next step is seeing to it that students discover for themselves just how quickly they are capable of advancing, and that they realize that their goals are with-
reach.
To achieve this stage, we implement proven educational methods based on research in linguis-tics, educational science, and psychology, and adapt them to
Located five minutes from the the level, pace, and objectives of heart of Geneva. just steps away each individual student. The from the International School of flexibility of our educational Geneva, is an Institute that techniques is reflected in the astonishes with its diversity and flexibility of our establishment; its range of services: the Varadi courses can be held at the Language School, founded in
Institute, or at the student’s
1983.
workplace, seven days a week, between seven o’clock in the
Twenty-three years ago, Judit morning to ten o’clock at night.
Varadi and Silke Engel. linguists of Hungarian and
In the fields of vocational train-
German origin respectively, ing, the school offers accelerat-took up the challenge of open- ed programs in the language or ing an educational institution languages of the student’s where languages could be choice. They lead to unilingual, learned in record time; in a few bilingual, multilingual months, or in urgent cases, as
Secretarial or Management
little as ten days using a highly
Diplomas.
effective educational approach called « Tour a Language in 80
Hours ».
While offering personalized programs for adults in all pro-fessions, industries, and organi-
Today, the school provides les- zations, the school has in its sons in 33 foreign languages to domain a division for children. adults of all backgrounds and
It introduces little ones to the
children of all ages. In addition exciting worlds of new lan-to courses in French, English, guages through games and German, Spanish, and Italian, activities.In order to allow chil-
students can become acquainted dren of foreign nationality to with Chinese, Turkish, Russian, attend school in Geneva without Arab, Swahili or Amharic, being held back for one whole Hebrew, Hungarian, Swedish, school year, the Institute offers Japanese, and last but not least, preparatory language courses
Vietnamese,
Uzbek,
and during summer holidays, as well
Schwyzerdutsch
as courses throughout the academic year that run in tandem
Can you really learn a new lan- with the school curriculum. We guage in just a few weeks? Judit also offer remedial programs for Varadi thinks that accepted wis- adolescents experiencing aca-dom has entrenched the belief demic difficulties. In these that it takes vears of effort to cases, what is important is not to learn a new language. The first blow the problem out of propor-step is rejecting this belief. The tion. but rather to understand the
source of the difficulty. It is impossible to impart knowledge to such students without helping them regain confidence and the awareness of the skills and qualities that they possess. The educator should also provide the keys to learning strategies for future success. Thus, in addition to learning a language or other subjects like math, science, his-tory, or literature, the student gains the motivation to continue learning
At the heart of education lies the question of motivation. Often thought of as an innate and fixed quality that varies with the stu-dent, in truth, a student’s motivation fluctuates in relation to the pedagogical skills of the educator.
Why do we offer an environment tailored to the needs of intellectually gifted children?
Paradoxically, intellectually gifted children often cannot cope with their potential, and suffer setbacks on academic, social, and emotional levels. In the hopes of responding to the intellectual, psychological, and social needs of these children, we offer programs geared specifically for them.
Our
obiectives
are:
« to satisfv their thirst for know|-edge, to adapt to their pace, and to encourage the free expression of their talents
« to foster a social-emotional balance
« to eliminate the risk of marginalization at school
« to help them build a healthy self-esteem
When Judit Varadi is asked about what inspired her to create all of this. she answers: « When I was twenty years old, my family and I left communist
Hungary
tORE come
Switzerland. where we were welcomed and supported. In return. I wanted to contribute in my own modest way by supporting and assisting others in their efforts to integrate and acquire new linguistic and social skills. Emigration is a new beginning, a rebirth, an all-embracing experience, both thrilling and heartbreaking. Yet we can draw strength and solidarity from this heartache.
The idea of working out a new approach to facilitate proficiency in the written and oral expression of a foreign language came to me within the context of humanitarian work with refugees from around the world.
There, I was driven to create educational strategies that could respond to the urgent linguistic needs of persons beginning a new life.
Seneca once stated that « It’s not that we don’t dare do certain things because they are difficult, it’s because we don’t dare do them that they are difficult, which I hold to be fundamental.
Our capacity to learn is greater than we think, and it is often formal education which contributes to our lack of faith in our abilities. When I started my studies at the Sorbonne. I couldn’t speak French. Yet, the idea that this could be a problem hadn’t crossed my mind, which is why this language barrier instead became an intellectually stimulating chal-
lenge