Language Acquisition Programs

After years in the UK, I thought my English was ok.  Until I moved to Hungary. I had been living in the south of England for a while, and then a year teaching in Glasgow. I felt so confident about my English that I remember thinking: “This is too easy, I need a new challenge - let’s move to Hungary, at least learning the language will keep me busy.” English wasn’t so popular back then in Hungary, so at the beginning I’d always ask English-speaking people for help. But I was gobsmacked that they simply couldn’t understand me! 🤯 I went to the bank to open an account.  → My friend had to translate English-to-English for me. I tried to discuss the contract with my landlady.  → She couldn’t understand me either. I tried to ask a question in a souvenir shop.  → The shop assistants were staring at me like I was from a different planet. Their faces of confusion were priceless. Then I realised - it didn’t matter how good my English was.  If I couldn’t communicate in English with the people around me, then it wasn’t good enough. I had to adapt.  ➡️ Forget colloquialisms.  ➡️ Develop a more neutral accent.  ➡️ Use simple language. Simple structures. I had spent YEARS trying to blend in with natives.  Now I had to re-learn how to use the language in a way that helped me communicate. With people who were NOT native speakers of the language. I carried those skills throughout the rest of my career. Meetings at the EU?  → Everyone will be using their own version of English. Speaking at the UN?  → You’d be lucky if there were any native speakers in the room. Working for American multinationals?  → Most of my colleagues were from Europe, Asia and the Middle East. International English is NOT the English native speakers use. If you are learning English for international business, you don’t need to sound like a native or speak like them. Focus on what matters.  👉 Communicating your idea.  👉 Connecting with the people.  👉 Using simple language everyone can understand. That’s what makes a great communicator in English today. Have you had any similar experiences with English (or with any other language)? 😅 ***** I am Dr. Esther Gutierrez Eugenio, PhD in Language Education. 👆 Follow and hit the 🔔 for daily insights on language learning, international communication, and the role of English in global business.

AI doesn’t speak just one language. It never should. It should speak to, and for, all of us! From the steppes of Mongolia to the villages of India and the ministries of Chile, local AI experts are proving that sovereign, locally useful AI models can flourish even with limited resources. These efforts show that the barriers to multilingual AI can be overcome with creativity, determination, and modest funding. The question now is: how can we support and scale these efforts globally? #Mongolia – Egune AI Very happy to see Bloomberg News highlight Egune AI today, a small startup that built the first Mongolian-language foundation model from scratch. This team made the country 1 of just 8 to develop its own national model. With only $3.5M in local seed funding, they now power over 70% of the nation’s AI market. Their work protects Mongolian language and culture through homegrown AI - a powerful example of what’s possible when communities build for themselves. #India – Bhashini India’s BHASHINI - (Digital India BHASHINI Division) is a government-backed, public–private mission to make AI inclusive for all Indian languages. Launched under the National Language Translation Mission, Bhashini supports over 35 languages through an open-source model which provides real-time translation tools in text -to-text, speech-to-text, and video translation services. Through the “Bhasha Daan” crowdsourcing initiative, thousands of people are contributing text, voice and video data and translations to help the AI learn. Bhashini bridges digital gaps across the country and creates datasets for underrepresented languages. It has  already hit 1 billion+ inferences.     #Chile (Latin America) – #LatamGPT Chile is leading a regional push for AI sovereignty through a Spanish-language foundation model called Latam GPT. Under the leadership of my dear friend Minister Aisen Etcheverry, the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation is building a model that reflects Latin America’s own histories, dialects, and values. With support from CENIA and a university-backed supercomputer, the project is advancing on just a few million dollars in funding. The model is designed to be open, adaptable, and shared across countries — “AI by Latin America, for Latin America.”    The call to action: Multilingual AI capacity is often described as a roadblock to universal access. But these efforts prove it doesn’t have to be. 🔹 How do we support and scale grassroots AI infrastructure? 🔹 Can we pool funding, talent, and knowledge to help more countries build their own models? 🔹 What does a global ecosystem look like when every language has a voice in shaping it? #AIforAll #LocalAI #MultilingualAI #Innovation #aipolicy Nick Martin Hugging Face Satwik Mishra Bloomberg News Nick Cain Mary Rodriguez, MBA Mathilde Barge Nagi Otgonshar  Ashwini Vaishnaw S Krishnan Abhishek Singh Tara Chklovski Room to Read Vivian Schiller Aspen Digital

