At Glorick we bet on the best option, but it’s a good exercise to reflect in writing on all the options we have at our disposal to learn a new language. Since we’re a B2B provider, where there are factors that aren’t relevant to the individual client, we’re going to take a look at arguments that apply more to HR logic. To illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of each option, I’ll explain it by recovering a comparison with the gym.
1. The 100% autonomous way
Many companies have adopted a policy of providing all possible training options with complete freedom, which extends to languages as well. For this reason, there are companies in our sector that offer online platforms with courses of all kinds, as well as apps dedicated only to language teaching, in which the fundamental premise is that the user is totally independent and self-sufficient, without human help. Students can learn whenever they want, they just have to connect and do the activities presented, in which the presence of trainers is always asynchronous. It is the cheapest option and the easiest to activate, without a doubt.
Comparison to the gym: your company pays your membership fee, but you only have access to the cardio area. At most, the gym instructors may explain to you how one of the machines works, but they will not have time for more, and if you do not understand something, you will have to find out yourself. You can do all the exercise you want, but you’ll do it on your own, isolated from human contact. Bad posture will not be corrected and you may end up becoming demotivated, with a greater chance of giving up if you do not have iron discipline.
2. The group way
This is the traditional modality par excellence of language teaching: the company has a group that wants/needs to learn a language, so it organises group classes differentiated by level or schedule. Here we already have the participation of a professional trainer who takes control of the training, and the students can express themselves before other human beings. The more students each group has, the cheaper the training is, but the price will always be higher than the previous option. It’s not common for there to be access to an online platform, and when it exists the result is not very positive: it’s enough for some to use it and others not for it to become disruptive and useless for the training process.
Comparison to the gym: your company rents a gym so that you can have classes with more people. On paper it’s a very good option, but there are a series of problems that aren’t visible at first and this is a long-term process: every week you have to go to class. In all likelihood, group members will end up suffering from: lack of motivation/interest in the topics addressed, lack of availability at the set time, difficulty in following the pace of learning because it’s too easy (they get bored) or too difficult (they get frustrated), lack of confidence in oral expression in front of other people, insufficient time to ask questions, among others. It’s inevitable because this happens in all areas of human activity. It doesn’t happen in 100% of cases, but it is the norm.
3. The personalised way
A personal license that gives you access to a self-study platform (as in option 1) and synchronous, individual classes with a trainer.
This is the best option and it’s what we offer at Glorick. Learning is a voluntary act, it’s not enough to expose ourselves to knowledge to acquire it: that is why it does not work to play audios in the background while we do something else, and even less so if that something is sleeping. We need to be attentive, interested, involved (this is what limits option 1 and part of option 2). But why does it have to be individual? Because a language is a tool, it’s not knowing how to read about tectonic plates, the Roman Empire or current economic events. We use language to express ourselves about those same topics, as well as receive new information from other people: it’s a social tool, it helps us communicate with others and therefore requires something else: practice. When we’re in a group, practising is limited to the time we “steal” from a partner, and it’s very likely that my group is already suffering from the evils described above. If we add to that that we are talking about professionals with time availability, but also reduced mental energy, we want to ensure that the time spent is used to the maximum.
Comparison to the gym: your company understands that to achieve tangible results, that you can measure, that keep your motivation high, that adjust to your pace and schedule, you need to hire a personal trainer. It’s the least economical option, but it’s the one that works. In the long run, when comparing results, it turns out that it’s the one that gives you a real return on your investment.