This week, we focus on Eric, native French speaker from Cote D’Ivoire (The Ivory Coast). Eric is a featured teacher of French with Glovico and also speaks English.

More About Eric

Eric enjoys reading, playing soccer with friends and making soap in his free time. He has had great success in terms of his teaching with Glovico having attained a 5 star rating and positive testimonials from students. Furthermore, he was the first French teacher that joined Glovico and has been with us ever since. Apart from earning some extra income he particularly enjoys meeting so many different people from all around the world. He even taught throughout the civil war in 2011.

Also, his students are very fond of him such as Naoki who posts on his wall “He was very kind and polite. He gave me enjoyable lesson.”

The Ivory Coast (officially République de Côte d’Ivoire) as a country

The Ivory Coast is a Country in West Africa. The country is bordered by Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana. The capital is Yamoussoukro with a population of just under 300,000 inhabitants and the country’s largest city and ‘economic capital’ is Abidjan (population of over 3 million). According to the 2009 census, the estimated population of Ivory Coast is 20,617,068. Life expectancy is around 49 years. Birth rate on average is 4.5 children per woman.

The languages of the Ivory Coast

The official language of the Ivory Coast is French but there are 65 other indigenous languages spoken including Malinke, Acouba, Senoufo, Baoulé, Betie, Attie, Agni and Dioula.

French is used in schools and commerce. Most publications, including government documents, are also printed in French. Vernacular newspapers are not widely available, although biblical texts and educational materials have been translated into major African languages.

Here’s some phrases which you might recognize:

Welcome – -> Bienvenue

Hello – -> Salut / Bonjour

How are you? – -> Ça va? Comment ça va?

I’m fine, thanks. And you? – -> Ça va bien, merci. Et toi/vous?

Long time no see – -> Ça fait longtemps !Ça fait longtemps qu’on s’est pas vu !

What’s your name? – -> Comment est-ce que vous vous appelez ?

Funnily, the local languages get more and more important again these days. While speaking French was a sign  to be part of the elite in former times, it is hip again these days to speak local dialects these days.

Cultural Aspects  

As a result of variation across the country and the presence of numerous indigenous groups, there is much cultural variety.  This refers to music, art, festivals and food.

Festivals take place throughout the year with the most famous ones happening in April (Fête du Dipri) in Abidjan and Fêtes des Masques which is held in November. Festivals are centered around spirituality and the omission of evil spirits combined with dancing and prayers.

Popular local dishes include kedjenou (chicken with braised vegetables), attieke (cassava ground into couscous-like grains and eaten with fish or meat) and specialities such as pan-fried frog’s legs. International cuisine is also very popular with large Lebanese, Syrian and French communities. Street food is common with typical snacks such as aloko (fried banana served with onions and chillies) available.

Music is varied and used in accordance with many aspects of the culture. World famous reggae artist Alpha Blondy is Côte d’Ivoire’s best known singer, though his music isn’t necessarily representative. The country’s traditional music style is characterised by a series of melodies and rhythms occurring simultaneously, without one dominating the others.

Ivorian art varies greatly however the most typical element are African masks and African statues. Generally, the masks of Ivory Coast are believed by the various ethnic groups to be inhabited by spirits. Other art forms in Ivory Coast include the wooden dolls, pottery and weaving of the Akye people; the grave monuments of the Anye; the wooden spoons of the Dan; and the brass sculpture of the Senuofo.

République de la Côte d’Ivoire is a country with much variety, cultural diversion and elements and sites of interest. As a teacher, Eric can teach you more about his country, language and culture. To learn more about Eric or if you are interested in learning about another highly talented teacher of Glovico, contact us either by email or social media.

(Glovico, 2012)

At Glovico, we have built our ethos on the principle of improving lives and income opportunities in developing countries while increasing the number of language learners in the world in an efficient and effective manner. The world is getting smaller and we have exemplified this fact by creating our unique platform. Now, we need your support to reach out for the stars.

In 2012, Mashable named Glovico ‘One of the Top Technologies Through Which Technology Will Change Education’. This goes hand in hand with the success of our teachers from around the world, our students’ love for our service and is the base for a bright future for Glovico.

