Private
lessons
and ultra-rapid progress sound perfect, but this must
be expensive ?
Group
study
must be more interesting and motivating than private
lessons ?
How
can
you summarize the ways in which Dialogue is truly
different ?
You
have
mentioned
a natural approach. What do you mean by that ?
What length of stay and what programme would you recommend ?
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Q.---
What kind of progress can I expect to make at Dialogue French
immersion ?
A.--- Our students tell us that they make as much progress at
Dialogue in two weeks as they would have made in four full semesters
at university. However, we would prefer to be modest about this: We
guarantee twice the rate of progress as in other schools that
specialize in intensive French courses. Dialogue is particularly
suitable for people who have little time to spend on French study
and who are looking for a highly efficient language training
programme. You will receive a report at the end of your stay that
evaluates your progress and recommend strategies for consolidating
your progress after your stay.
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Q.---
How many people will there be in my group at Dialogue ?
A.--- Just one. You, and no one else. The core of Dialogue's
philosophy is total personalization. Unlike in other schools, you
will not be expected to adapt to a general and impersonal teaching
method. Instead, we will adapt to the way you learn best. As in
other schools, you will make progress in general language and
communication skills. However, you will also focus on and achieve
your own communication objectives. Every moment of instruction at
Dialogue is 'a la Carte', designed according to your learning style,
and the specialized vocabulary or subject matter you need to know in
French. If you need to, you can solely work with the material that
you bring with you.
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Q.--- Private
lessons
and ultra-rapid progress sound perfect, but this must be expensive ?
A.--- Our prices are competitive and similar to those charged
by other top quality language schools. However, there is a
difference : most other schools will put you into a small group of 4
or 5 people with a big surcharge for private lessons. The groups are
even larger outside of lessons (mealtimes and breaks).
Dialogue is strictly one-to-one, and we only accept a limited
number of participants per week to ensure personalization also
outside the lessons. Therefore, for the same investment of money and
time, you can obtain at least twice the results you could obtain
elsewhere.
(top)
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Q.---
Group study must be more interesting and motivating than private
lessons ?
A.--- Yes and no. At Dialogue, you'll have all the advantages of a
group with none of the inconveniences. It's always pleasant to be in
good company of course. During breaks, meals, the evening hours, our
students appreciate their opportunities to interact with one
another. But during lessons, the presence of others is usually an
obstacle rather than an advantage. Others will rarely share your
objectives, your style, your level, your reactions, your needs. In
groups, the slower student can be maddening, and the faster one can
be just as maddening. Group training is, more often than not, group
plodding. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. In a group,
it's easy to become confused and disoriented by the mistakes others
make. It's just as easy to become apprehensive about making mistakes
in front of others. In language learning, group dynamics aren't
always beneficial.
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Q.---
What
I need most is to understand better what other people are saying.
Can you help me to rapidly improve my listening comprehension ?
A.--- Yes, we certainly can. It is difficult to communicate if you
can hardly understand what other people are saying. To achieve
quick, tangible results in this area, we have developed a unique
method to rapidly improve your French listening comprehension. Your
ear, despite every effort on your part, does not naturally hear all
the sounds of the French language. If you cannot even hear the
sounds in the first place, you cannot be expected to reproduce them.
The fact is that you have already had a lifetime of ear training in
your own language that affects your ability to hear in the French
language. We can open your ears to the sounds of French in just one
week. Your open ears can once again have the child's ability to
distinguish between words such as, le vin, le vent, and levons,
that may sound identical to your ears, but that have obvious
differences to the trained ear or to the native speaker.
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-----------------------------------------------------
Q.---
How can you summarize the ways in which Dialogue is truly different
?
A.--- Most schools attempt to instill linguistic confidence in their
students. This is an admirable goal. However, it is just not enough
if you need to learn the true 'ins and outs' of the French language.
Every Dialogue session simultaneously works on four essential goals:
Developing listening comprehension and pronunciation skills (the
listening threshold), learning to speak without making mistakes (the
linguistic threshold), practicing appropriate means of expression
(the cultural threshold), and finally, gaining pleasure in speaking
the target language (the psychological threshold).
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Q.---
You've mentioned a natural approach. What do you mean by that ?
A.--- The Greek philosopher Socrates said that hidden inside every
human is a philosopher. We, at Dialogue, believe that virtually
everyone has the resources to be a master of 'multiple' languages.
We follow the Socratic Method of eliciting our students’ unconscious
knowledge and latent skills, and correcting mistakes through a
natural and communicative system of dialogue building. The European
Commission is very interested in our de-schooling approach. Our
students do not attend a ‘school’ or have ‘lessons’ with a
‘teacher’. Instead, they join a ‘family’, and participate in a
‘learning experience’ with their personal ‘coach’.
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Q.---
All language schools talk about the benefits of total French
immersion. How does Dialogue view this ? ?
A.--- Total immersion sounds great, but the question remains, total
immersion in what ? Hearing French for a week instead of your own is
a fine idea, but true immersion, the Dialogue way, is so much more.
To ensure true immersion, Dialogue accepts only a handful of
participants (our term of choice) each week, who immediately become
part of the family, all in the French environment. At meals, during
breaks, after dinner, native speakers always predominate at
Dialogue. At many other schools the ratio is just the reverse, with
a single instructor for up to ten students. Dialogue dinner-table
conversation is the real thing, not student or tourist talk. On
weekends, participants aren't left to their own devices; Dialogue
people are always there to show them around and to satisfy their
curiosity as tourists.
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Q.---
When can I start a course at Dialogue ?
A.--- Whenever you wish. Whether you are a beginner or almost
bilingual, you can begin on any day of the week, and for as many
days or weeks as you wish. You can give yourself a break during
weekends or work through them.
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Q.---
What length of stay and what programme would you recommend ?
A.--- It all depends on your objectives and the length of time you
have at your disposal. The best way is to contact us to discuss
your needs. Our advice is free and without any obligation on your
part. In any case, you will achieve your objectives more easily and
rapidly than you can imagine at Dialogue.
(top)
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Q.---
I am a beginner. However, I need to learn a language for business or
professional reasons. Do your programmes suit me ?
A.--- Absolutely. Whatever your level is, our personalized method
enables us to start working on your target professional vocabulary
from the first session.
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Q.---
I
am an advanced-level speaker and I am having trouble finding
training at a high-enough level. Do your programmes suit me ?
A.--- Dialogue trainers recognize the special needs of very advanced
language students. They know how to structure advanced training so
that the advanced student makes just as much progress as students at
any other level.
(top)
DialoguE:
" One of the best French immersion courses"
The Wall Street Journal