Learn new tongues
IN THE age of globalization, it pays for entrepreneurs to know a foreign language or two. This knowledge will not only help them to resolve, perhaps even prevent, problems that language barrier may cause, but, more important, allow them to take advantage of the possibilities of a culturally diverse client base.
Fortunately, there are many foreignlanguage schools to choose from in Metro Manila alone. The following is a list of these schools and what they have to offer.
UNMEI NIHONGO CENTER
This tutorial center was established in 2009 by Nihongo students and a teacher with the aim of answering the need for quality and affordable Nihongo tutorial and training services. Unmei, which means “destiny” in English, is located in the Ortigas business district, which is accessible by train, bus and other modes of transportation, and has a branch in San Pablo City, Laguna.
Basic courses of elementary and highschool Japanese are taught at the center. In the Basic 1 course, for instance, which lasts for 70 hours, students learn hiragana, katakana and basic kanji, and are trained in basic Japanese conversation.
In addition, the center offers a Nihongo course for kids, an online tutorial, and an English course for Japanese nationals. Unmei has a faculty of experienced Japanese- language teachers, and has partnerships with schools in Japan, where students can continue mastering Nihongo.
JLTC LANGUAGE, INC.
JLTC is a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-accredited organization headquartered in Quezon City. The range of foreign languages that JLTC gives lessons in is wide — Arabic, Bahasa, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Fookien, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Russian, Swedish, Thai, to name a few.
The length of training varies. Most of the courses, like French and Mandarin, last for 20 hours. Several courses have longer durations — Italian and Spanish (40 hours), German (60 hours) and Korean (100 to 160 hours).
The organization also offers translation and interpretation services, from English and to many languages, and vice versa, plus conversational and Business English for foreigners and businessmen.
ASIAN CENTER FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Academicians and language enthusiasts were the people behind the planning, conceptualization and founding of the Asian Center for Foreign Languages (ACFL), who had seen the need to make available foreign language teaching that was dynamic, easy to master and put to use. ACFL is found in Pasig City.
The languages offered are diverse; they even include Vietnamese and Hebrew and regional dialects like Cebuano and Chavacano. ACFL employs audiolingual methodology and immerses students in practical learning situations. The students are grouped according to the level of proficiency in a particular language and schedule.
There are group classes, which accommodate a maximum of 10 students to facilitate better communication and guarantee effective learning. A one-onone tutorial is available for those who like this arrangement, and it is conducted at home or at the office. For individuals who have no time for an in-person tutorial, they can take online classes instead. ACFL also offers corporate training.
S.A.V.E. INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES, INC.
S.A.V.E., which stands for Semantics Ace for Verbal Excellence, aims to bridge communication and cultural differences through teaching languages like French, Spanish and Japanese. Its classes are personalized, with only five students in each, and are conducted either at the center, at home or at the office. It uses audio-lingual method with modules that deploy modern study techniques, visual aids, language tapes and other learning materials.
This organization, which maintains offices in Quezon City and Taguig City, also provides professional interpretation services, which are classified into several categories, including court interpretation, corporate interpretation and in-succession for seminars, forums and workshops.
There are translation services, too. S. A.V. E. claims that it can translate a variety of documents, including legal documents, medical records and engineering manuals. English-training programs are also available.