So far, so good

Our achievements to date have been right on target and the result to date is enormous. With the availability of more than 30 languages on the site (including English, Spanish and Portuguese), 600-700 live lessons taking place each month via Skype and a growth rate of 15% month on month, we’ve reached our goals to date. Our students are happy, teachers are sharing their language as well as their beautiful culture and overall, Glovico is making an impact where it matters. Thumbs up for this. But the future is even brighter and we have more to achieve.

We’ve got BIG plans for you

The more resources available, the better. And likewise wee can reach out to even more teachers. During the next 6 months, we want to improve teaching materials, increase availability of language learning smart phone applications and open up new customer channels to which we offer our service via the B2B space. The availability of Glovico’s service will be increased as we work with enterprises whose workforce can be improved with language skills. Business and individual language learners’ costs can be kept at a low with the best resources being made available.

This is where you come in

Have you enjoyed your Glovico experience so far? You’ve described our service as ‘a huge step forward’, ‘inexpensive and fascinating’ and ‘fair-trade language school that helps teachers earn additional income in far-flung corners of the globe’. Read more of what you guys said here.

Want to avail of our future resources while making an impact on the lives of the teachers you’ve come to love? This is where we could do with your help.

In order to achieve the pending goals of Glovico, we have created a Crowd funding campaign via FundedByMe. There’s two areas in which we need YOU:

1) Support our campaign to help us reach our goals.

We’ve explained what we want to achieve and the deadline we have, now what we require is funds. The wonderful site of FundedByMe allows small investments to be made in a matter of seconds. The investment size can be as big or small as you like and remember, this will take us one step closer to our goal! And it is an investment: so you will get your money back plus some profits.

2) Spread the Glovico word!

We want the world to know what we’re doing and what we are achieving and trying to accomplish. Tell your friends, family and your neighbors what Glovico is all about; share our Facebook posts, tweets and blog posts as much as you can when you can. Be part of something big with Glovico.

Thank you to our fans and teachers for your support since Glovico’s launch. We look forward to working with you in the long term.If you would like to learn more about our campaigns or ways in which you can contribute to Glovico, feel free to get in touch with our team via email or social media. 

Anthony Trollope

The fans and users of Glovico avail of our talented teachers and plentiful resources for many reasons. Whether you are super passionate about a particular dialect, have an interest in specific parts of the world to where they want to travel or want to take up a new language as a hobby; the aim is the same: to be able to speak a language to the best of their ability. The teachers will lay the foundations while the rest is up to you.

So, language learners. How do you build your  language skills to the best of your abilities? And how do you keep everything in your head once the information is there?

We’ve compiled some tips which will support you on your wonderful adventure and render your language skills even stronger than they already are.

1) The immersion method

Where are you planning on holidaying this year? Consider traveling to a country where they speak the language you are learning. Visit your Glovico teacher, immerse yourself in the Country, have some awkward conversations and throw yourself in the language acquisition deep-end until you build a little more confidence.

2) Learning vocabulary

Ensure you are committed, focused and dedicate some time to vocabulary learning. Words, words and more words are key and above all, ensuring that you revise vocabulary in order to keep the words in your head. Learn vocabulary ‘in context’ as this helps to learn words while associating them with images in your head. Work daily with our vocabulary trainer. Maybe even download the app to learn on the go. And make an effort to apply the new words as soon as possible in conversations with your teacher.

3) Studying alone

You’ve had your classes and you want to make an extra effort before your next installment to add to your skills. Search for some movies in your chosen language on Netflix, listen to some funky foreign music or follow a foreign newspaper to spice up your learning experience.

4) Grammar

Build the grammar and the rest will follow? Not necessarily but it’s a good start. Have you been avoiding learning your past preterite in spanish or your subjunctive in french? Sitting down and forcing grammar rules into your head will mean that you have a very strong foundation. Ensure that this is coincided with vocabulary learning and eventual sentence compositions. And of course, always make sure to apply your grammar straightaway in conversational practice to tightly save it in the long-term memory.

