How to learn a foreign language as an adult: advice from Maria Glagoleva

Our guest today is the Maria Gragoleva Language Centre founder, director, and teacher of English and German, Maria Glagoleva, who convinced us that you can learn English at any age, the main thing is desire!

Learning a foreign language is not a sprint, but a marathon. How do you keep your adult students motivated?

Motivation is something that comes from within. What goes on outside is coercion in various forms.

Each of us sets ourselves up for success. I do not force my students to do anything, I try to convey to them my love for a foreign language, and then it’s up to them.

What myths about learning English do you encounter most often?

In fact, there are many. I will list the most frequent of them and briefly comment on them.

You can only learn a foreign language abroad. — The experience of polyglots proves the opposite.

Private lessons are much better than group lessons. — I strongly disagree with this. When you study one-on-one with a teacher, a real lively discussion may not arise. In the group, you will find out the different opinions of everyone and, willy-nilly, join even the most boring topic for you.

Native speakers teach better than non-native speakers. — Our qualified specialists have good pronunciation and know no less than native speakers. Moreover, for studying the initial level, it is better to study with a native speaker of your native language, and not with the one you are studying.

Children learn language more easily than adults. — This is partly true. On the one hand, a small child is easier to adapt to a new language, and on the other hand, if an adult has a goal, then nothing will stop him (Smiles).

Based on your many years of experience, what are the main mistakes adult students make in organizing foreign language classes?

Sometimes looking at my adult students, I understand that I have something to learn from them. My students are people who have set a goal in learning English and are doing everything to achieve it. They adamantly follow all my recommendations and do a great job. To tell the truth, even if I were them, I could come without doing my homework at times (Laughs). However, fortunately, my students are very diligent.

What do you mean by “perfect students”?

After all, there are no “perfect students”. For me, each student is unique and valuable. I look at my students not as clients with whom I only have to do certain work, but as friends, as like-minded people.