May 16

Unlocking doors with foreign language tuition

Parents are turning to private tutors more and more to boost the foreign lanugauge skills of their children. In some cases it is to provide language skills not yet being catered for in school such as Russian or Chinese or they are doing it to give their children a head start.
They recognise that we live in an increasingly globalised world and being able to speak and write in different languages is often seen by potential employers as a hugely attractive skill.

Language Tuition

Business or pleasure?

Of course, it’s not only in terms of their careers that people can benefit from developing their language skills. Whilst some families also want to be able to enjoy holidays by speaking the local language and use a tutor for a short ‘holiday burst’ of tuition it is still more typical for people to avoid holiday destinations because of the language barrier.
According to research conducted by Skyscanner, many British travellers have missed out on holiday destinations because of a perceived language barrier.

Lack of language skills affecting holiday choices

The firm found that 14 per cent of consumers have avoided certain vacation spots because of language fears. While French is the most widely spoken foreign language among Brits, it is also one of the countries people are most likely to avoid if they don’t speak the language.

Meanwhile, 41 per cent of men said the last time they held a conversation in a foreign language was during their most recent holiday, while 28 per cent of women revealed the last time for them was at school.

The survey also noted that consumers from East Anglia are the most likely to avoid non-English speaking countries. In addition, 15 per cent of people from the north-east of England claim never to speak any other language, no matter where they are in the world.

Responding to the findings, Skyscanner spokeswoman Victoria Bailie said: “With budget airlines opening routes to new destinations such as Russia, there are more opportunities than ever before for British travellers to experience new destinations.”

She added: “It’s a shame that some people have let their language skills dictate their holiday plans, as they could be missing out on some great experiences. Being in a foreign country is one of best ways to pick up a foreign language, but it’s good to learn a few key phrases before you go as the locals always appreciate it. A simple hello and thank you can get you a long way.”

Confidence boosting

With the help of a personal tutor, people of all ages can boost their confidence when it comes to speaking and writing foreign languages. This can unlock doors in various spheres of life. As well as potentially enhancing job prospects, it can also give people more freedom to travel widely and to more adventurous destinations.

Here to help

Here at Fleet Tutors we specialise in offering one-to-one lessons and whether you’re after French tuition or want to develop your skills in other languages, we can help. We tutor across all levels, from primary school through to university and postgraduate standard.