multilingual market place. The more languages you know the easier it is to travel and do business.
Which language?
There is no best language. Think about:-
• Education
• Career
• Holiday
• Interests
• Business trip
• Retirement
• Attitude to the people and culture
• Family
For example, British people have been put off languages by “French at school” with genders, agreements, conjugations and subjunctives not to mention outdated methods of teaching which concentrated too much on analysing the language to the detriment of more communicative methods (i.e. talking and listening). French is a beautiful language but pronunciation is difficult and the language is not for everyone. Spanish or German may be more suitable. Moreover some methods of teaching will be more suitable for you than others. LANACOS concentrates on courses which specialise in oral language skills and fluency.
Where do you begin?
This is a personal choice; we are all different.
Identify your…
1. needs
2. interests
3. personal circumstances
4. budget
You can teach yourself many things and in fact a lot of language learning is done on your own but after a while you’ll find you need MOTIVATION to continue. Therefore you need people, interests, interaction and travel.
Adult education in your home country can provide that first step towards learning a language. It’s convenient, inexpensive and doesn’t involve much commitment. You meet other people interested in languages or that particular language. You practise, learn from the teacher and the other students. Also, a weekly event focuses you on the foreign language. It is a 'taster'. You find out your strengths and weaknesses. It is however not the real thing. You need the learning to be authentic.
Why learn a language abroad?
1. It’s the most natural way. (You hear the language all the time - TV, radio, people). It’s the way you learnt your own language.)
2. It’s the most exciting way. (You have the opportunity to use what you’ve learnt in real-life situations. It’s not false.)
3. It’s the most sophisticated way (You learn and understand the nuances from people and situations).
What’s on offer abroad?
Many different courses, types of accommodation, activities and destinations. Some are much better than others and price is not the only differential. Some language centres have great websites but awful courses, other language centres have awful websites but excellent teaching. Be aware of imitations and copycat tactics. Lots of websites are 'fronts' or very basic registration websites. There is no quality control.
Ask LANACOS for advice, and you will be pleasantly surprised by our knowledge and intelligence. We have visited more than 300 locations; we have our own reports and testimony form other learners. Discuss your needs and requirements with our multilingual staff.
Make a choice that is suitable for your individual needs. Get your priorities in order.
Ask yourself what is more important: course or destination? activity or destination? etc.
When will you go?
Out of season
During the holidays
In between jobs
In between studies
After studies
Activity season.
Courses usually start on a Monday; you arrive at your accommodation on the Sunday. Language centres will be flexible, if you give LANACOS advanced warning. It’s best however to start on the official starting date of a course. Everyone gets to know each other from the beginning. So be prepared to rearrange dates to get the best start possible. The start is always the important part. Like any holiday be prepared. LANACOS can supply you with a comprehensive checklist before departure.
Where will you go?
Maybe you have a place in mind or you visited the place as a tourist and wished you could stay longer, meet the people and really experience the life there.
There is a simple rule of thumb. If your time is limited do not go too far off the beaten track. You need to arrive and hit the ground running. Don't make life hard for yourself. If you have months to spare, then you can take a couple of days to reach your destination!
Decide whether the destination is easily accessible by public transport or by private car. LANACOS remembers fondly that one of our past participants cycled all the way to his location in Germany and he was in his seventies...so no excuses! Think of the region of the country. Do you want to go to a familiar location or a completely new one? It's your choice but feel free to ask LANACOS for help and advice.
What kind of course?
There are so many options ...and this is where LANACOS is really useful and the best way for you to find the right course. Courses range from:-
• General (20-25 lessons per week)
• Business
• Intensive (25+ lessons per week)
• Cultural
• Examination
• Activity (golf, tennis, skiing, cooking, dance, scuba diving) plus language
• University Preparation
• Junior or summer camps where young learners mix summer sports with language for a perfect holiday
Have you studied the language before? A test (written or oral) will determine your level. Are their any specific language skills you want to develop? (e.g. business, conversation, professional).
How long will I go for?
This depends on your budget and personal circumstances. We would advise you go for at least 2 weeks, 4 weeks if possible for significant language improvements and of course the longer you stay in the country learning the language the better. There are more intensive courses which are shorter, more convenient and recommended to those who want to brush up their language rather than to someone who wants to learn a language from scratch. Remember that two weeks on a good reputable course is equivalent to one year in your home country. The results are tangible and the training is extremely effective.
Where will I stay?
Very important also, it depends on your individual character. Staying with a local host can be very beneficial for language learning (you get free talk-time, meet new people and get an insight into how people live in their country). However, for some people, living in an other person’s house is an uncomfortable experience. Therefore we suggest they stay in hotels, apartments, self-catering flats or university residences. In general, home-stays are less expensive, especially if you have your meals with the family. Again language centres and LANACOS have the experience of arranging suitable accommodation for different types of learners. We should know about diets, allergies or special requirements. Bath/shower, smoker/non-smoker, private bathroom etc.
