The Läderach Method for Language Trainings (L-MELT)

Language learning in a business environment has to be approached differently as compared to high school, college or academic learning. Time is of essence because the attention span of a professional employee tends to be short as his/her energy is mainly focused on daily work. Language learning has to be interactive and fun. Language awareness and appreciation programs covering certain basics can help keep the momentum. In a full-fledged course, too much grammar rules can induce boredom and de-motivate people. Therefore, the focus should be more on conversation and listening skills using interesting methods such as role plays, games etc. which permit grammar instruction and work on the pronunciation skills at the same time.

Basically, the learners are encouraged to speak as much as possible. The courses are thus highly interactive, and practice oriented. Activities like debates, practicing common daily life situations in a theatrical mode, visiting places or participating in cultural events are organized. These learning activities make the session fun and enjoyable and also permit the facilitator to introduce some cultural flavor in order to make the audience understand the synergy between language and culture. It is indeed important to keep in mind that languages are closely linked with the culture where there are spoken. Learning a foreign language without considering the culture attached to it, it is like cooking without ingredients. If the vocabulary serves to convey an idea, the culture is the reason which explains why this idea is brought up. Culture often motives one to be more curious about the language and at the same time, the language generally pushes the learner to find out interesting cultural aspects related to it. Hence, all the language programs of LIFE contain cultural facts and anecdotes which give meaning to the theoretical courses content. Similarly, all the culture programs include some information about the languages spoken in the particular culture concerned.

Finally, depending on the programs, the faculty uses diverse resources and provides various supporting tools such as participant materials, which allows the learner to keep a track of the lessons and get opportunities to practice outside the class. However, the flow of the different sessions is not linear as it tends to be in many classic language courses. In fact, following a strict plan from the beginning, one chapter after another makes the structure of the learning process too rigid and does not permit to point out the real difficulties the learner has to face. Hence, LIFE course design is more personalised. Rather than forcing people to remember by heart any word or grammar rule, the faculty offers repeated explanations until it becomes a reflex for everybody. At the end of each session, participants revise all the vocabulary/sentences used during the session to reinforce learning.

When it comes to learning any foreign language, one should always remember that it is much more effective to let the vocabulary or the grammar come by slowly as the language is used rather than trying to get it immediately just because they are a part of any chapter. This intuitive method makes the plan more flexible, which can be very practical for people working in a business environment, who are sometimes busy and may not be able to attend all the classes.