>>About La Lingua   Location

What is La Lingua Time? It’s a Time you will Treasure Forever!!!!  La Lingua Time? It's a Tresured Time!! La Lingua Language School is a place where international students learn practical, real-life English and vocational skills, together with Australian students studying foreign languages. The energetic, fun & friendly atmosphere at La Lingua makes it feel more like a second home, and creates lasting memories that will stay with you for life. Study in Australia. Take a step forward and discover yourself and the world ‘I want to use my talents in the job of my dreams’ ‘ I don’t even know what I want to do in my future, but I know I am searching for something.’ Does this sound familiar to you? If you are not satisfied with your current situation, if you want to discover yourself, or if you want to get more out of life, then come to Australia and experience life in Sydney, one of the greatest cities in the world. Improve your English and find yourself through life experiences that you could never have in your own country. La Lingua will assist you with your exciting Australian experience; A journey to discover ‘the real you and the real world.’     The Founder tells: A History of La Lingua La Lingua was started in December 1995.  After writing my last essay for my Linguistics Degree I was left wondering what to do next in my life. All the money that I had saved up had disappeared with tuition, rent, food and beer. I found myself with just 2 dollars to my name wondering what to do next. I wasn’t able to sleep. All I had was my house, my knowledge of Linguistics, and a good technique for teaching Japanese. I made a poster advertising ‘Japanese Lessons', and with my last 2 dollars made 20 photocopies and posted them on bulletin boards all around the University. One student came, then another and then another. Word of mouth got around and soon I was teaching Japanese all day long and distributing flyers all night. In 1996, we moved to Sydney’s Chinatown as a language school, teaching English conversation and several other languages, with the help of a friend. There I met a group of linguists and language teachers who devoted themselves to developing courses, to teach ‘English that you can use in real-life, the minute you walk out the door’.  We introduced the small class system with an average of 8 students, when the average in other schools was 16. Our reputation grew fast, and we came to be known as one of the first and best ‘English conversation schools‘ in Sydney.   We won the Australian Ethnic Business Council Small Business award in 2002, for our contribution to Australian society, and for being a mediator between Australia and the international community.  In 2000, La Lingua was officially recognized as an Australian government-recognized CRICOS-registered ELICOS school, accredited by NEAS, accepting international students from all over the world. La Lingua has also become an official testing centre for TOEIC. La Lingua’s creative and dynamic teachers and staff create a strong school spirit and a fun learning environment. Our goal is to have ‘Happy Students and Happy Staff!’ La Lingua Language School is ‘everyone’s school’, created by our teachers and staff, as well as our students. It is a visible outcome of my study abroad to Australia, and encounters with people from all around the world. What will your study abroad in Australia bring to your future life?  We are looking forward to hearing your story.   La Lingua’s language learning style: ‘The Power of Language’ Language plays an important role in communicating your thoughts and feelings.   You can’t convey your message unless you can speak or write. You can’t understand others unless you can listen and read. Languages have a wonderful power, which can make your human relationships and social life better or worse. Learning a language is not about memorizing grammar and hundreds of items of vocabulary. It is about learning to convey your message. Have you ever had these thoughts?:‘I can’t speak because of my lack of vocabulary’, or, ‘I keep silent because I am too scared to make a mistake’.  Be aware that it is you who is continuously checking your mistakes. These thoughts will disappear when you become aware of the real objective of language, which is to convey your message.    At La Lingua, we will elicit and develop your ability to have a smooth social life and human relations in the English-speaking world.   We have had elderly students and deaf students who were challenged in their learning of languages, yet were successful in their language study. Even if you can’t hear or speak well, you can start language learning, as long as you have ‘something to say’.                                                     We also pay attention to the difference between ‘not being able to speak’ and ‘not having things to talk about.’ You may find yourself not being able to socialize at parties or at the dinner table. You don’t know what to talk about, or can’t find common topics. This is not a problem caused by language proficiency, but by the lack of interpersonal communication skills and general knowledge.   At La Lingua, we make use of up-to-date materials and topics, in order to grow your interests in many fields, broadening your viewpoints as an international citizen, while we teach interpersonal skills and techniques, to establish smooth human relationships and social life.   10 points to differentiate La Lingua from others  Point１：English and Vocational Courses with flexible times and duration La Lingua provides you with a variety of courses, suitable for your own study objective and time schedule. Through individual counseling before, during, and after the course, you will be able to see where you are in your life at the moment, and set a concrete goal for your future and career path. Point 2：　Small classes and individual attentions At La Lingua, we have small classes with an average of 8 students per class. Students are able to speak for at least 80% of the class time. There are many cases where students may get frustrated in a big class of 16 students, not being able to ask questions, or having no chance to speak in the class. At La Lingua, you are able to get enough individual attention and error correction from the teachers. It is also easier to establish a rapport with the teacher and other classmates in a small group. Many will become friends for life. La Lingua not only focuses on teaching English as a second language, but also on interpersonal communication skills, for students to have a successful social life and relationships. Point 3：　Creative and Dynamic teachers and original curriculum   |La Lingua teachers are all qualified and experienced in teaching English. The classrooms are full of laughter, with positive and dynamic classroom management. 　