learn french – Language Teaching Centre | LTC

The secret to learning a new language successfully

LTC Team — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 09:46:01 +0000

Want to know the secret to making your attempt at learning a new language more successful? Want to find out what will keep you motivated and learn much faster? Well, that secret is…confidence.

“Confidence comes from not always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong.”

-Peter T. Mcintyre

Yes, that secret might not seem like much, and may come across as more of a disappointment, but if there is one thing you can do to fast-track your language learning it is being confident. Your success depends on your level of confidence. It may sound obvious, but it isn’t actually. Confidence is the biggest hurdle anyone who is trying to learn a new language has in the beginning. Languages are about talking to people, putting yourself in situations where you might not feel very comfortable. If you lack the confidence , you will never truly be able to speak the language you are learning properly.

It doesn’t matter whether you make mistakes or that not everyone you talk to reacts positively. All that matters is that you are out there trying your best with what you know – and ultimately learning from your mistakes.

“Belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance”
– Webster’s New Universal.

Once you start believing in your abilities and start saying you “speak” a language rather than that you are “learning” a language, your learning will speed up. As a result, you will focus less on what you are getting wrong and start focussing more on what you are getting right. Just keep at it – the more you speak, the less you will worry. Remember that any progress is good and means you are getting better at the language. Perfection isn’t nearly as important as believing in yourself.

Once you are confident, you will start thinking about correcting your mistakes. Yes, some native speakers will correct you, but that’s how you learn! No need to be embarrassed.

Learning a language by yourself is taxing – and usually unsuccessful. Most people quit once they hit a speedbump in their learning. But taking a Language Course in Cape Town with the Language Teaching Centre (LTC), you are not alone! At LTC you are encouraged to work hard and strive to learn the language you have chosen. With the help of our highly qualified teachers, you will be taught in a nurturing and positive environment where you will be encouraged to try your best. You don’t have to struggle by yourself – let the Language Teaching Centre help you.

Sound like a native speaker with idioms

LTC Team — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 14:17:40 +0000

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an idiom is: “A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words.”

The main difference between a fluent speaker and someone who is learning a language is obvious: the fluent speaker knows how to use idioms.

Every language has a “flavour” such as the words, jokes, and phrases that can’t really be translated into another language. These aspects of a language play a big part in the personalities of native speakers of a specific language.

An example is Italian. It is a language packed with beautiful food-related idioms to express joy, problems, and so much more in daily life – most of which can’t be translated literally into another language. The word “abbiocco” is used to describe the contented and sleepy feeling one gets after a nice big meal. The closest phrase to this in the English language is a “food coma” which means being so full you can barely move. Or the phrase “Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco”, which directly translates as “not all doughnuts come out with a hole”. This means that something doesn’t turn out as you expect it to. An English speaker would instead say “there’s more than one way to skin a cat” which is similar to the Italian phrase.

Another example comes from Portuguese. The word “apaixonar” describes the moment just before someone declares their love to another. It is a verb, the actual act of falling in love. The closest word in English to this is “impassioned” but compared to the meaning “apaixonar” has, it is quite bland.

These words and idioms mirror the culture of the language they originate from. While Italian uses phrases that have to do with food, English speakers are much more likely to use idioms that offer disturbing images for comic effect. This reflects the dark humour of the British.

Using idioms that are unique to a specific culture is a huge part of your cultural identity. As someone learning another language, the quicker you understand – and begin to use the idioms of the language you are learning – the faster you will be able to have meaningful conversations with a native speaker.

But not to worry, you won’t have to do this all by yourself, the Language Teaching Centre (LTC) is here to help. LTC gives students from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds the opportunity to learn and engage with other diverse students and learn and discover more about each other’s languages and cultures. Study English in Cape Town, or Portuguese, Spanish, Xhosa, Zulu, German, Mandarin, French, Arabic, and Afrikaans. So do it – take a Language Course in Cape Town at the Language Teaching Centre. You won’t regret it!

Mistakes to avoid when learning a language

LTC Team — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 06:30:56 +0000

Don’t let these mistakes get in the way when you learn a new language, learn to avoid or overcome them and you are guaranteed to succeed! Here are the biggest mistakes to avoid when learning a language.

Fear of making a mistake

You might enjoy writing and reading in a different language, but when it comes to speaking it, you freeze up. No matter your level of confidence in general, the fear of making a fool of yourself when trying to speak a different language is very real. This almost irrational fear happens to the best of us, even Barack Obama freezes up when having to speak a foreign language.

The key to avoiding this mistake is just to push through your fears. It’s especially the anticipation of speaking a foreign language that gets to you, and just by pushing through that fear each time you will eventually feel confident enough not to dread speaking a different language. The more you speak the faster you learn. Force yourself to speak as much as possible in the language you are learning, and watch yourself flourish.