In Japan, Finland, and Korea, children learn in the language of their homes—and consistently lead global education rankings. In contrast, millions of Nigerian children are taught in English, a language many don’t speak at home. The result? Lower comprehension, fragile confidence, and underperformance in key learning years. Visionaries like Prof. Babs Fafunwa, Prof. Chinyere Ohiri-Aniche, and Prof. E. Nolue Emenanjo have long championed the power of indigenous languages in education. Their work shows what research confirms: children learn best when they understand the language of instruction. Teaching in our local languages, especially in the early years, isn’t regression—it’s a proven path to learning equity, cultural resilience, and national development. It’s time to rethink our foundations.

Virtual Reality to Improve Language Teaching and Learning Experiences 🤖 Over the past week, I engaged with our dedicated CAC educators during some training sessions on Virtual Reality (VR) as part of our ongoing commitment to innovation at CAC - Eurocentres Colombia. This session was about introducing a new technology and exploring its potential to transform the English learning experience in our classrooms and community. We covered the best practices for integrating VR into our English programs, it was inspiring to see the enthusiasm and curiosity of our teachers. We discussed how VR can make abstract concepts tangible, bring distant cultures closer, and create immersive environments that deepen understanding. The discussions were rich, and filled with ideas on how to align these experiences with our curriculum and how to best support our CAC students’ language learning journeys. Training educators with new methodologies and tools, like VR, is essential in the education field where students usually look for new ways to learn and improve their skills. As educators, we have a great responsibility to keep up with technological advancements and resources that support and make us excel in our roles. When we are confident in using new tools and methodologies, we can create more engaging, effective, and inclusive learning experiences for our students. In terms of the benefits of integrating VR into the classroom, I highlight three of them: 🗣 Immersive Language Practice: VR allows learners to engage in realistic simulations of real-world environments, where they can practice English in context. 🌎 Cultural Exposure: VR can transport learners to different countries and cultural settings, allowing them to experience and understand the cultural nuances of English-speaking regions. 🔝 Engagement and Motivation: The interactive and visually engaging nature of VR makes language learning more enjoyable and motivating. All these sessions with the teachers were friendly reminders of the power of collaboration and continuous learning. As we get more motivated to explore and integrate innovative approaches, I am confident that our team will lead the way in setting new standards for language education.  This is beyond teaching and learning English, this is about creating a better future for our students and increasing the quality of education. #vr #innovation #learnenglish #virtualeducation #caceurocentres

** What if grammar isn’t something we teach, but something learners build through use? I’ve been reading Explicit and Implicit Learning in Second Language Acquisition by VanPatten & Smith (2022). One of the most compelling frameworks in the book is the Usage-Based Approach (UBA) to SLA. Here’s what stood out. 1) No special “language module” in the brain UBAs reject the idea that we’re born with a Universal Grammar. Instead, they argue that language is learnt through the same cognitive abilities we use to categorise animals, remember names, or notice social patterns. In short: there’s nothing special about grammar. It’s not pre-wired. What we call grammar is something learners build over time through exposure to real language. The implication? Learners don’t arrive with an internal template waiting to be filled with rules. What they build depends on what they encounter and how often they encounter it. So when we jump straight into rules, drills, and controlled practice (without meaningful input) we’re often skipping the phase where language actually forms in the mind. 2) Language is a network of patterns, not rules UBAs describe learning as the gradual development of contingency networks. When learners hear “the car,” “the movie,” or “the idea” again and again, their brain starts to expect that “the” will be followed by a noun, not because we taught them the rule, but because they’ve experienced it enough. This is how language learning begins: - Item-based chunks like “Can I help you?” or “I don’t know.” - Then, over time, learners abstract a schema like “Can I [verb] you?” This means learners don’t need us to start with general rules. They need to hear and use specific phrases often enough for those generalisations to emerge. 3) Grammar is emergent, not fixed Grammatical categories like “noun phrase” or “third conditional” don’t exist in the brain as innate boxes. They emerge as learners are repeatedly exposed to patterns that are: * Frequent * Predictable * Salient * Communicatively useful So no, one or 2 lessons on the past perfect won’t do it. Learners need to bump into those forms again and again, in context, with meaning attached. This is why recycling and task repetition are so powerful. A learner’s system doesn’t evolve through explanations, it evolves through meaningful encounters. 4) Language is procedural, not stored as facts One of the most striking claims from the UBA view is that language is not stored as facts to be recalled. It’s procedural knowledge...like knowing how to ride a bike. So when a learner produces “She go to the shop yesterday,” the problem isn’t that they forgot the rule. It’s that their internal system hasn’t been exposed to (and hasn’t yet proceduralised)the right pattern. Explaining the past tense won’t fix that. But repeated, meaningful exposure to forms like “She went to the shop yesterday” might. (continue in the comments)

