Tim, Mark and Ben are working hard this week to get premises ready for the Modern Language School.

Mark has been fitting the sink and the cupboards for the kitchen area.

Ben is finishing some of the partitions in a classroom.

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The MLS move is getting closer: The new school is taking shape as work on our new premises is going apace.
The 3 larger classrooms are partitioned and the 2 smaller ones partly so. Partitions built by Ben and his team at Full Circle Ceilings & Interiors.
Tim, the electrician from J.T. Repairs & Maintenance, and Vicky are discussing cables for the projectors and speakers in the smaller rooms.

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We took a leap of faith in 2012 with renting at Meltham Mills, but we’ve had 6 wonderful years here. Also, we have been very proud to offer a space dedicated to language learning to over 300 students in the region.

However, as the numbers of our students is growing and we have introduced another 3 languages, our original 3 rooms has seriously been restricting our scope. We even lost potential Japanese students because we simply had no room available at 7pm. Some of our classes are quite “cosy” in the smallest room.

Finally, after an extensive search, we have found the new premises we were looking for: Unit 7, at Queen’s Square Business Park, Honley, will house 5 classrooms, a kitchenette and a breakout area. Without stairs!

At present, the unit is a vast space with 2 toilet and shower cubicles. Extensive work is starting this week to be ready by the September term and will include:

• partition walls creating 5 classrooms
• suspended ceilings for better acoustics and heat retention
• overhauling the electric circuits and lighting
• bringing in a gas supply
• installing a central heating system
• installing ventilation
• fitting new flooring throughout
• fitting a kitchenette and creating a breakout area.

Our team really believe in the school and love our work with our fantastic students.

We are convinced the new premises will transform the Modern Language School from a great place to learn to the great place to learn in the region.

We will keep you posted with progress reports of the renovations and look forward to welcoming you all to the new school in September.

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This Monday morning at the Modern Language School, Brian, Chris, Gary, Julie, Louise, Steven and Sue (Janet was away in France, probably practising her verbs on her neighbours), were joking their way through the verbs revision and showing great confidence and ability.

Here are some of the verbs we played with:

And yes, it’s true, the group worked hard and enjoyed a good laugh. 🙂

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Plural

The French section of the Modern Language School reminds you: Just as in English the plural of mouse is mice, in French the plural of journal is journaux.

I will give one of my amazing prizes to each of  the 2 students who post on our Facebook page the nicest (unusual, imaginative, shocking, silly, etc.) sentence, using some of these words in the plural.

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The brains of bilingual people actually work in a different way to the brains of single language speakers. There are several cognitive advantages that these differences offer, many of which are only obvious in people who regularly speak a number of different languages. People who have not spoken a foreign language since school will not be operating at this level, however people who start to learn new languages as adults can become as fluent as young leaners and gain the same mental benefits, too.

Here are some of the advantages (both cognitive and social) of speaking more than one language:

1. You become cleverer

By speaking a foreign language you are challenging your brain’s ability to recognise and negotiate meaning, then to use the information to communicate. This boosts your ability to problem-solve in general. Foreign language students tend to achieve higher scores in maths, reading and vocabulary tests.

2. You get better at multitasking

People who speak multiple languages, children in particular, are adept at switching between two forms of speech, writing and grammatical structure. One study conducted by Pennsylvania State University found that this juggling of languages means that they are less affected by distractions when completing tasks that require a high level of concentration.

3. You delay the possibility of degenerative neurological conditions such as dementia

Several studies that take into account many lifestyle factors have consistently shown that adults who speak two or more languages tend to stave off dementia. The first signs of dementia present themselves at a later stage (75.5 years on average) in those who speak other languages than those who don’t (first affected, on average, at the age of 71.4).

4. You can remember more

The brain is like a muscle and consequently its functions and faculties improve with exercise. It follows then that learning a language where rules and vocabulary must be memorised helps to promote the fitness of the mental ‘muscle.’ Overall memory is improved and in general multiple language speakers are better are remembering lists or sequences. Studies confirm that cognitive activities like remembering shopping lists, directions and names all come more easily to polyglots.

5. Your powers of perception improve

According to a study conducted in Spain, multilingual people are better at observing their surroundings. They are more skilled at drilling down to relevant information, spotting red herrings and discarding useless facts.

6. Your get better at making decisions

A University of Chicago study revealed that bilingual people have a greater capacity for rational decision making, as they are more resistant to the subtle implications built into any language that can influence judgment. Bilinguals have two languages in which to consider their options and can see whether their initial ideas make sense in their second language before drawing a conclusion.

7. You improve your English

Learning a foreign language means you can’t help but think about grammar, conjugations and sentence structure. Your awareness of language and the ways in which it can be manipulated becomes more acute. Your communication skills develop, you listen more intently, as through learning a new language you are being trained in seeking out meaning in what you hear. People who are studying multiple languages tend to choose words more carefully in their own native language as a result. Over time they become more articulate, their usage of the language expands and their vocabulary becomes more sophisticated.

8. Your thinking becomes more flexible

By having a working knowledge of more than one language, many people find that they become more reflective and considerate of different ways of thinking and interpreting the world around them. As a speaker of two or more languages, you can appreciate countries and cultures in the way they are intended to be understood, removing boundaries and making friendships in the process.

At The Modern Language School, we offer fun, friendly and affordable language classes and a variety of sociable language activities, from cinema sessions to wine tasting. Get in touch to arrange your first lesson and discover what learning a second language can do for you. Additionally please browse around our website which provides information about courses that we provide, click here for more details.

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