I hear more and more stories about people who study a certain language for years and never get anywhere. I see the high cost of these courses, whether Wall Street Institute or, as recently in St. Gallen, the Migros courses, I am struck by one evident (to me at least) truth.

 

The most powerful resource in language learning is the learner.  Most people can become effective independent language learners. They just need to be shown how.

 

We do not need more language courses, language labs, language teaching certificate courses, or textbooks. We just need to help learners understand how to learn and take advantage of the language that surrounds them, in media, on the Internet and elsewhere.