How a tailor-made course will help take your English to the next level

Why customisation works

Wendy Naylor is a versatile teacher who provides all manner of English course at In’to, from general group courses to specific individual programmes. She has noticed that people are tending more and more to opt for tailor-made course over a group course. Wendy: “Many people already speak English well but want to further refine their communication skills. This may be because they keep making the same mistakes or because they want to learn to communicate in a different style. A tailor-made course is fully aligned with what you need so that everything you learn can be applied immediately. This makes it very time-efficient and, what’s more, easier to fit into a busy schedule.”

Appearing more professional

From social workers wanting to practise counselling sessions to academics keen to hone their presentation skills, the learning demands of participants are very diverse. That said, Wendy does recognise a common denominator: “Most people want to appear more professional. Sometimes there are gaps in their English vocabulary, but often it is about how you formulate things. How you use language really does impact how you come across to others. For instance, I once helped a lawyer. She had an excellent grasp of the jargon but lacked the agility to respond appropriately in the face of resistance or to demonstrate empathy – things that were absolutely essential to her work.”

Confidence

Interestingly, small talk is also a hot topic. “This has to do with self-assurance,” explains Wendy. “Those little social moments may seem unimportant, but not knowing how to show interest in someone and keep a conversation going, for example, can make you feel insecure. We practise this in the training with, say, role-playing."

An open and safe learning environment is just as important as practical exercises, in Wendy’s opinion. “Research shows that anxious people do not learn as well. So, I try to put people at ease and let them have fun with the English language. The training therefore also provides an opportunity to try things out. I see people really grow: they become less critical of themselves, more confident in their abilities, and they take a genuine interest in the language rather than seeing it as a ‘necessary evil’.”

Unique training for every situation

Wendy speaks very enthusiastically and passionately about her profession. What does she herself really love about delivering tailor-made English training? “It challenges me to be creative. I listen to what someone does, needs and wants to achieve, and then together we look for the best ways to work on that. There is plenty of scope for spontaneous questions and input from the participant. Every training programme is unique and also teaches me new things.”

Aside from the content, In’to Languages is also flexible when it comes to the form that the training takes. Training courses range from short targeted sessions to week-long intensive immersion programmes, and from one-to-one to small groups. José and Ingrid, colleagues in the Neurology Department at the Radboud university medical center, attended an intensive language course together.

“I dare to make mistakes now”

José: “I took this training so that I could communicate better in English on phone calls and by email and, above all, to give me the confidence to communicate. It was a really intensive week in which the materials were focused specifically on our defined target area. Our teachers, Wendy (of English descent) and Maud (of Dutch descent), complemented each other very well. With Wendy, you were forced to discuss everything in English, while Maud could give explanations in Dutch if needed.

I took the training with two fine colleagues, and, partly thanks to how open and accessible Wendy and Maud were, I also dared to make mistakes from which I could then learn. We also laughed a lot and had lots of fun. What this course did especially was boost my self-confidence so that I now dare to speak English and to make mistakes. My daughter recently asked me to read through an academic English text, and that went really well. I was even able to point out how two sentences could be written better. And I managed to do that because I had attended this training. Ideally, I would like to take one of these one-week courses every year to maintain my level in English and to keep on learning.”

“I thought in English even in my free time”

Ingrid: “For me, the impetus was to communicate more confidently in English by email. But it helped enormously to speak in English during that week. Even during lunch, we were ‘sent out’ with an In’to Languages employee. During this intensive training, I thought only in English even in my free time. I am a lot quicker at reading texts now, and my ability to write using the correct syntax and grammar is improving all the time. In short, I approach my work in English with confidence.”

Your English, your training

Could your English also use a boost? Whether you want to be able to talk about a specific topic, or simply communicate in English with greater ease and confidence, a tailor-made course offers a solution to every requirement. Wendy and her colleagues are on hand to take your English to the next level. Feel free to contact us and find out what In’to can do for you.