Berlitz

Berlitz is the industry leader with a 130-year history of innovation. Our company’s rich historical tradition, combined with our innovative approach to instruction, has had a direct impact on revolutionizing the way languages are taught around the world. Maximilian Berlitz developed the Berlitz Method® in 1878. His effective, conversational approach to learning has become the gold standard for instruction and has remained at the heart of our company’s teaching approach ever since.

Because our techniques and approach are used as benchmarks within the cross-cultural training fields, it is our responsibility to continue to refine our products and services to anticipate the needs of our customers and advance the field. Our steadfast focus on innovation and improvement will result in our company continuing to be admired by our customers and employees as well as the local and global communities.

The Berlitz Advantage:

• Berlitz global presence, with over 500 locations in 70 countries with 12 locations in Canada.
• The Berlitz Method - the fastest, most effective way to learn a language.
• Our quality assurance processes—The Berlitz Learning Cycle and Berlitz Proficiency Levels —ensure consistent delivery of the Berlitz Method.
• We deliver our programs in the location or format of your choice—at one of our Centres, at your location, live online via the Berlitz Virtual Classroom, or online via blended and self-study options.
• Preferred rates via service agreement
• Account Management
• Multiple Academic recognitions: ACE recognized, ACCET accredited
• Tuition Assistance Programs - Berlitz programs may qualify under your company's program.

Whether you’re looking for individual instruction, small group instruction or cross-cultural training, our extensive range of services ensures that we have programs to accommodate:

• Individual Instruction
• Corporate Training
• Government Training
• International Student

• The Berlitz Method © (Click to read more)

  • At the heart of all Berlitz programs is the Berlitz Method®. Developed by teacher Maximilian Berlitz in 1878, this enjoyable conversational style of teaching has been proven effective by millions of Berlitz graduates from all walks of life – a record that has yet to be matched.

    With the Berlitz Method, all conversation during class takes place in the target language. Our instructors’ use a conversational approach based on listening and speaking versus rote memorization. We emphasize practical vocabulary and grammar in the context of real-life situations, and reinforce study with relevant reading and writing exercises.

    The Method, which has been refined and enhanced by over a century of research, customer feedback and learning technologies, is still founded on its original basic principles:

    • is an oral phenomenon; therefore, all teaching and learning is done in an oral context.
    • Reading and writing skills are essential, but must be preceded by and rest on oral mastery.
    • The acquisition of oral skills involves the development of habits, both intellectual and physical.
    • The proper mastery of involves active student participation in all stages of instruction.
    • With the Berlitz Method one focuses on the target in the classroom and in the student review materials. By totally immersing the student in the new language, we can most closely simulate the real-life situations in which he or she will be using the language, and eliminate the cumbersome process of introducing a concept first in the student’s and then in the target language. The “direct” approach (from concept to language) is the essence of the Berlitz Method.
    • The Berlitz Method is based on a “building-block” approach. During the early stages of instruction, primary emphasis is given to establishing basic structures and grammatical points. Each structure is introduced and thoroughly practiced, and serves as a foundation for new information.
    • Berlitz proceeds from simple concepts to complex ones, from concrete to abstract. In the early stages, students deal with simple declarative sentences, then questions. Only later are they exposed to relative and subordinate clauses, compound and complex forms, and sentence embedding. Likewise, students are first taught to identify and describe the people and objects in their immediate surroundings. This is then expanded to permit them to discuss abstract relationships, feelings, emotions, conditions, cause/effect relationship, etc.
    • All instructors have a native command of the they teach.

    The Berlitz Learning Cycle

    The Berlitz Learning Cycle was developed as a quality assurance process to ensure consistent delivery of the Berlitz Method® and make certain that each student reaches the targeted proficiency level of learning as defined by his/her needs analysis. Berlitz uses standardized proficiency levels in order to assess a student’s current level of ability and measure his/her progress as they move through their program. No other training provider offers this level of formalized and consistent service.

    The stages of the Learning Cycle are outlined below:

    1. Needs Analysis: Determines the Berlitz Proficiency Levels needed to attain personalized goals and helps to set expectations for the program.
    2. Program Recommendation: Provides students with a recommendation for the amount of training needed to bridge their linguistic gap.
    3. Orientation: Gives students the opportunity to meet instructors and receive program materials, including a road-map for how the program works.
    4. Counseling & Progress Report: Throughout training, students have the opportunity to review and assess their progress through formal progress reports and counseling sessions with the Instructional Supervisor.
    5. Level Checks: Once students have completed each proficiency level, they can take advantage of achievement tests to see how well they have mastered their program before moving onto the next level.
    6. Certificate: Students are acknowledged for achievement of each proficiency level.
    7. Challenge to Next Level: Goals for continued learning are reassessed and the students are challenged to move to their next proficiency level.

The Berlitz story.

Maximilian Berlitz grew up in the Black Forest region of Germany, the son of a family of teachers and mathematicians. He emigrated to the United States in 1870. The language fan, Maximilian taught Greek, Latin and six other European languages there, using the strict, traditional "grammar-translation" method.