5) Learning more than one language at a time

If you are learning more than one language at a time, then this can be difficult especially when both languages are similar. General consensus is to leave learning a second language a little longer after the first to ensure that you build a strong enough foundation before embarking on the second. If you wish to learn two languages at once, keep it to two for the time-being.

Apart from that, we advise that you study both languages you are learning every day and divide your time between each according the level of difficulty and challenges you face with each.

6) Time Management

Be realistic about the time allocated to language learning. Dedicating too much time and over-committing can mean that you don’t reach your specific goals. However setting aside too little time can mean that you don’t build your language skills strongly enough. Keep it consistent and if time is a challenge for you then find intervals during the day to fit in some extra learning. Listen to some lessons on your ipod on the way to work, read during your lunch-break or write some vocabulary in your notebook before you go to bed. The options are endless.

Adopting effective methods to acquire a language is the key to maintaining a strong standard long-term. Remember that resources online are endless, meeting native speakers of your chosen language in your local community is easier and setting aside some extra time every day to revise grammar is well, possible. Make the most of lessons with Glovico and have fun speaking with our teachers.

‒Gaston Bachelard

Learning a language is something we all partake in at some stage of our lives. Whether it is as a result of socialisation during infancy, obligatory language learning at school or full immersion in another country to acquire another language, it appears as a must-do at various stages of our lives.

We’ve discussed the benefits, the reasons to learn and we’ve even dissected specific languages and cultures; what else is there to know about language learning?

We’ve compiled a list of language facts related to all areas of languages and learning.

1) The number of languages in the world

Currently, between 6000 to 7000 languages are spoken in the world today. This figure decreases everyday. It is estimated that 50-90% of these languages will become extinct by 2100.

2) Endangered languages

1,619 (or 23%) of all world languages are spoken by fewer than half-a-million people, 548 (about 8%) are spoken by fewer than 100 people, and 204 (or 3%) of all world languages are spoken by fewer than 10 people. This is because at least 50% of endangered languages are spoken within small communities.

3) Hardest languages to learn

The ease or difficulty of learning another language can depend on your mother tongue. In general, the closer the second language is to the learner’s native tongue and culture in terms of vocabulary, sounds or sentence structure, the easier acquisition will be. Overall, research suggests that Chinese and Arabic are amongst the languages that are the hardest to learn.

4) Age to learn a language

Research shows that it is best to start learning a language at a young age with the best age being age seven. Infants have the strongest abilities to absorb a new language as they are more receptive to language at that stage of development. Yet, it is never too late to pick up a new language.

5) Benefits

Learning a foreign language has been shown to have benefits from an academic as well as information retention point of view. Improvements include those of critical thinking skills, creativity and flexibility of the mind. Students who study a second language tend to perform better in other subjects. Career-wise, bilingualism is a strong asset and it is said that in certain verticals, bilingual candidates can earn up to 20% more than monolinguals.

6) Productivity

It is more productive to study a foreign language regularly for shorter periods of time than it is to study occasionally for longer periods of time because the brain is better able to retain the information when it is not overloaded. It is important to listen and read as much as possible, even when you cannot understand the material, because over time, it will increase your ability to make sense of the language. Flashcards are an very effective method of learning vocabulary.

7) Health benefits

Learning a second language is proven to prevent the onset of dementia. The onset of the disease seems to be delayed by around four years in bilingual speakers according to a study carried out at York University in Toronto, Canada.

8) Language imitation

Languages are learned mainly through imitation. Learners produce many novel (original) utterances in addition to language they’ve heard before. This is why it is so important to interact with native speakers when learning a language.

9) Mistakes

A recent study carried out by Scientific American, demonstrates that children learn more when they make mistakes. Making mistakes is part of how kids are challenged to learn to do things differently. This also applies to language learning. Never be afraid to make mistakes during your study.

10) Humans as language users

Language acquisition is one of the quintessential human traits, because nonhumans do not communicate by using language. Language acquisition usually refers to first-language acquisition, which studies infants’ acquisition of their native language. This is distinguished from second language acquisition which deals with the acquisition (in both children and adults) of additional languages. Today, the majority of people speaks more than one language to express themselves: join them and let us help you make the most out of your language learning journey.

