5 best language schools that’ll help you navigate the world

It’s a universal fact that language started as a means to gossip. Studies prove it, books say it, and we live and breathe it every day.
While that does pin humans as gossip gurus by nature, language has grown to become more than a device in vocal grooming. Language schools, online learning platforms, and language professors — they’re spreading the word because they understand the beauty of language most.
It’s not only a method to communicate, but an art form that exists in literature, poetry, song, and more. It’s the reason we can express the most grandiose of love declarations and the fiercest plights of anger.
Today, being fluent in more than one language is as practical a tool as it is an art.
According to a study conducted by Jacek Liwiński, knowing a second language boosts your salary and job prospects by 35%, as nine out of 10 employers seek employees who speak more than just English. It’s an essential skill when venturing into foreign markets; a key player in business development.
The stat makes sense — as the world becomes a more inclusive, globalised space, language is what bridges the gap between one person to another, and one culture to the next.
With that said, if you’re looking to pick up a new language but aren’t sure where to start, let us give you a brief run down and some options on where to start with language schools.
How to master a language quickly
Mastering a new language takes hours of study and practice, and it’s a process of trial and error until you finally reach a point of fluency.
It sounds taxing, but here’s a few proactive shortcuts you can take to familiarise yourself with a new language:
Consume media in the target language
It seems super obvious, but if you don’t live in a country where the language you’re learning is frequently spoken, consuming various media forms in that language is a simple yet effective tool to increase your grasp.
The legendary K-pop icon himself, BTS’s Kim Namjoon, better known by his stage name RM, learned English through watching the hit 90s sitcom, “Friends.” It was a sensation amongst Korean parents, many of whom made their kids watch.
Kim started by watching the show with English subtitles before watching them without it — and that’s something that you can try too.
Rohadatul ‘Aisy Hamdaini, an Indonesian who earned her Test of Proficiency in Korean 6 — the highest possible level — in just four months, shared similar tips too. Hers, however, focused more on watching variety and reality shows instead of your dramas.
“I think variety shows are better than dramas because they use more casual language,” Hamdaini explains. “It will be a lot easier to pick up your listening skills, vocabulary, and understanding with that.”
Talk to people more
There’s a difference between learning a language on paper and speaking it aloud.
It’s well and good if you’ve memorised an entire assemblage of words in a particular language, but nothing’s going to smoothen your ability to form sentences more than proper conversation.
After all, language was forged in the act of socialisation. Surfing through Facebook groups dedicated to language exchange, as well as apps like HelloTalk and Italki are great ways to get talking. If you know someone fluent in real life, challenge yourself to speak to them only in the intended language.
Make use of language apps like Duolingo
Language apps like Duolingo don’t necessarily feature the most conversational language practices out there. It is, however, an excellent way to build up a habit of using a certain language everyday with built-in features like tracking a user’s streak. Though it’s less immersive, it’s a good alternative to language schools if you’ve not got the time or budget to go.
If you’re out of phone space to download a new app, YouTube’s a go-to for many learners to self-study. Other apps like Language Transfer, Clozemaster, and Language Reactor are apps or Chrome extensions that you can implement into your daily web surfing to aid your learning.
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes
The fear of making mistakes holds many people back from leaping forward in any endeavour. That’s why it’s important that you give yourself the leeway to mess up, because it’s only then that you’ll take conscious steps towards growth.
It’s also important that you’re surrounded by people who encourage you to try again when you make a mistake, instead of berating you. As written on Medium, “mistakes always reveal underlying language patterns and rules.”