All our courses, curriculum, textbooks, and teaching methods have been originally developed by a group of La Lingua linguists, based on Second Language Acquisition Theory,Psycholinguistics, and Social Linguistics. Our vocational training courses are also very practical, where you can gain qualifications and work experience, with these courses being taught by professionals, in each area of expertise.   Point 4：　Extraordinary teaching method which can be applied from beginners to high level students.　   La Lingua’s original extraordinary teaching method, ‘La Lingua FUNC (Fun, Useful, Natural Communication) Method’, extracts the students’ current abilities, and converts them into natural English.  You will master language structures, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation through the use of speedy drills, while your communicative language skills will be acquired through role-playing, games and communicative activities. This helps students to be able to communicate in daily situations fluently and correctly using the expressions that native speakers use in everyday life. This teaching method can be applied to those who have basic English and no confidence in grammar, as well as for higher level students, who aim to approach native speaker level English. Point 5：Practical English you can use in your daily life and excursions to practice what you have learned in the class Knowing grammar, and being able to communicate in real life situations using the correct expressions, are two different things. At the same time, ‘ Not being able to speak’, and ‘Not having things to talk about’ are also two different issues. La Lingua has an excellent success rate in the teaching of communication skills. Our original  “FUNC” method has been researched and developed over a number of years by experts. It works directly on building complete conversations, and features high-use practical English, natural expressions, attention to pronunciation, and native-speaker intonation and rhythm.  At La Lingua, you will study every situation you will encounter in English speaking countries: Restaurants, Shopping, Telephoning, Job hunting, Job interviews, Party/Pub English, Discussion, Debate, Presentation, and more. You are able to see your improvement when you actually communicate in English in your daily life. La Lingua provides you with fresh and up-to-date materials, which will expand your interests in many different fields, and enable you to become a real international citizen, who can converse, read, and write on a variety of global topics.  Lower level students join excursions to practice what they have learned in the classroom.  Point 6：　Presentation of certificates, qualifications, and letters of recommendation which help students for their future employment   You are able to directly enter into a number of University and business colleges courses (such as business、IT、Hospitality、Beauty Therapy、TESOL, and more), without having to sit for the IELTS test, through the completion of our English for Academic Purposes course.　Our Business English and vocational courses will provide you with practical job training, as well as certificates and qualifications. You are also able to study for the IELTS and TOEIC tests, which are useful for gaining job opportunities in many countries. Feel free to talk to our student counsellors for guidance about your future path. Point 7：　Make Australian and international friends from all over the world La Lingua regularly organises parties for overseas students, as well as Australians who study languages at La Lingua.  You are able to meet a lot of people, making life-time friends. 　We hire venues for performance nights, in which students and teachers perform dances, plays, and live bands. You are able to see another side of the teachers and classmates that you can’t see in the classroom. This is a great opportunity for you to practice the social English you learned in your classroom.  We also host a pub night once a week, language exchange partners for certain nationalities, BBQs on the beach, sport events, and volunteer activities. Point 8: High re-enrolment rates show the quality of La Lingua’s courses Many students re-enrol in La Lingua’s courses. Some extend their studies, while other enrol in different courses at La Lingua. 　We continue to have a family-like relationship with our students who have thoroughly enjoyed their ‘ La Lingua Time’! Point 9：　La Lingua friendly to people and the earth Part of your tuition fees will be donated to those who are in need. La Lingua staff are progressive in preventing global warming, by recycling paper and saving electricity. We also offer free adult education seminars to educate our students in current affairs and general knowledge about the world, to help them to be  truly global citizens. Through our small contribution, we hope to promote world peace and a bright future for the earth. Point 10：　Happy students!! Happy Staff!!　 Our school policy has always been ‘Happy students! Happy Staff!’  We have full-time student counsellors who are willing to listen to your issues in life and study.  We conduct regular student surveys to monitor the satisfaction rate of students, while continuing to improve the quality of the school. Students’ comments and ideas are very precious to us, to make the school a living & evolving school in which all students, teachers, and staff are involved.