Adam Sedia
Anyone who reminisces about the required Spanish, French, or German classes from high school remembers the verb-conjugation exercises, the vocabulary lists, and the stilted conversation exercises. They are likely not remembered fondly, and those who took them likely forgot most of the language they were meant to learn.
But public-school language classes are not designed to develop in-depth speaking skills. They serve as an introduction to the language, and give exposure to other ways in which a language functions, often with complexities not present in English. Also, because of the nature of public-school education, these classes followed a “cookie-cutter” or “one-size-fits-all” teaching method necessary to present the material to so many students.
Recently, language education apps have personalized the language learning experience by offering courses that a user can select from a menu. While these apps offer listening, speaking, and reading exercises, they lack a key element of human interaction that can identify and correct subtleties in translation. Nor is the “cookie-cutter” approach entirely missing from learning by app. While a user can follow the course as quickly or slowly as needed, the progression of the course cannot change. As expertly developed as the course might be, the mandatory progression does not account for individual needs.
Nothing can beat individual and small-group classes as most effective way to learn a new language. This individualized approach is specifically tailored to the student’s needs, in terms of pace, difficulty, and content. For example, a student who needs the language for leisure travel will have very different needs from one who needs it professionally. And for those who need language for work, the nature of their work will determine the vocabulary and register they need to learn. For example, an engineer or academic will have very different needs from a social worker or law enforcement officer.
Working with an instructor also adds a level of human interaction absent from app learning. The instructor not only can provide realistic conversation opportunities and useful feedback, but also cultural knowledge. For example, a certain word with a perfectly acceptable use in one country might be considered extremely vulgar or offensive in another, or words might have certain slang uses that are not apparent in academic dictionaries.
Unida Translation strongly believes in the benefits of personalized individual and small-group classes. In addition to translation and interpretation services that cover over 125 languages with translators and interpreters who are certified by a recognized translator and interpreter association, Unida is passionate about providing language education. That is why it offers Spanish and Italian classes, both in-person and remotely, to students of all proficiency levels and needs.
Unida Translation is a leader in the translation industry. We help all businesses open up the avenues of communication by ensuring that your organization’s messages are understood in the exact same manner no matter who the audience is. Our company is also licensed, insured, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certified, and local in Northwest Indiana.
