Have you been really wanting to learn, review or maintain your skills in another language?
Do you speak a language that isn’t terribly common and do you find it difficult to get sufficient practice?
We’d love for you to register with us to be matched up with a study buddy for semi-private lessons with one of our trained instructors!
YLC began as a business offering Spanish classes in our CEO’s basement, and we have grown to employ over 150 linguists in over 50 languages here and abroad, who specialize in interpretation, translation and language instruction. We now get requests pouring in from our local area and even beyond our borders for interpreters, translators and private lessons. We offer on-site and virtual language classes and cultural workshops to a variety of businesses. We also offer four yearly sessions of public language classes, typically in Spanish, English and American Sign Language. However, we also have many students who come to us wanting to learn French, Italian, Korean, Japanese, and a variety of other languages. For some of those students, booking private lessons just isn’t practical, and it’s not just a financial concern.
Private lessons may be great for those highly motivated individuals who have time to study on their own, have a keen eye or ear for the details of language, and lots of questions about how language works. But what about the rest of us? In that case, two brains really are better than one. When paired up with a study buddy, you have the chance to bounce ideas off of each other, practice with a peer instead of just with the instructor. Many students tell us they find this less threatening than simply being up one-on-one with a teacher.
Moreover, semi-private lessons give more flexibility than public classes. If you have trouble committing to a ten-week series, maybe we can match you up with someone who will work with your schedule and keep the classes flowing, while offering you both time to practice in between the times you meet with your instructor.
Registering with us as a study buddy means you are committing to taking at least five or ten one-hour lessons when you get matched up with your study buddy. Your cost for these lessons is either $175 for five lessons or $300 for ten lessons. You will be paired according to ability in your chosen language and availability. You can also request a specific topic interest for your lessons. And you will also be matched with a trained YLC instructor, a specialist in his or her language.
Language learning was never meant to be an entirely academic exercise. Humans evolved language because of social concerns, and language learning works best when using the language for authentic communication in community. Communication in community: it’s not a coincidence that those words share a root. Since the turn of this century, brain imaging studies have been able to substantiate this important pillar of the language learning experience. Being in a social setting gives us something that phone apps just cannot.
So if you’re looking to really begin communicating, or you’re looking to develop or maintain your skills, contact us today to register as a study buddy. We hope we can get you paired up and reaching your language-learning goals as soon as possible.