Berlitz Blog

Don’t think of language learning as an expense. Think of it as an investment. There may be a big payday at the end.

Travel is a major reason people take language learning and cultural training. Be careful, however, some historic sites are not what they seem.

People around the world continue having questions about the COVID-19 pandemic, including which countries are best responding to the COVID-19 crisis, which are the worst, and why.

“Berlitz’s approach to teaching languages is comprehensive and enjoyable, and is a fun way to expand your language proficiency,” Nathan.

Canada is one of the world’s largest countries, but there is a lot non-Canadians and, perhaps, even some Canadians don’t know about us.

Nine-tenths of the world now have travel restrictions as result of the COVID-19. Millions of us are stuck indoors.

Language learners spend a lot of time talking about their target languages, but not so much time talking about language, itself.

There are sometimes ups and downs for even the best language students using the best learning approach. A key is, don’t let the down points stop your progress.

As with many parts of the world, COVID-19 is having a profound effect on Canadian life; borders have been closed to non-citizens and non-permanent residents, offices and stores have been shut and schools closed.

There are many approaches to language learning. Some work better than others.

There are many reasons to learn a language and some reasons not; but these most common reasons don’t hold water.

There has been a lot of evidence, and we’ve shared it, about the health benefits of learning a new language. Studying and speaking a second language exercises the mind and has been documented to help delay such conditions as dementia and Alzheimer’s, improve memory, mental functions and make you a better multi-tasker.

Hockey might be Canada’s national sport, but its rich history and diversified cultural heritage has contributed to sports around the world, far beyond the hockey arena.

Here are some interesting, but little-known facts, about Canada and Canadians.

Canada is officially a bilingual country; French Canadian is French Canadian and English is English. Right?

Here are some lesser known facts about Canada

It’s well-known that Canada is an incredibly diverse country. In fact, one Canadian city rates No. 5 in the world for cultural diversity.

There’s no doubt that foreign language translation apps are growing in popularity. In fact, some people believe they will replace formal language learning.

A previous Berlitz blog discussed the importance of nonverbal communications and how meanings differ significantly from culture to culture. Of special importance, however, is how you use your hands. Hand movements often have a huge impact on how you are perceived in different regions, from very polite to very rude and, sometimes, even hostile and vulgar.

Paul Melhus is an international traveler who wanted to learn a new language, and for good reason. Melhus is CEO and founder of ToursByLocals, a Vancouver-based company that arranges tours for world travelers in 156 countries, using more than 3,000 guides who actually live in the cities being visited.