Learning a new language, especially at an older age, can be quite a challenge. With increasing research into the plasticity of children's brains and their ability to learn languages before the age of seven, more and more families are thinking about having children learn foreign languages, even if the parents do not speak the language. How would you go about learning a new language after the age of seven, and more importantly, how can you keep yourself or your child motivated?

Surrounded by a foreign language

We know from experience that continuous exposure to a foreign language really helps when learning or improving another language. That is why many people choose to spend a few weeks or months in a foreign country to soak themselves in the language and cultures. Immersion (when carried out from the correct point in the learning process) is considered one of the most effective methods of learning a language.

Even as little as a few weeks spent living and learning a language in a country can accelerate your learning and make you want to invest more time in it. This is particularly important for older children who, for example, may lose motivation without seeing the real benefit of speaking a new language with new friends from around the world.

English and French in Canada

One the world’s favourite travel destinations is Canada. Due to its vastness and colonial history, it offers a mixture of different cultures and languages, making it an excellent destination to learn both French and English.

Quebec is known as the France of Canada. In this province, over 90% of the population speaks French as their first language. The biggest advantage of Canada over France, is that the vast majority of the Canadian population, including in Quebec, actually speaks English. It can be scary to be far away from home when you have just started learning a language, so the fact that English is the second or first language makes for a safer environment.

Visa requirements

To travel to Canada, you need to hold a valid visa or travel permit. Applying for a visa can be a difficult process, and the waiting lists for a Canada visa are often incredibly long. It can take more than a year before you can make an appointment at the consulate.

Fortunately, Canada has installed a Visa Waiver Program, eliminating the need for a paper visa. This electronic travel authorization (eTA Canada) can be applied for online and applications are usually processed and approved the same day. The eTA Canada not only allows travellers to visit Canada for touristic travel purposes, but it can also be used for short study programs that last a maximum of 6 months. This is because the eTA allows a maximum duration of stay of 6 months. In total, this visa will remain valid for 5 years and can be used for multiple trips to (French-)Canada to put your French skills into practice.

Become familiar with the language

Having basic knowledge of the French language before travelling to Canada makes it easier to make your way through the country. Next to being taught by one of Tutor House’s French tutors, you can familiarise yourself with the sound and written word of the French language. Children's books are full of varied vocabulary. These provide simple stories as well as excellent foundations of language structure and grammar. In other words, they provide the perfect basis for learning a new language, even for adults.

Another fun and easy activity to learn French, is to watch French movies or TV series with subtitles in your native language. If you’re more advanced and ready to challenge yourself, you can watch it with French subtitles, or even without. Not a fan of French films or series? Nowadays, you can often change the audio settings to many movies to your preferred language.

Practice makes perfect

In the end, learning a language is an infinite process that can provide you with endless opportunities. With the increasing possibility to travel the world again post-pandemic, learning a language can be perfectly combined with creating life experiences around the world. We can’t think of a better way to learn a language than by travelling around the globe.