Our teaching methods
We’d like to start off by listing the definitions for “integration” in the Oxford English Dictionary: 1. “The act or process of combining two or more things so that they work together” 2. “The act or process of mixing people who have previously been separated, usually because of colour, race, religion, etc.”
We believe these two definitions illustrate the “core philosophy” behind our cultural integration program.
Teaching methods are combined, people are brought together, cultures mix and real understanding is made possible. Academic teaching of both language and culture is combined with experiencing real events where differences manifest and are seen in a positive light. Diversity is seen as interesting and enriching, and the sense of unity created within the group is stronger than any perceived differences. Our language courses are innovative and include socio-cultural events. The focus is on learning the language through actually using it in real life situations, sometimes even through learning something else related to culture.
All of the events are designed to:
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introduce and explore the culture being studied
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provide concrete language patterns and skills so that students become comfortable interacting both in and outside of the workplace
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provide a relaxed atmosphere for sessions such as cooking, cinema, hiking, arts, conversation groups so that people really enjoy the courses and readily absorb the information
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practice the language freely for the purpose of achieving fluency without being constantly corrected
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expose students to different accents and help them adapt to new situations (for example, we sometimes switch teachers during the last half hour of a class and ask guests to participate in our activities).
"..practice the language freely for the purpose of achieving fluency without being constantly corrected."
