Travel courses with immersion in the atmosphere of the language being studied contribute to rapid acquisition of English.
Many of us studied English at school. But how many can boast of knowing it now? Probably not. And even those who can, likely mastered the language later, in classes such as English language courses, independently using a self-study book, with a tutor, or during university studies. Why does this happen, given that a considerable number of hours are devoted to language learning at school?
Most school language programs were built, and in some schools are still built, on the basis of the 'Grammar-translational method', or, translated into Russian, the grammar-translation method. It is considered classical, one of the oldest methods of language teaching – as early as the eighteenth century it was used by the Enlightenment thinkers, and in Pushkin's times lyceum students used it to master the subtleties of 'dead languages' – Latin and Greek. Indeed, the method was developed specifically for studying 'dead languages', hence the great attention to grammar and text work and indifference to speech skills – after all, no one speaks these languages, and even their pronunciation is not precisely known to anyone.
But English is not dead! And mastering it cannot be limited to translating texts. Moreover, the grammar-translation method is one of the most difficult for children to perceive. It requires long, painstaking study, and what child would pore over a textbook for hours? This method is good for people with highly developed logical thinking – it is convenient for them to perceive language as a set of grammatical formulas and schemes. And how many fifth-graders are familiar with logic?
So it turns out that after suffering through English grammatical constructions, tenses and prepositions for five or six years, we leave school with the conviction that we are incapable of learning languages. But is that so? After all, many who have difficulty with English have no problems with their native Russian, which is much more complex. Perhaps the issue is not with the students, but with the methods?
The discussion that the grammar-translation method does not meet modern language learning requirements began already in the middle of the last century. Many new methods began to form and develop. The Silent Way, Total Physical Response, immersion, the communicative method – developments of the 50s-70s of the last century. In addition, methods are being improved and developed, new ones emerge, both those 'grown' from classics and those based on the latest technologies and modern discoveries.
For example, a huge number of computer language courses, video lectures, audio materials. Most often, a modern language course includes several types of materials and a combination of methods. Children's courses are built on a game-based foundation, natural language acquisition through play and communication. There are also game-based methods for adults. Travel courses promise rapid language acquisition, where immersion in the atmosphere of the target language and culture is accompanied by intensive language classes.
Most modern schools offer conversational English courses. This is based on the fact that the majority of learners do not need knowledge of complex theoretical details or the history of language development, but are interested in learning practical language skills in the shortest possible time. There are separate courses to help prepare for popular international exams, such as ielts, toefl, and others.
Most courses pay attention to all four communication skills, which include reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension, but the emphasis is on the latter two – for the same reason. Modern methods and teaching approaches allow anyone to master a language.