One Whisky Tasting, Two Different Language Experiences

Imagine You are on Holiday in Scotland…

You’re standing in J.G. Gills, in Crieff, (Scotland’s most charming whisky shop), and Marcos from Brave New Spirits is giving a product demonstration.

He talks quickly, full of excitement about his products. He has more than twenty whiskies to share.

Brave New Spirits is an independent bottler.

If you already know what that means, you’ll understand just how exciting his range is.
If you don’t, you may have to interrupt him to ask…

You asked!

You now know that in the spirits industry, independent bottlers are akin to curators in a gallery, offering connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike a different perspective on familiar works.

You know that the products are rare, collectable, experimental, and can have quite a cult following.

Marcos is now telling you about the process of designing the whisky ranges. It’s interesting, but fast and you don’t have the processing time you need to fix the concpets in place – even you you understand all the words. 

He’s telling you these decisions aren’t made by one person, a ‘master taster’, but by a whole team, each with an equal say.

For those of you travelling solo, that’s probably the end of that conversation.

For anyone on a Blue Noun holiday, it’s the start of the next one.

The Value of a Language Review

Back at the hub, I check comprehension.
What did he say about the different coloured bottle tops?

What did he say about the decision-making process?

Over a coffee, we discuss some of the questions it raises (they are not written out like a list, but feel like natural turns for conversations to make)

• How are decisions made at your workplace?

• Do you think everyone should have an equal say on products?

• Can you even imagine if they did?

• Why do you think Brave New Spirits uses this method?

• Would it work in other industries?

• What benefits does it give employees?

• Would you like team meetings like this?

• Have you ever worked in a group with a similar philosophy? How did that work out?

 

“Without deliberate practice or structured opportunities, travellers tend to return with little improvement in their language abilities”.

Luca Lampariello, Language Magazine, 2021

The Key to Successful Language Travel

Memorable experiences create memorable English, but only if the language is activated and worked with. Otherwise, the moment fades.

A language holiday on its own is lovely. You travel, you taste whisky, you explore, you hear real English all around you.

It’s a nice-to-have experience — enjoyable, enriching, memorable.

But for successful language travel, you need more than memorable moments. You need someone helping you turn those moments into language that stays confident, certain and real.

That’s the difference a coach makes.

A coach activates the English that sits inside the experience:
helping you notice vocabulary, unpack meaning, reflect on your reactions, connect the moment to your professional world, and build a feeling of confidence that lasts long after you’ve gone home. Without that support, even the best experiences stay as memories. With it, they become progress.

This is why a Blue Noun holiday isn’t just a trip. It’s a guided, curated pathway through real-world English — taking a “nice idea” and turning it into something essential and transformative.

About Language Holiday Experience Design

Many people imagine they can simply “speak to people” on holiday and that the conversations will appear naturally. But unless you are unusually extroverted and willing to spend hours planning every encounter in advance, it rarely works out that way.

Meaningful exchanges don’t happen by accident.

They depend on the right person, the right moment and the right context — and that takes time and, above all, local knowledge.

That’s my job.

As a language holiday designer, I curate the encounters for you.
I find the right makers, artists and producers.
I create the conditions for real conversation, and I supplement each encounter with an impromptu mini-skills workshop (that feels like a coffee break).

Successful language travel needs support.

Otherwise, you’re only getting the tip of the iceberg in terms of your potential for language transformation.

There are many good reasons to travel, but if improving your English is one of them, give yourself the chance to do it properly. Real progress doesn’t happen through luck or polite small talk. It happens when someone helps you connect the experience to your language, your life, your work. That’s the role of coaching. And that’s the heart of a Blue Noun holiday: meaningful moments, guided reflection, and English that becomes part of your story.

About the Value of Local Knowledge