With so many languages in the world and so many factors to consider, the knowledge we can acquire on the topic is unlimited. Therefore, we enjoy bestowing endless knowledge regarding the world of language learning on our fans and readers. To learn more about languages, keep an eye on our blog or if you would like to tell us your thoughts or ideas, contact our team.

This week we spoke with one of our Spanish teachers, Fredy Castellano.

Fredy Castellano is from Guatemala. Some of you will recognise Fredy from his profile on our site, his witty Facebook interactions and of course, his Skype classes via the Glovico site. Fredy has nothing but five star reviews and has proudly supported the Spanish language development of several students around the world. One of the latest reviews describes him as “nice and funny. It is clear he is a great teacher I am definitely going to take more lessons! Thanks Fredy!” (read more here!)

Fredy is a native Spanish speaker, family man and one of Glovico’s highly renowned teachers. As he describes “I love working with a charitable NGO group with projects dedicated to educating children, helping single mothers, and reducing malnutrition here in Guatemala. I read, dance and try to enjoy the little things in life!”

Fredy’s Country

The Republic of Guatemala is a Central American country that is heavily steeped in Mayan heritage and influence, with an year round mild climate, beautiful landscapes (mountains and volcanoes are very famous here) and a diverse culture.

Guatemala has a population of over 13 million. The capital is Guatemala City also known as “Guate” which is not only the largest city of Guatemala but also of Central America.

Learners of Spanish flock to Antigua as a starting point when visiting the country. This is because of its beauty and endless activities to take part in, in and around the city. It was originally named ”La muy Noble y muy Leal Ciudad de Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala’ ~ The Very Noble and Very Loyal City of Saint James of the Knights of Guatemala. Activities to undertake in and around Antigua include: climbing a live volcano and visiting the churches of the city. Find more here.

Fredy’s language

Spanish is the dominant language spoken in Guatemala. As a first or second language, it is spoken by 93% of the population with the remainder speaking various dialects. 21 Mayan languages are spoken (predominantly in rural areas).

There are many words in Guatemalan Spanish, so-called “regionalisms” that are unique to the country. These words use certain sounds and letters that are very common in Mayan languages, such as “ch”, “x” pronounced as “sh”, prefixes such as “ix”, etc., which are clear indications of the influence of indigenous languages. Of these words, the majority that have “x” are adjectives.

A famous example of Guatemalan Spanish is the use of ‘vos’ as part of the language. Examples of its vocabulary include the following:

• ishto – kid (brat)
• cincho – belt
• canche – blonde
• pajilla – straw
• colocho – curly (usually when speaking of hair).

Fredy’s Culture

The culture of Guatemala is one of bright colors, culinary variation and diverse musical tastes according to each division. Guatemala means ‘land of forests’ and is derived from one of the Mayan dialects which is reflected in the Guatemalan culture.

Tourists visiting Guatemala are particularly drawn to candy from the region as well as dishes such as quesadillas (different from the neighbouring Mexico’s spicy version!). The predominant crop is maize which is made into Tamales and Tortiallas.

Marimba, Garifunka and folk music are the most popular. Marimba is the national instrument of Guatemala and can be found in even the remotest parts of Guatemala. It is thought that this instrument could have been introduced by Afro Carribean slaves as early as 1550.

Textiles are made from yarn and worn in bright colors. Those woven by women on the indigenous backstrap loom, are of such fine quality that they have been included as part of a study which can be seen at The Ixchel Museum of Indian Textiles, located in Guatemala City.

So, while being the poorest country in Central America, Guatemala is definitly a beautiful place on earth to visit. It has a lot to offer in terms of culture as well as nature. As always, we at Glovico will be happy to make sure that you are all set for your journey with respect to language and cultural preparation. If you would like to learn more about your teachers, a particular culture or have a topic you would like us to tell you about, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. In the meantime, check out some info about Fredy and our other teachers via the Glovico website.

 Learning a language? Why do it and what motivates our language learning interest?