Many countries have multiple languages on their street signs, making it easier to navigate for those who don’t speak the nation’s official language. Source: AFP
Why learn a language in a place where it isn’t widely spoken
It might be hard to imagine why people would want to learn a language that isn’t the official one used in the country — for example, picking up Japanese in a country that isn’t Japan.
While everyone’s reasons will differ, here are some common explanations as to why they’d choose to do so and why you can consider the same.
First off, there’s the logistics. Not everyone — especially international students who, more often than not, have limited financial resources — can afford to pack up their bags and go take a language course for a semester or two.
It is a privilege to do so, and not many share that advantage. This is why it’s easier and more convenient to go to language schools where you’re currently based to learn a skill. You might not have the same immersion as others who get to go abroad for their course, but you’ll remain ahead of those who don’t learn a language at all.
Second, moving abroad doesn’t mean you’ll immediately pick up the local language.
International best-selling author and nomadic polyglot Benny Lewis writes on the Fluent in 3 Months blog, “I meet quite a lot of expats and others who are staying [abroad] for a few months like me and the sad truth is that the vast majority of them learn next to nothing in the local language.”
From sticking to the same English-speaking bubble or believing that they can get by with just using English, the excuses are aplenty. In times like this, it is simply more of a cost-save to spend your time learning the language where you can before taking it to the streets abroad to test your skills.
Then, there’s the simple fact that learning another language — wherever you are — helps you appreciate your mother tongue or any other languages you have under your belt more.
Reddit users agree heartedly.
One wrote that they came to appreciate their first language, Slovene, more after picking up new languages. “I just didn’t think it sounded nice and didn’t like it at all,” they share. “After I started my English and German college course, something came over me and now I love Slovene. I think it’s beautiful and I love speaking it.”
5 top language schools to know the world better

According to Ethnologue, there are 7,164 languages used today. Source: AFP
SOAS University of London, England
The unique aspect of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) — located in the cosmopolitan centre of Bloomsbury, London — is that they’re the only university in Europe which focuses on the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. They’re bringing minority voices to the forefront through research and scholarship, and breaking the Eurocentric worldview.
Aside from the School of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics, which hosts degree programmes that explore the depth of contemporary and traditional languages through history, the university has a Language Centre. Students can enrol as beginners or advanced learners and take on group classes or personalised one-on-one learning.
National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilisations, Italy
A hallmark in language education since 1795, Italy’s National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilisations (Inalco) is the world’s biggest provider of language courses, and the only public institution in higher education that spans such a range.
Here, they teach over 100 languages on their campus grounds across civilisations in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
The programme you choose to explore with Inalco is entirely dependent on your needs. They offer bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, and professional training programmes, so whether you’re gunning for a professional certification or pursuing doctoral research — there will be a place for you to learn and succeed.

Fun fact: the US has no official language declared at the federal level. Source: AFP
Educa Language School, Russia
Located in the City of the White Nights — St. Petersburg, Russia — the Educa Language School has been delivering training courses in the Russian and Armenian languages to foreigners since 2003. They’ve welcomed over 3,000 students from more than 60 countries, going as far as teaching them the Russian culture on top of the language, both spoken and written.
To immerse yourself into the day-to-day Russian lifestyle, Educa offers a long-term learning programme which provides visa support and accommodation. You’ll learn to become one with the locals through a 12-week stay and study, and engage with group classes that’ll challenge you to speak, read, write, and listen from the very beginning in Russian.
Maximo Nivel, Latin America
If you’ve always taken to the beauty of Latin America and you’re dying to experience local culture, Maximo Nivel is here to provide that exact experience to you. They’re an accredited organisation providing opportunities for study abroad and educational travel across four local institutions in three Latin American countries — Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru.
There’s plenty of different programmes for you to choose from, whether that’s volunteering abroad and giving back to a community or diving head-first into an internship.
It’s not the most orthodox of language schools, but they do offer Spanish immersion programmes where you’ll be able to pick up the language through structured courses and activities beyond the classroom.

According to The Language Formula, it takes about 600 hours to master a language that’s similar to English, like French or Portugese. Source: AFP
Qalam wa Lawh, Morocco
With a history that’s at least 1,500 years of age, Arabic is one of the world’s most ancient languages, and its beauty is accentuated by the phonetic and melodic pronunciation.
It’s not an easy language to pick up, nor is it commonly offered by language schools. If you’re looking for an institution to get started — the best of the best — head to the Qalam Institute in Morocco.
Since 2007, over 1,200 students from around the world have congregated in Rabat, Morocco, every year for an immersive training to master the Arabic language. The teachers at Qalam undergo specialised training beforehand to ensure they’re in tip-top shape to deliver such language courses, across intensive programmes, study abroad, online sources, and customised and faculty-led programmes.
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