How Effective is it to Take University Classes to Learn a Language?

In today's podcast, I interviewed Logan, a German, Danish, and English instructor at the Calgary Language Nerds. We discussed a variety of topics, but by far the highlight for me was our discussion around taking university classes to learn a language. Let me explain. Logan used to be an aircraft mechanic, but decided to change careers. He is now in the latter half of a degree in French and Spanish with the goal of becoming a teacher. While Logan feels that his university classes have helped him to improve his level in both French and Spanish, he believes that university classes are one of the least cost effective and least effective ways to learn a new language. He finds that they’re expensive and that the teaching methods used are ineffective. As you'll see in this episode, for the most part I agree with Logan's opinion. However, I brought up the following advantages of learning in a university setting: I personally like the accountability of studying in a university setting. It acts as a motivator. I don't think that university classes are always terribly expensive. For example, my Mandarin class at the University of Calgary cost $800 for about 40 hours of class. That equates to $20/hr for a group class with 5 other people. That's a lot lower than many group class rates you'd find elsewhere in Calgary. Additionally, the class at my local university was at my level (mid to high intermediate). I don't think I could have found another group class locally at such a level. Learning in a university opens up additional learning opportunities. For example, when I was doing my French and Spanish degree from 2011 to 2014, I was able to go to "The Spanish Centre" for multiple hours everyday to practice Spanish with a skilled instructor, free of charge. This was not all we discussed of course, so make sure you watch/listen to this episode! - - - Want to learn a language at the Calgary Language Nerds? Visit https://azrenthelanguagenerd.com for more information or contact @polyglotazren on Instagram!