How to Keep Your Language Learning on Track while You’re Remote Working

Language Services Direct Team

In a few short weeks, the world has changed. Many offices around the world have had to implement remote working protocols to minimise the spread of Covid-19. It has been important to follow government guidance while also contemplating the implications for the way we do business day to day.

Fortunately, the world is also well-equipped for remote working, and with the vast array of modern technology at our fingertips we have seen companies setting up remote access for staff, organising group meetings on services such as Zoom and Skype (compare the two here), and using messaging services such as Teams or Slack to keep teams connected.

These types of technologies also make the work we do here – providing language learning training – accessible and manageable during a time when terms such as ‘self-isolation’ and ‘social distancing’ represent our new normal. It is a change to how we usually do things, as we offer a range of bespoke services from group trainings to one-to-one learning, but we have been using virtual classroom software for a while now and we are confident that your language learning can continue as planned.

In this article, we are here to share an update on how we will be managing our way through this time, and how we will be able to help you and your team to develop your language skills for the longer-term success of your business.

How are we working to support you?

Our team is now working remotely, just like virtually all businesses in the current climate. We have all the technological infrastructure in place and working well so that we can deliver on your existing training plans, so please rest assured that you should not experience any drop in attentiveness or service from your account manager. If you already have active training in progress, then you will have heard from us already or will be hearing from your Account Manager soon, regarding any adjustments to your existing training plan.

We are now using virtual classroom software to run group and one-to-one training sessions. A virtual classroom is exactly as you might imagine – it has a virtual whiteboard, and you can share documents and watch videos to facilitate language learning. Your language teacher will be on hand to answer any questions in much the same way as they would be during an in-person training session, and the learning outcomes will be the same, even if they are accessed via a different route.

By providing a virtual classroom environment, we intend to minimise any disruption to your learning and maximise your language learning experience. Some people may find the adjustment easier than others (perhaps if they have used an e-learning course in the past), but we are confident that every one of our clients can experience the same degree of success with their language training – whether they are learning individually, in a small group or across a wider team. With a virtual classroom, you can enjoy the benefits of language learning with others while working safely from home.

Remote learning solutions have already been shown to work well for our clients – in fact, our blended learning solution, Speexx, has been offering online courses for some time now. Please do get in touch if you would like to find out more about how Speexx works and whether this might be a suitable solution for your business in the days and weeks ahead.

Thinking about learning a language?

Many people at this time are seeing the opportunities of having a little extra spare time on their hands. Learning a new skill is also a great way to alleviate boredom and focus the mind. If you or your team are looking for some ways to make the most of these difficult times, learning a language could be a good place to start. And if you are looking at learning with your team, it could be a great way to stay focused on future opportunities and longer-term business continuity, as well as providing you with a remote team-building opportunity. Staying connected with others is definitely one of the key ways to cope well with home working.

Whether you are looking to upskill as an individual or as a team, we would be happy to recommend some training solutions that might work for you. However, if you are not quite ready to start a new training course or you need some time to adjust to this new way of living and working, please do look out for future articles from us on language learning – we are still here, we are still working, and we are still planning to share our insights on the world’s amazing languages. We hope you discover some interesting language facts along the way!

Please stay safe, stay well and stay strong. These are challenging times, but we look forward to working with you and supporting your language learning plans however we can in the days and weeks ahead. Please do get in touch if you have any questions at all about your existing training programme, your longer-term language training strategy, or your personal language learning journey. We are ready to help you and your business thrive beyond these unusual times.