Alternative Ways to Learn English
For Authentic, Lasting English Skills
Your Alternative to English ‘Lessons’
Our language hub is a small, independent English coaching service with a core team of two – and many other contributors.
Unlike a ‘school’, we have a non-hierarchical exchange of expertise and culture.
We rely on culture-curious conversation to get you talking.
Enjoy talking with people, asking them questions, learning all about them, perhaps finding ways you can help them, fill a need share a resource…
Discover skills, crafts, and artistry – and use English to share ideas between cultures.
Other Differences
- We also care about our community (read our Social Action Policy).
- And intend for our business to Support Local Artists.
- Accessibility matters to us.
Transparency
We have added a traffic light score system across the website to show how each English conversation activity:
a) ensures English progress
b) supports local communities, arts or ecology.
This scoring system is to be clear on how we help people and what we care about.
Don’t Let a Bad Experience Put You Off
Some Schools do Suck
Many L2 English speakers join us after having bad experiences with English as school lessons or private courses.
Poor examples of private English teaching include:
- Being bundled into a small, bland room for hours (on a holiday!).
- Getting taught from a textbook that has nothing to do with your target language.
- Getting told a story of ‘Englishness’ in outdated, dreadful cliches. (Imagine! While complex, fascinating multicultural Britain happens in the streets outside).
- Infantilization.
You are not ‘Bad at English’
The worst aspect of these experiences is the learners are left feeling like failures, hating English.
They may have learned a bit of grammar / vocabulary, but it’s a huge step backwards for finding their love of English.
Investing time and money into a course IS a big deal.
We care that we get it right.
If English hasn’t ‘clicked’ with you in the past, these days, there are many good alternative ways to learn English!
You can find help on our blog, How to Get the Best Results from a Language Holiday.
Alternative Ways of Learning English
At Blue Noun, we do things differently
You will get all the practice you wish because we have a maximum of only 3 L2 English speakers per course.
Feel at home, because our open-plan learning space has sofas, private nooks and reading areas for you to enjoy.
Enjoy a nice coffee each morning. In the evenings, hang out with us (and/or our friends).
Take advantage of breaks and relax with records, books, plants, and cake.
It’s homely.
If you feel bored or frustrated in a traditional class structure, our methods will engage you as we favour asynchronous learning.
There are more details in our Philosophy of Teaching.
Online English Courses
Sadly, our online courses don’t have cake, but they are built around you and the language skills you need for your career.
Even online, we still introduce you to a community and get you learning asynchronously.
A Traditional and Non-traditional Background
The Background to our ‘Hub’
Ruth, your main contact and coach, worked for several years teaching English at a language school in Paris.
She loved the clients, but the homogenising culture frustrated her.
Admittedly, the course package worked very well for many corporate clients, but less well for the diverse experts and researchers she also taught.
It was an obvious ill-fit for anyone in the creative sector.
Increasingly she designed her own lessons for scientists, doctors, and sports and health marketers.
Later, when she moved on to teach at several top art schools in France (she’s an artist), she was in her element.
The Hub is a Melting Pot
Blue Noun Language Hub is a combination of the best of all these teaching environments.
Ruth’s initial corporate language school trained her well in ELS (English as a Second Language) instruction.
Art school lecturing saw her developing courses that were practical, studio-skill-based English lessons designed to engage restless students.
Be Inspired When You Choose Alternative Ways to Learn English
You will be inspired, as we know that channelling your own interests is the key to mastering English.
(Get ready for the thousands of new ideas, influences and opportunities that brings).
We don’t make you speak English. Our alternative methodology will enable you to be an English speaker (and love it).
An English immersion holiday starts with a Zoom Call.