Not being open to other cultures

Don’t approach learning a new language with a closed mind, as this will show in your progress. To learn a language you need to live the language.

This means embracing its people, culture, and ways. If you are immersed and interested in the culture of the language you are learning you will be motivated to learn more – and faster. Immerse yourself as much as possible – you might even end up enjoying it!

Not listening

If you find that you regularly fall into the trap of not listening to what a foreign speaker is saying the chances are high that it is connected to your fear of making a mistake.

Many people get so caught up in needing to annunciate properly and use the correct grammar that they forget to actually listen to what the person is saying. This is actually much worse as you are more likely to say something irrelevant or be thrown off if they say something you weren’t expecting.

Making it insurmountable

Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. If you make learning a language seem insurmountable, your brain will shut down and you will be unable to learn anything. You need to see learning a language as a marathon – not a sprint. Break your learning down into manageable chunks and achievable goals. Everyone learning a language starts out somewhere.

Don’t assume that other people are more intelligent than you because they speak 2 or 3 languages. All of them have gone through the frustrating process of learning and making mistakes. But they did not give up. So neither should you. Learning a new language is definitely achievable with the right tools and a healthy attitude.

The Language Teaching Centre (LTC)

One of those tools is the Language Teaching Centre (LTC). A language school in Cape Town, LTC gives you all you need to be able to learn a new language properly and easily. The Language Teaching Centre not only gives you the opportunity to learn new languages but also lets you engage with other students from different cultures and backgrounds. We even offer excursions about twice a week which are there to help students discover the beautiful city we live in. The breathtaking view of Table Mountain and the harbour will inspire you to tackle the task of learning a new language with vigour. Take a language course in Cape Town at the Language Teaching centre today and see yourself flourish.

Languages of the Cape

LTC Team — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 13:16:26 +0000

There are few places on this Earth as beautiful as Cape Town is. Amazing weather, amazing beaches, and an exquisite mountain hugging the ocean, what more could you want?

And there’s more – while most countries have only one or perhaps two languages, Cape Town is home to a number of different languages, and thanks to all the foreigners living in the Cape, while walking down the street you will hear a multitude of foreign languages as well.

Because of the rich cultural history, Cape Town is now not only home to English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa but to a large Dutch, French, German and Portuguese community. Other nationalities, such as Asians, Italians and Russians have made Cape Town their home too. Now, in post-Apartheid South Africa, the democratic constitution recognises 11 official languages as part of South Africa’s cultural heritage. This decision was made to elevate and advance the indigenous tongues of the country that were previously suppressed. Today, the majority of South Africans – and Capetonians in general – are able to speak more than one language, and may switch between languages during a conversation.

However, English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa remain the most widely spoken languages in the Cape, Afrikaans being the most spoken home language in Cape Town, with more than 40% of residents speaking the language. English is also quite widely spoken, and Xhosa remains the main language of the local African population.

The English used by Capetonians is known as South African English, which is different from British or American English. In South African English, there are many Afrikaans influences, and you will come across many typical South African expressions. In Cape Town – and South Africa as a whole – traffic lights are known as “robots” and a barbeque is known as a “braai.” These are only two examples of the diverse and colourful expressions prevalent in the Cape.

Public schools – and most private schools – teach according to the South African curriculum, which means the students get taught in two languages, usually English and Afrikaans, one being a home language and the other a first additional language.

There are a number of private and international schools that teach according to the British, American, German or French curriculum and that offer other languages. This year, Mandarin was actually introduced into the South African school curriculum as an additional language.

It’s unfortunate that other foreign languages are not taught in most Capetonian schools, but luckily that’s where the Language Teaching centre comes in. The Language Teaching Centre is an international language school situated in Cape Town. The centre offers English and other internationally recognised foreign language training and certification in a positive learning environment. The teachers at the Language Teaching Centre are highly qualified native speakers of the languages that they teach and their experience allows them to teach students of many different nationalities, backgrounds and languages in a nurturing and positive educational setting. The Language Teaching centre is all you need if you want to become fluent in another language.

Learn more about Romance or Latin languages

LTC Team — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 09:26:55 +0000

Would you rather choose to learn French, Spanish or Portuguese?

Okay, so the Romance languages belong to the Indo-European language family group. They have their origin in Vulgar Latin and are called Romance languages because they were spoken by Romans.

Below is a list of the five Romance Languages:

Spanish
Portuguese
French
Italian
Romanian

Even though the Romance languages started in Vulgar Latin, I’m sure we can all agree that some of the Latin languages sound so smooth that the speakers could make you fall in love with just a few words. Today we will look at some important points about the French, Spanish and Portuguese languages. To help you decide between our three favourite Latin languages, we will look at the three different languages to help you make your decision.

