Your Accent Is a Sign of Bravery – Not a Barrier
This year marks 25 years since I moved to the UK — and 26.5 years of my life spent outside of France. That’s more than half my life. And one thing I’ve always held onto with pride is my English accent. At 19, when I returned from the US, people would ask me where I...
Language immersion isn’t a magic wand — but it is magic when done right
Today, I had a truly inspiring conversation with a lady who is considering joining one of our immersive language experiences in Florence with her husband next year. She’s been learning Italian for the past three years through more traditional channels and now feels...
Italian Is My Heart Language — What’s Yours?
And then, as I was telling this to a friend… she said something that stopped me in my tracks: “Italian is your heart language.”
Can You Really Learn a Language with Duolingo? Let’s Talk…
Can You Really Learn a Language with Duolingo?
Let’s Talk…
Not Your Typical French Language Trip: How Our Immersive Retreat Unlocks Real Learning and Real Connection
When most people picture a French language course, they imagine grammar books, vocabulary drills, and maybe a trip to Paris thrown in for inspiration.
At The VICI Language Academy, we do things differently.
The Art of Language Learning: Doing the Right Things — and Doing Them Right
At VICI, we have always positioned ourselves as a boutique language academy. What does that really mean?
Why We’ve Decided to Focus on Personalised Language Coaching at Our Academy
Over the years, I’ve experimented with various language teaching structures to ensure that I offer my students the best possible experience.
Laura’s view on the problem with “we only employ native speakers”
I was at an event recently where a representative from another language school boasted that they “only employ native speakers”.
Nathalie’s language learning journey and finding blended learning: the game-changing learning concept!
“The discovery of blended learning marked a turning point” As a seasoned language professional with over two decades in the industry, my personal struggle with mastering foreign languages mirrors the challenges faced by my students. From the initial excitement of...
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Nathalie’s language learning journey and finding blended learning: the game-changing learning concept!
“The discovery of blended learning marked a turning point” As a seasoned language professional with over two decades in the industry, my personal struggle with mastering foreign languages mirrors the challenges faced by my students. From the initial excitement of...
How I let one rude comment run my life for 22 years
“I’d rather not hear you speak and ruin our beautiful language.” These are essentially the words that a very rude French woman said to me on the streets of Paris 22 years ago. I was a young, 20 year-old college student experiencing life for the first time in a foreign...
Benefits of booking a Spanish language residential course vs a holiday!
Booking a Spanish language residential course to improve your skills? The VICI language academy outlines the main benefits of booking an immersive educational experience and why it’s unrivalled to booking your own holiday abroad
Dogs and Foreign Languages
Lando, our office dog, is really fond of our Manager, Laura !
Everyone loves him, the most gentle and affectionate of creatures.
All it takes is a leap of faith
This week I did an interview with one of my lovely ex-students, Zara. As we were liaising about the interview preparation, I discovered an entertaining fun fact (though it made me feel a little old!) Zara is 24 - the age that I was when I first started teaching her....
10 life-changing benefits of language learning
We all know the obvious – and much publicised – advantages of being able to speak a second language, like the future employment opportunities it brings. But there are also more subtle and less commonly discussed benefits that parents might not consider when thinking...
Time flies when you’re having fun
2002... When it all began! 2020... 20 year anniversary!I arrived in the UK in September 2000 with a failed degree from a French law school, with just a suitcase and a little money in my pocket, but with big ambitions to make the most of my bilingualism. Two years...
My son told me something that stopped me in my tracks.
When we were in Spain recently, my parents were staying in one apartment and Max and I in another and we’d meet each night to enjoy dinner together. After one particularly lovely evening enjoying good food and chatting in French, as Max and I were strolling back to...
Having it all
Are you a busy professional? Are you always juggling your commitments? Do you feel like there's never any time left for your own priorities, even if it’s something you’d really love to do like learning a new language? Well, don't worry – The VICI is here to help. We...
Nathalie’s Spanish Journey
I’ve always had a love of languages, right the way back to my teenage years. English was the first foreign tongue I learned, and I took to it like a duck to water. It never felt like a chore and getting to know the language was a genuinely pleasurable experience for...