This uni professor sold his startup for $25M. Instead of retiring, he built a free app for broke students—now used by 500M+ people and worth $22 BILLION. Here's how Luis von Ahn reinvented global education with AI: In 2009, Luis had what most founders dream of: → Tenure at Carnegie Mellon → A 8-figure exit (reCAPTCHA) While his bank account was winning, his spirit was restless. Growing up in Guatemala, he’d seen friends spend a month’s salary just to learn English. Now, sitting comfortably in a lecture hall post-exit, one question stuck: → “What if the next Luis von Ahn could learn—for free?” That question became Duolingo: A free, global classroom for people who’d never afford the seat he once had. In the last 3 years, they’ve quietly become the gold standard for AI education. Here’s a full breakdown of every major AI system they use: 1) Birdbrain: The AI that knows what you don’t In 2020, Duolingo gave everyone the same lesson path. Many users were bored. Some were overwhelmed or dropping off. So they built Birdbrain, a personalization engine that: • Spots your weak points • Predicts your performance • Adapts difficulty in real time Birdbrain scales tutoring across millions of students without increasing headcount. Users stay longer because lessons meet them where they are, and progress feels more motivating. 2) Duolingo Max: A chatbot that teaches Most learners never get to access real tutors. So in 2023, Duolingo partnered with OpenAI to build Duolingo Max – its premium-tier subscription: • Roleplay simulates real conversations • Explain My Answer gives real-time feedback • Video Call With Lily offers risk-free speaking practice Powered by GPT-4, Max solves the core issues: no tutor, poor feedback, fear of speaking. 3) Adventures: AI-Powered Immersion Duolingo users aced lessons but froze in real-life conversations. They knew the vocab and grammar but had nowhere to use it. So, Luis and his team built Adventures – a game-like world to practice language in real scenarios. • Book hotels • Order coffee • Clear immigration It’s fun, functional, and mimics the real world. 4) AI Content Engine: 10x content, without 10x headcount Duolingo has ~1,000 employees serving 21M+ daily users. As they grew, having human experts create every course became unsustainable. So, Luis' team built a prompt-based engine: → Designers create lesson templates → AI fills in the blanks → Humans approve the best ones This system has helped them launch 148+ courses in a year and boost productivity by 10x. — Duolingo embodies the definition of an AI-first company. Their playbook is simple: Ask better questions… → Where can we genuinely wow our users? → How can we improve the quality of life for our team? …and then use AI as the answer. Every system they built—Birdbrain, Max, Adventures, their content engine—was a response to a real, specific need. That's how the most powerful AI solutions come to life.

Bilingualism isn’t just a skill—it’s a journey, for children and for the adults supporting them. Working in international schools and raising my own bilingual child has given me a unique perspective on what it really takes to nurture true bilingualism—not just in conversation, but in identity, literacy, and learning. At home, we use the One Parent, One Language (OPOL) method, which has been key to maintaining a balanced exposure to both English and French. Despite the fears some have about bilingual children being "delayed" or "confused," our daughter was an early talker and today has an advanced vocabulary in both languages. Professionally, I’ve seen that fostering bilingualism in the classroom isn’t just about teaching two languages—it’s about creating immersive, respectful environments where both languages are celebrated, not ranked. In my work alongside my French binôme, we strive to: ✅ Create truly immersive bilingual projects where both languages play an equal role ✅ Model respect for both cultures and linguistic backgrounds ✅ Ensure our students feel confident switching between languages naturally without fear of "getting it wrong" What I’ve learned is that supporting bilingual learners requires patience, creativity, and above all, intentionality. It’s not enough to expose children to multiple languages—we must build bridges between them, help learners make connections, and empower them to use their full linguistic abilities. Whether at home or in the classroom, bilingual education is a gift—and one that shapes more flexible, empathetic, and globally-minded individuals. What lessons have you learned from raising or teaching bilingual learners? I’d love to hear your experiences—let’s celebrate the richness that bilingualism brings!