After he had successfully taught as a private tutor for a while, he joined the Warner Polytechnic College in Providence, where he became Professor of French and German. However, the college was not as impressive as its name. Berlitz was soon the owner, dean, head teacher and the only member of the faculty, all rolled into one.

As he needed an assistant for French, Berlitz employed a young Frenchman named Joly, who obviously came with top references. When Joly arrived in Providence, he found that his employer was completely exhausted, feverish and very ill. The situation only worsened when Berlitz found out that his new assistant did not speak a single word of English. Desperately trying to find a way to use Joly in his teaching, Berlitz instructed him to explain objects using gestures and to act out verbs as well as he could. He then returned to bed.

The birth of the Berlitz Method®

He returned to the classroom six weeks later, expecting his desperate students to be angry with him. Instead, he found his students engaging in an animated exchange of questions and answers - in elegant French. The normal venerable atmosphere of a traditional classroom had disappeared. His students were also much further ahead in terms of what they had learned than Berlitz would have achieved in the same period of time. Berlitz came to a significant conclusion: the "emergency solution" had formed the basis for a completely new method of teaching. The strict learning method had to give way to an animated process of discovery.

A changing world

From the founding of the company in 1878 onwards, Berlitz primarily focussed on the needs of travelers and private individuals. However, customers' demands changed in the 50s. Berlitz, the company, found itself faced with a growing number of business people, professionals and technicians preparing for assignments abroad and needing language skills for their new tasks. Large companies were booking courses for many of their employees and their families, where rapid learning was top priority.

Berlitz developed new programs, that were then run in addition to traditional language training. After a few years of research, he caused a sensation with the launch of his Total Immersion teaching program. Total Immersion imparted new language skills extremely quickly, for example, for business people about to embark on an assignment abroad.

The faster pace of learning called for by the students also led Berlitz to develop a new application for his basic teaching method. Thus, additional supporting material was also introduced for vocabulary training and pronunciation exercises, for example. A development that Berlitz students around the world continue to benefit from today.

“Berlitz Canada’s Platinum program greatly facilitates the setting up of language training in a large firm such as CGI Greater Montreal. The support offered by an account manager with experience in session organization as well as the employee follow-up, the quality of the teaching are the reasons why we choose Berlitz Canada as a supplier of group classes.”
Sylvie Plouffe, Human Resources Training
CGI Grand Montreal

“Siemens Canada Limited has been using the Berlitz Canada services for language instruction in French, German and ESL. The quality and flexibility of the lessons provided lead us to partner with Berlitz Canada at our Siemens’ Corporate University, Siemens Academy of Business Excellence, 3 years ago.”
Michelle Manglai-Lan, Employee Development Specialist, HR
Siemens Canada Limited

“Berlitz Canada has proven to be a capable and reliable training partner with service performance at optimum levels. I would highly recommend Berlitz Canada to any organization wishing to significantly improve language skills for staff members.”
Mary Rizzo, Specialized Administrator, HR
National Bank Financial

“Berlitz Canada has helped streamline the testing and placement process, making the administration of delivering language learning virtually painless.”
Jenny Sculthrop, Learning and Development Associate, HR
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals

“The teachers at Berlitz are incredible! I was able to improve my French within a very short period of time and greatly enjoyed the experience and would recommend Berlitz to anyone who wants to learn or improve their French. In addition, the administrative staff was always very helpful and tried to satisfy the needs of Berlitz’s learners.”
Melanie Nera, Manager
Canadian Transportation Agency

Why Choose Berlitz Over a Traditional Language School?

Most of us remember trying to learn a new language in school and never succeeding. The problem was the traditional language school approach to teaching, not your ability to learn. How could you possibly learn to speak a new language when you spent countless hours memorizing vocabulary and conjugating verbs in a crowded classroom? Now you are faced with the prospect of learning a new language and it seems like a daunting task. Don’t despair, there are alternatives to the old style language school training. The renowned Berlitz Method® is radically different from traditional language schools. Berlitz, the industry leader with over 130 years of innovation and success, is a global presence with more than 500 language training centres in 70 countries.

In traditional language schools, teachers stand in the front of a classroom of over 15 students and transmit information. Classes are taught in the students’ mother tongue. Teachers create their own curriculums and the style and method of instruction within the same language school can vary greatly. Vocabulary is taught by memorization and grammar, a major focus, is taught in great detail. As a result students languish in these language schools struggling to learn to communicate, many times with very little success. The Berlitz Method® is a unique, conversational, integrated approach to language training with emphasis on active learning. Unlike traditional language schools the Berlitz approach emphasizes individual instruction in one-on-one classes and small group training. Our instructors are native fluent in the language that they will be teaching and they are carefully chosen and trained in the Berlitz Method® ensuring that the same curriculum, style, and method of instruction is delivered in all of our language training centres. Berlitz instructors use a conversational approach based on listening and speaking, emphasizing practical vocabulary and grammar in the context of real-life situations versus rote memorization used in traditional language schools.

Not all language programs are created equal and there is a great chasm that separates the Berlitz Language Training Centres from traditional language schools. Contact Berlitz today and see for yourself how quickly and easily you can learn a new language.