Our Approach

Our unique approach to language learning, Interaction-Based Linguistic Training (IBLT), draws on over a decade of formal linguistic study and two simple ideas: first, that language is a social and interactional system, and second, that it can be broken down into component pieces.

The first fact—that language is a social system—means that for us to learn new languages, the best approach needs to incorporate interactional practice. The reason that first languages stick so well is, in part, that they are socially vital to us. Learning a second (or third, or fourth) language should likewise incorporate the language into our social world.

The second fact provides just as much insight as the first: when we are very young, we pick up our first language even without formal training, and while this may be possible as we grow older and learn further languages, we also have a wealth of other tools to draw on—those that come with our more advanced abilities to take things apart, study their component pieces, and then draw our learning back together.

Traditional language teaching too often neglects the social aspect of language and leaves out some of the most potent material we have for language learning, which comes from a linguistic understanding of language.

At Palo Alto Language Studio, a social and linguistic understanding runs through all of our training. Work with us and see the difference in your own language learning journey.

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