Jigsaw Reading: A Powerful Collaborative Strategy for ESL Classrooms Looking for a student-centered strategy that boosts communication and comprehension in your ESL lessons? Try Jigsaw Reading—a cooperative learning technique where every student becomes both a learner and a teacher. What is Jigsaw Reading? Students are divided into groups and assigned different parts of a text. They first become "experts" in their assigned section, then return to their groups to teach what they've learned. This approach promotes active reading, listening, and speaking skills—all essential in language acquisition. How to Implement It: 1. Divide students into home groups (4–6 students). 2. Assign each member a unique section of the text. 3. Students join expert groups to study and discuss their section. 4. Return to home groups—each student teaches their part. 5. Wrap up with a class discussion, quiz, or reflection activity. -Why It Works for ESL Learners: Builds communication and collaboration Encourages peer teaching and accountability Supports reading fluency and comprehension Boosts learner confidence with manageable text chunks -Pro Tips for ESL Teachers: Scaffold with vocabulary lists and sentence starters Use visuals to aid understanding Monitor and guide group discussions Choose level-appropriate, culturally inclusive texts Integrate speaking or writing tasks as follow-up -Bonus Tip: You can extend this strategy into a project-based task—students create a summary poster, infographic, or even a mini-podcast to present their topic! Let your students lead the learning—because when learners teach, they remember more. #ESLTeaching #CollaborativeLearning #JigsawReading #ActiveLearning #ELT #ESLStrategies #TeacherTips #TESOL #TEFL #LanguageLearning #StudentCenteredLearning #EnglishTeaching #ReadingSkills

Face-to-face interactions stimulate your newborn’s brain in ways that pave the way for language learning. This according to fascinating new research from Dr. Patricia Kuhl and colleagues at the University of Washington’s ILABS. We’ve long known that serve and return stimulates the infant brain and supports parent/child bonding. But now, through use of magnetoencephalography (a fancy brain scan), Kuhl and colleagues have determined that these early interactions play a role in stimulating specific attention centers in the brain critical to language learning during a sensitive window from 6-12 months. In the study, children with the highest levels of stimulation in these attention centers at 5 months demonstrated superior language learning at five future points, measured up to two years after the initial scans. Fascinating stuff! If you’d like to learn more, check out the great summary by KC Compton of Early Learning Nation here: https://t.co/EhBKmULk1w And if you really want to nerd out, you can read the full study in the new issue of Current Biology: https://lnkd.in/eMQWFtqx This great video example was shared to IG by babies.wonderful. #earlychildhood #earlyyears #eyfs #parenting

Taking Santhali Digital: What It Teaches Us About Language, Technology, and Learning A remarkable story is unfolding in the heart of eastern India, where coders, teachers, and grassroots educators are scripting a new future for one of India's oldest languages; Santhali. Having led a digital learning initiative in Jharkhand, I have seen firsthand how language sits at the heart of all meaningful education. It is not just a medium of instruction. It is a vessel of worldview, memory, and belonging. Yet it took over a hundred years since Ol Chiki’s creation for the script to find real traction in the digital world. Why? Because our digital infrastructures, Unicode standards, keyboards, operating systems, have been built without the multilingual, oral, and script-diverse realities of India in mind. What this movement around Santhali teaches us is clear: (i) Learning in one’s mother tongue builds not just comprehension, but confidence (ii) Community-led digital innovation is often more sustainable than top-down (iii) Edtech must support scripts like Ol Chiki to be truly inclusive interventions The future of education in India lies not in scaling uniformity, but in honoring multiplicity. When every child sees their language on a screen, they know they belong in the classroom and in the world. #Santhali #OlChiki #EdTech #LanguageJustice #Jharkhand #MultilingualEducation #DigitalInclusion #GrassrootsInnovation