Acquisition of a language is an activity undertaken by millions everyday across the globe – the number 1 currently being English (It is estimated that 1 billion people are learning english worldwide). Language learning motivation varies from obligation during school days to the requirement of convenience when one decides to move to a new country. With the adoption of a language becoming easier due to technology, increased resources and cheaper travel, it’s no wonder so many initiatives are jumping on the bandwagon!

The advantages of learning a language are plentiful as we all know:

Career Opportunities- Learning another language can create a competitive advantage in terms of salary earned, doors opened and promotions. Minority languages in particular have huge advantages in particular industries. Languages such as chinese are becoming increasingly in demand due to International business taking place there!

Broaden travel horizons- The world is your oyster and while exploring this sacred vessel, possessing a second language can make the journey even more exciting and sometimes easier by encouraging stronger communication across all channels.

Study abroad- Opportunities to study abroad aren’t available to everyone at 3rd level however if this option is on the table, lacking a second language can limit the number of options you have. If you do have this opportunity, when you spend your semester abroad; having developed language skills will impress the locals and offer a more culturally dynamic experience.

Food/Cookbooks- Maybe you are super interested in cooking and don’t always understand the cookbook ‘lingo’. Learning words from other languages will make your cooking experience so much easier. Love french food but not sure what an ‘amuse bouche’ is or have a soft spot for ‘quesadillas’ and not sure exactly how they are pronounced? Learning the language will enhance your cooking escapades.

Mental Health- If for no other reason, think of how it will benefit your health to learn another language! Did you know learning a second language is proven to delay the onset of dementia?

So, you know the advantages, now how do you choose? We know it’s not easy so we’ve put together a list of 5 factors to consider before choosing a language to learn:

Experience- Have you learned a language or lived in another country before? This, of course will impact your options and interest.

If you have learned a language from the latin language family already then considering another could be a good idea. Grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation is known to be very similar between French and Spanish for example as they fall into this category.

Work, CV’s and your career- Learning a second language can often be spurred on by work opportunities, requirements and expansion of enterprises to international markets. If there is an opportunity within your workplace which you would be perfect for however don’t possess the language element, take this as something to consider for the future and perhaps you will climb a little faster up the corporate ladder.

How much of a challenge do you like?- You will need to consider difficulty levels, which will be different for different people. A native English speaker wanting to learn Chinese or Russian will find the writing side of things very difficult. On the other hand, learning a European language will probably be much easier. Decide how much of a challenge you want and whether you have the time and the patience to learn a more difficult language.

Plans for the future?- The opportunity to interact with native speakers both within and outside of the classroom is a significant advantage. Native speakers are linguistic models and can provide appropriate feedback. Clearly, second-language learners who have no extensive access to native speakers are likely to make slower progress, particularly in the oral/aural aspects of language acquisition.

Moreover, if consider your plans in terms of emigration, working abroad for a specific period of time and any other possibilities which could potentially lie ahead.

Cultural interest- Consider your interests and let this influence your decision. Perhaps you are a lover of Japanese cartoons, have an addiction to Thai food or are hugely interested in Buddhism and therefore want to learn Burmese? Let these interests be an indicator and help you choose the best language for you.

Research the culture, ask friends who have visited areas of cultural interest relating to the language, watch some youtube videos and remember to make it fun.

As with the web version, the app keeps track of the words that you know and the words with which you are still less familiar. In that way you will always practice those words that need most attention. This learning method called space-based repetition is highly regarded in learning theory and promises both quick learning as well as keeping the words in long-term memory.

With this new feature the learning process of Glovico becomes more holistic than anything we found on the web. Your teacher works with you on your specific needs during the live lesson (either with our own online textbook or material tailored to you), enters words live during the lesson for you into the vocabulary trainer and you can practice them afterwards on the web or on the go with the app. Through syncing you can also upload vocabulary that you might have entered directly into the app while reading a book in the metro or having a discussion with a business partner on the plain. We are furthermore very proud that since launching the web version of the vocabulary trainer two months ago, already more than 10.000 words have been entered so that you have a huge set of vocabulary available to simply copy from other users.

