Who takes part-time language courses?
Tuesday, 18th August 2009
Part time language courses attract a huge variety of students.Their convenient timetable, easy-to-reach locations and affordable prices means that they suit all kinds of people, who are learning for all sorts of different reasons.
A good number of students are professionals who work or live within the vicinity to their nearest school, and can therefore attend their class on their way home from work. Lizzy Westman (26) is currently completing a beginners evening course in Spanish, and says,
“ I have very busy work days and it fits in with them perfectly. Being only once a week it does not become an undue pressure on my time. It helps to break up my week and is just enough to stimulate my mind in a completely different way from my work. (During the day I could never make it and I have too many other commitments to consider a full time course).”
Whilst she loves the mental stimulation that the course has provided her with, her main motivation for booking the course was that she’s leading an expedition (group of about 15 teenagers) to Costa Rica in the summer so thought she should have some knowledge of the language, so she’s not completely at a loss when she gets there! She had previously learnt French at school, but was a complete beginner in Spanish until starting the course.
Like Lizzy, many other people choose to take these course primarily for professional reasons. Not all companies are in a position to offer language training during office hours, and it can certainly be helpful when working on an international level to master some of a foreign language. Choosing to do so on your own back will also look very good to any employer.
For other people, doing an evening course is something completely unrelated to work. It could be that you are planning a holiday abroad and want to pick up some of the language before you go, or perhaps that you hope to relocate permanently - this will definitely require some proficiency in the local language!
Aside from that, it could simply be that you like languages and are looking for an outside interest which will keep your mind exercised in a capacity other than work, and which will provide you with a sociable activity once a week.
Jutta Raftery (67), who grew up in Germany but lives in London, says that her main motivation for learning Spanish was to use her brain a bit more. She has been learning Spanish for one and a half years, and chose to learn because of a lovely new family member who comes from Spain.
In fact, a very commonly cited reason as to why people choose to undertake this type of course relates to family and partners.
Beginning a relationship with someone from another country will certainly heighten your interest in the language and culture of that place, and practically speaking, may require you to take up the language in order to be able to communicate with family and friends.
Cactus’ Tristan Bailey (33) has been taking evening classes in German, primarily because his partner originates from Germany. He says “My girlfriend is German and I was learning with her, but after our son was born I wanted to learn quicker so we could bring him up with both languages. Learning at home often gets interrupted so if I commit 2 hours a week I know I will be making an effort then. Its helped my German with my little family and when we visit family in Cologne”.
Taking up an evening course in a foreign language can also be good for anyone with heritage in a foreign country who is looking for ways to investigate, or get close to their roots. Francesca Grilli (25) is currently taking a beginners Italian course in Manchester. She says that her main reason for choosing to take the course was that she has always felt a personal affiliation with Italy due to her Italian heritage. She says,
“My granddad was Italian and was a native of Rieti not far from Rome and my dad speaks Italian, having spent a lot of time there in his youth. I have family over there at present and so I often make visits and have thought how great it would be to be able to join in the conversations around the table! I have considered living out in Italy but felt it important to have a basic grasp of the language first.”
For Francesca, the most enjoyable thing about the course so far has been meeting new people with similar interests - her class are very enthusiastic about learning Italian which she feels that she, in turn, benefits from. She says that they work hard but there is a keen sense of enjoyment and she often leaves feeling up-lifted – a common sentiment amongst students who attend these courses it seems.
Tags: language course, language, part-time evening course, united kingdom, evening class, learning, culture
Posted by Laura Harrison under Attitudes to Language Learning, Types of Courses,
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