What about safety?
This is paramount and although no one can promise any risk whatsoever, LANACOS makes sure that risks are mitigated. First of all, LANACOS makes regular checks on locations and people. We keep a constant dialogue between staff on the ground, participants and ourselves. LANACOS always recommends some kind of Travel insurance in case of accident or delay, check Endsleigh https://secure.tamar.co.uk/Endsleigh/cgi-shl/agent_refer.cgi?agent=80029&policy=study_abroad for a competitive quote. Both LANACOS and language centres have Public Liability Insurance. For individuals who are travelling for the first time or are apprehensive about going abroad, there is the opportunity to go on a UK course specifically aimed to provide safety training abroad. Please visit www.objectivegapsafety.com
Do I want to take an examination?
For many people this can be an added goal to learning the language. It can be used as proof of your new-found skill. It can motivate you. It makes you learn things that you would rather not do but should do! It is a prize to show people what you have achieved. In fact, the examination should be internationally-recognised and so it will be able to help you further your career.
Do I really have to speak the language?
Yes, in a word, this is what LANACOS does. You may be a beginner but you will soon start speaking. However if you don't want to speak the language, may we suggest an alternative to LANACOS. How about Art History in Florence or Venice (conducted in English). Visit www.johnhallvenice.co.uk for further information. Or for volunteer work www.changingworlds.co.uk
How much will I pay?
From the snapshot of courses on Which location? page; it gives you a good idea of what you can expect. There is something for everyone’s budget.
General courses will always be the cheapest as regards price per lesson. The group lesson prices range from 5 to 20 pounds an hourly lesson, depending on cost of living, the facilities (e.g. video, language lab, class environment) and class size. All teachers at the schools we represent have university qualifications in how to teach the language.
Because LANACOS has achieved discounts for all its courses, we can offer free and independent advice to anyone who uses us. We do not add anything to brochure prices, what you see in the brochure is what you get! This is the foundation of our philosophy. It means that you can use us again and again at no extra cost to yourself. It is a very convenient way to plan a language travel holiday. You don’t have to spend hours of time researching a very complex trip or holiday.
As regards travel, LANACOS doesn’t try to be a travel agent too. Our expertise lies in languages and the countries they’re spoken in. Nevertheless, we have a good working relationship with Changing Worlds and you can book your flights at www.changingworlds.co.uk
The staff at LANACOS have been to over 80 countries; maybe more we've lost count! We speak Spanish, French, Italian, German, Mandarin, Arabic, Portuguese and Japanese as well as English. WE LOVE languages and want to learn more and enjoy new cultures. Dr Douglas Pickett who set up the business in 1993 was a respected linguist and educationalist. He was more widely travelled and had learnt about 8 languages before he died in 1996. We practise what we preach. We travel to the language centres (200 plus already). LANACOS know ways of getting the best connections plus alternative routes to many places (e.g. ANA flights, discount tickets, domino cards, Inter Rail etc.).
Travel Insurance is important too. Although LANACOS makes every effort to find out everything about schools, courses and destinations, it cannot be held responsible for every school's services, likewise schools advise participants to take travel insurance because also during your holiday you won’t be spending all your time at the school. We provide several kinds of travel insurance with Endsleigh Insurance, because we have used them ourselves in times of emergency. Other price considerations will be travel and insurance (which we can also arrange online), the rest will be spending allowance which depends on your individual tastes.
So far, after 16 years in business, we have offered advice to over 10,000 people, allowed people to make up their minds and had very few complaints.
So how can LANACOS guarantee a good service?
• It checks schools, meets and talks to representatives of those schools.
• Collects up-to-date information from the language travel business.
• Presents the information in an easy to view format. Does not meddle with prices.
• Gets feedback from past participants and forms the “Cosmopolitan Club”.
• It is honest with its advice. It doesn’t try to push one language centre more than the other. It listens to what you want and gives you its expert advice to help the selection process.
• You then can contact the language centre directly or through LANACOS. You pay the centre directly or through us without having to pay a registration fee to LANACOS. You are in control of your choice. The world becomes a smaller place and you won’t be paying more than the brochure price. In fact, the proof of the pudding can be found when you go to a school and meet other participants. Ask them how much they paid and how much advice they got? You will have paid the naturally lowest price. They will usually have gone through a language agent and paid the agency for the service of information and then they might not have got such a wide choice of destinations. Some agencies have ‘special relationships’ which can affect their advice. LANACOS is therefore termed a language-course information centre.
Why use LANACOS?
1) If you are genuinely interested in learning a language abroad you have nothing to lose. You will gain free knowledge with the maximum opportunities.
2) We offer you up-to-date information on courses and destinations.
3) We have the experience and expertise of language learning to help you.
We are unique in terms of our service and philosophy.