You will have to set up a new account directly on the app (for security reasons we decided not to use the Glovico web accounts). In order to sync you will only have to sign up with the same email address that you also use on Glovico. As we just launched the app, ratings and comments in the Play Store are highly welcome. And of course, we always appreciate your feedback for improvement. You can download it from the Play Store here.

Vocabulary Tool

This tool allows you to manage your personal set of vocabulary (entered by yourself or your teacher or copied from other users) and practice it in three different ways. First, you can decide to learn your words with our Flashcard tool, which will show you words and you will then have to tell it whether you knew it or you didn’t. In a next step you could learn through multiple choice where the tool which show you a word and out of four words you have to pick the right translation. Finally, you can decide to have a word shown to you and you will have to type the translation. All these exercises will help you to build your vocabulary step by step. And in order to make it really efficient the system will always ask you for the words that you know least to make sure that you spent your time best. Finally, the teachers can enter your words in a live-mode during the lesson for you (similar to the Skype chat) to make it really easy for you to recapture your words afterwards.

Textbook

A recurring issue when talking to our students was that they would love to see more teaching material on Glovico. So we decided to create our own online textbook. Tailored to 1:1 learning as well as particularly framed for online learning, we created two versions to start with. On the one hand, we designed a general version that can be used cross-language as it is highly visual (using canvasses with various items to build vocabulary as well as picture stories to enhance your narrating skills) and skill focused (with talking and writing exercises). We selected 25 key contexts ranging from being at the doctor to having a job interview to allow you to learn the essential language skills with this material. On top of that we designed a Spanish version that further includes texts as well as more background on grammar and culture. These items will be provided by your teacher if you are working with him (or her) on the general version of the textbook.

Apart from that, of course, you can have your lessons tailored to your specific needs as always. We just felt it was time to have some structured course on the side. Of course, we will be happy to receive your feedback on these new items and to hear what difference they make in your learning.

The entrepreneurial eco-system (both social as well as “classical”) is still in its infancy but well, that’s what StartUp Chile with the help of young founders from around the world wants to change. In our generation (every four months some 100 organizations are brought to the country) there is an exciting mix both in terms of what the organizations do as well as where the founders are from. There are for example Fred, Giacomo and Paolo from Italy/ Portugal whose venture Memeoirs prints individual books from emails (still looking for that perfect anniversary gift for your fiancee?). Then there is Greg Tao from the US who invented a solution to use pressure cookers for sterilizing medical equipment in hospital in developing countries at a fraction of the cost that typical eqipment would cost. Or Omar who builds a location-based messaging app. So that you could ask people in your direct environment for directions virtually or invite your neighbours for a Sunday afternoon football match.

Exciting ventures, great people: we are looking forward to our Latin American experiences and have great plans, so stay tuned. Oh, and as a first step to make use of being based on the other end of the world, we recently scouted a Quechua teacher and will be working on adding more local languages.

“In late May, I had the unique opportunity to participate in a five-day research trip to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), likely the most closed-off nation in the modern world, with 14 of my fellow graduate students from Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA).

Accompanied by Professor Elisabeth Lindenmayer, Director of the United Nation Studies Program at SIPA, the team and I traversed the country from Pyongyang to Wonsan on the southeastern coast, visiting several historic monuments, museums, universities and even an amusement park. While I enjoyed the sight-seeing, the best experience, by far, had to be playing billiards in Wonsan with our interpreter. Relaxing on a Friday night, sharing stories over a few bottles of beer and poking fun at each other for shots missed demonstrated how small a world it is after all.

Unfortunately, not all of my experiences were as enjoyable. Ambling through the orchestrated tourist attractions of North Korea, the team and I were spoon-fed propaganda underscoring the proud North Korean achievements of decades past. Yet while North Korea remembers, the rest of the world forgets. The rest of the world is in 2012, and North Korea remains in 1994 or earlier. The most-telling example had to be in the capital city of Pyongyang, where the decades-old infrastructure is literally falling apart. The country is in dire need of development.

Nevertheless, I most certainly recommend traveling to North Korea if you are interested. Please email me at nicholas.java@glovico.org and I will gladly offer my travel tips.”