The Center for Intercultural Training (CIT) –  Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

(2 weeks,  offered 5 times a year  in Union Mills, NC)

“Sharing the gospel cross-culturally and in a second language on top of that is no easy task. In this course you will learn a wide variety of practical skills for successful language learning including helping you understand your abilities and developing a practical strategy to be an effective communicator of the most important message…..This course introduces a wide variety of skills for successful language learning. Participants will learn principles of effective language learning, practice language learning activities, and train the ears to hear and the mouth to reproduce sounds in other languages. They will learn to become pro-active in language learning and acquire resources to help master language learning. Participants will practice language learning methods with native speakers and receive planning guidelines on how best to approach language learning when on the field.”

Search Engines

• Evangelical Training Directory   “A searchable multi-lingual database of evangelical Bible colleges – and pastoral, theological and missionary training programs, courses and resources world-wide – to help you find the training you need to serve the Lord.”   (officially endorsed by the World Evangelical Alliance WEA)      [they are in there, but you’ll have to wade through a ton of programs to find a language specific program]
• North American Institutions of higher Education that Offer Courses in the Less Commonly Taught Languages Vol I: Europe Information available Online Database Searchable database of language programs (many university level) in North America and abroad.

Specific Programs

Center for Intercultural Training (CIT) –  Second Language Acquisition (SLA) (see above)  (Union Mills, NC)

Institute for Cross-Cultural Training  (Wheaton)  “Through on-campus and online courses, special workshops, publications and consulting, we focus on these three key areas:

• Skills for learning a new language and culture
• Practical help for those who work with on-field language and culture learners
• Preparation for teaching English to speakers of other languages”

Online Courses for Learning a Second Language:

“Our  prepare pre-field and on-field personnel to become more effective and efficient language learners regardless of learning methods – attending a language school, working with a tutor, independent learning, or a combination of approaches.”

• • Language Acquisition for Beginning Learners
  • Language Acquisition for Continuing Learners
  • Introduction to Language Learning
  • Just-in-Time SLA for Beginning Learners

CultureBound  “CultureBound training for language and culture is designed to prepare you for life and work in an unfamiliar culture.  You’ll learn how to learn a language and culture, become a part of a community, and view your neighbors in a different and positive way.  We teach you how to learn from the most expert people on earth — the people who already live there.”

Mission Training International  (Colorado) “Mission Training International’s vision is to see cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ experience effectiveness, endurance and personal vitality. MTI accomplishes this through two main programs: COMPASS and DAR.   Doing cross-cultural ministry is difficult and requires more than a sense of calling. It requires a broad set of skills and a healthy approach to life and ministry. A large majority of cross-cultural workers aren’t adequately prepared for their calling, which leads to frustration, burn-out, or more destructive patterns.  This is where MTI can help.  For 60 years, MTI has been providing relevant, practical, in-residence training on the make-or-break issues that help make cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel more effective.”  (“What is COMPASS? Practical Skills in Make or Break Issues,  Understanding How to Learn a New Language, Preparation for Personal Vitality and Healthy Relationships”)    Note: Language acquisition content is integrated into larger program — not a stand alone option

Native Monks is a marketplace that connects tutors of over 130 different languages with students from all over the world. Each student who chooses to avail our services can start by filtering tutors and choosing a tutor that matches their requirements. Once you have chosen a tutor, just send them a message with your requirements by using “Contact” or “Message” options.

Once your chosen tutor has received your enquiry, they will get back to you with a proposal keeping your requirements in mind. You will also receive proposals from other competent tutors. After you have made up your mind about a specific tutor, you can simply complete the payment and confirm the booking.

TRAIN International – Acquire   “This two-week intensive training equips cross-cultural workers with current strategies and tools in language  acquisition so they can be more successful in language acquisition overseas.   Participants sharpen their ability to hear phonetic sounds of other languages and gain speech flexibility so they can pronounce the new phonetic sounds correctly.  Instructors challenge, encourage and inspire students to be the best  language learners they can possibly be.  Through ACQUIRE, we not only give students a new tool, but as one participant said, “I walked away with a whole new toolbox!”

Language Coach Training

• ICCT  Online Courses for Language Coaches  “ICCT offers fully online courses for those who work with on-field language and culture learners. Our goal is to equip coaches with practical preparation for helping their new and veteran personnel to become more successful language and culture learners.

We currently offer three non-credit coaching courses, each addressing a key topic, “Foundations of Language Coaching,” “Listen Up and Speak Out: Helping Learners Develop Oral Skills,” and “Learner Assessment.” Our plan is to introduce one new topic each year, while continuing to offer the earlier topics. Future courses include program development, helping learners to become more self-directed, strategies for language coaches and language learners, learning a new culture, and helping more advanced learners to keep progressing.”      cct@wheaton.edu      630.752.7950

• International Congress on Language Learning  Colorado Springs, CO. Organized by Missionary Training International The purpose of ICLL is to enhance the effectiveness of those charged with ‘helping language learners succeed’. ICLL is a triennial event that brings together (from all over the world) Christian language coaches, language teachers, language school administrators, pre-field and on-field trainers in language acquisition skills and techniques, linguists, academicians, college professors, etc., to gain perspective, share concerns and get updated on what is currently happening in the field of language learning. Those responsible to supervise others in language learning greatly benefit by face-to-face conferencing with like-minded colleagues in other agencies.

Online Tutors 

• Languages Tutors and Languages Teachers  “Looking for Languages lessons or a Languages teacher? Our Languages tutors can provide local Languages tuition at Primary, GCSE or A-Level, for beginners and kids through to adult learners and advanced students.”