Let’s talk about some reasons to learn French

Bonjour!

Are you ready to learn French?

French is an official language in 29 countries and is a widespread language. More than 220 million people speak French on our five continents. French is the official language of France, and is also spoken in Monaco, Luxemburg, some parts of Switzerland, Belgium, north and central Africa, Cambodia, Madagascar, Vietnam and the overseas French departments and Territories. French probably ranks next after English as a second language.

Eiffel Tower

Facts about French

France is a semi presidential republic and has a population of 66.6 million people. Its capital, the nation’s largest city and the main commercial centre, is Paris. Paris is known throughout the world as the ‘City of light’ and is also known for its architecture, museums, cathedrals, parks, shopping and more. France is also the most visited country in the world with 83 million tourists in 2012. Because of it shape, France is also known as l’Hexagone and is the largest country in the European Union.

France has different climates. In the west and northwest they have an oceanic climate, which means warm summers and cool winters. In the northeast they have a semi-continental climate, which means hot summers and cold winters and in the south and southeast a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters.

Why should you learn French?

– Learning French is fun!
– It is a world language
– It will increase your job opportunities
– It will allow you not only to function but also to effectively compete in the global economy of the future
– It is the language of international relations
– Knowing French will improve your vocabulary in English
– French is the language of culture, it opens the door to music, art, dance, fashion and more

http://www.languageteachingcentre.com/course/french-course/

So what about learning Spanish?

Hola!
Spanish is the official language of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. About 410 million people are native speakers of the Spanish language and about 60 million people speak Spanish as a second language.

Spain is a sovereign state located in south-western Europe. Along with France and Morocco, it is one of the only three countries which have both Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines. With an area of about 506.000 km2, Spain is the fourth largest country in Europe, and the second largest in West Europe. Spain has a population of 47 million people. By population, they are the sixth largest in Europe.

As a result of the relief in Spain, there are large differences in climate between the different areas as well as within the areas. There are also differences between the seasons and the day and night temperatures. Large parts of Spain have a more continental climate than a Mediterranean climate. The entire east coast has a Mediterranean climate with hot and sunny summers. When going south there are slightly increasing temperatures. The north coast has a temperate humid climate and in the summer it is a lot cooler. The Balearic have mild winters, and warm, dry summers. The Canary Islands have a much constant climate with temperatures of 27 degrees in the summer and 22 degrees in the winter.

Why should you Learn Spanish?
– Learning Spanish is fun!
– Spanish is easy to learn
– Spanish is rising ahead of any non-English language rapidly
– Learning Spanish will help you with your career
– Learn Spanish to enhance your travel experience
– Learn Spanish to prepare for study abroad opportunities
– When you’ve learned Spanish, you can learn another foreign language easier.

If you follow a Spanish Course, you will also have a head start in learning other languages such as French and Portuguese.

http://www.languageteachingcentre.com/course/spanish-course/

Learn Portuguese at the Language Teaching Centre in Cape Town

Olá!

Portuguese is a Romance language and the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Principe, Timor-Leste and Equatorial Guinea. About 215 – 220 million people speak Portuguese as their native language, with a total of 260 million speakers. Portuguese is listed as the fifth most spoken language in the world and the third most spoken language in Europe.

Portugal is a country in southwest Europe and is located on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal boarders to the Atlantic ocean to the west and south, and Spain to the north and east. Portugal’s largest city and capital is Lisbon, with a population of about 553.000 people. The population of Portugal is estimated on 10, 45 million people. Did you know the largest bridge of Europe is located in Portugal? The Vasco Da Gama Bridge, over the Tagus river in Lisbon, is 17.2 km’s long!

Portugal is one of Europeans warmest country, with an average temperature of 15 degrees in the North and 18 degrees in the South. It can become rainy and windy during autumn and winter, but the temperatures in the spring and summer can rise as high as 40 degrees around the interior and 35 degrees in the north. The northwest has mild winters with a lot of rainfall and short summers. The northeast has got longer winters and hot summers. The south experiences warm summers with a little bit rainfall except in early spring and autumn.

Why should you learn Portuguese?
– Learning Portuguese is fun!
– Portuguese is relatively easy to learn
– It’s an amazing language to learn
– Portuguese is the fourth most spoken language in the world
– Portuguese is a desired language in a number of professional sectors (International trade, research, etc.)
– By doing Portuguese lessons you can improve your CV
– Meet new people
– Opportunities – Brazil’s economy is growing fast

Doing Portuguese lessons in Cape Town in much fun! Cape Town is a beautiful city which is known for its famous Table Mountain. All the teachers from LTC are highly qualified and have much experience with students from all different nationalities.

http://www.languageteachingcentre.com/course/portuguese-course/

So which one will it be?