Today, we offer you a free and very handy downloadable tool !

This is the self-evaluation grid that experts designed for the European Common Frame of Reference for Languages.  It allows you to self-evaluate your skill levels in any language.

So, before you subscribe for a language course or move to any European country, you can read the different items related to the level of understanding, speaking and writing skills.

This tool can also help you to fill in your CV correctly!  Yes, more often than not, I read what’s written on very brilliant and interesting CV’s :

• English : mother language,
• Italian : school level,
• Spanish : good.

All this doesn’t mean anything for your future boss !  So, instead of these generalities, fill in your CV with clear statements like :

• Italian : I can understand the main points of a clear standard speech, I can write standard business letters, and I can take an active part in familar professional context.

Doesn’t it sound more professional ?

You can read, dowload, share, print and embed the following document.  For a more comfortable reading, click on fullscreen and then adjust the zoom by clicking on the magnifying glass below, on the left.

Some Job Ads this Morning ?

   Monster’s name is well chosen since this website is the world # 1 for jobboards – these websites specializing in job search and on which you can leave your CV.      

The Monster Virtual Job Fair allows you, from your armchair, to :    

• visit virtual stands
• find out detail information about the participating companies and the jobs they offer
• to chat with employers and professional recruiters
• to let your CV on the “stand” of an interesting company
• to apply online for an attracting new job

   All of this will be free, from the 27th to the 29th of September 2010 !     

   Click here and you’ll be able to not only visit the fair, but to subscribe as well to this event !     

ENTER THE WORLD OF CREATiViTY

 MIND MAPPING BASICS WORKSHOP

is now in Amsterdam on 20 July 2010

INTRIGUE ? Please read here for more info !

For immediate booking to secure your place, you can also click here

Yes, Mind Mapping can do that… and much more !

It all began at the end of the sixties, when a young student in psychology searched for more efficient ways to jot down notes and to prepare for the exams.  Later on, he designed educational programs for the BBC and wrote an encyclopedia on the brain, still using and promoting the amazing technique that helped him so much as a student : Mind Mapping !

His name is Tony Buzan.  Now, he is a star, one of the most fashionable speakers and consultants throughout the world.

And his tool, Mind Mapping, is spreading around the world and is used by students as well as doctors, bank moguls, Boeing engineers and many more…

For a very simple reason : IT WORKS !

Why Mind Mapping ?

Today, we want to share this fantastic technique with you and that’s why we are organizing a workshop called “Mind Mapping Basics” in two cities in the Netherlands : Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

But before, let me tell you a couple of things about mind mapping…

Firstly, it is a powerful technique because it calls on the two sides of our brain.  Most of the time we use the left side of the brain, the rational one, the one that loves figure and logic and straight lines so much.  That is also the side that schools are favoring.  And we forget that we also have a right brain, the one involved in creativity, colours, sounds, sensations, organic lines…

With its strong hierarchic structures, mind mapping appeals more to our left brain.  But its images, its spatial disposition and its colours are more appealing to our right brain.  That is the reconciliation of both that makes it so efficient.

Mind Mapping Workshop

How does it work ?

As Tony Buzan puts it, Mind Mapping is a radiant thought : it starts from the center of the page – and not from the superior left corner – and radiates towards the edges of the blank sheet.  At the center of the page, firstly put your central idea, but do it with a picture rather than with words : that will help you to be more creative !

It uses no sentences, but keywords written on organic branches and associated with images.  This association of images and keywords is a wonderful guide to understand and to remember everything…

The place of each item on the page also provides a spatial marker which helps to memorize concepts.

Each branch constitutes a secondary idea, related to the central one.  Each branch is organic, is a flux, going thinner as the flow goes on…

This gives mind mapping its powerful structure : you can see everything in one glance at the page.  Or you can examine every minute detail on each branch.  It is a unique way to get the analysis and the synthesis of any project at the same time on the same device !

Try to do this with something else !

A mind map of Marion Chéreaux

Our Workshops in the Netherlands

The Lingua Franca Foundation is a member of the Hub in Brussels and collaborates with the other Hubs throughout Europe and beyond.  That’s why we decided to organize several workshops in Belgium (in French) and in the Netherlands (in English).

Mind Mapping Basics ? What will we do in these workshops ?

This workshop is aimed to teach you the basic principles of mind mapping.  So, we’ll learn how to draw our first mind map.  We’ll see how to associate words and pictures, how to reconnect with our own creativity, to feel the pleasure to draw and to write on the same page, to find out what are our deepest feelings and our unconscious thoughts.

We’ll also practice efficient notes taking with mind mapping : the grey linear notes are over, up with the full colour mind maps !  You’ll find out a very powerful way to jot down short but precise and useful notes, using only keywords, branches and small sketches of your own…

You’ll summarize a short text, written or spoken and you’ll see that it is much simpler and accurate that way.  You’ll discover that each participant has his/her own way to read or listen, his/her own way to understand, to remember and to summarize.   This is also part of our human richness…

You’ll structure some documents too : generally we are not too good at planning documents’ structures.  We tend to jump on the writing without paying too much attention to the general frame of our papers…  and, of course, our texts lack  any structure…  Forget about this and start giving a sturdy and impressive backbone to your future papers !

And, last but not least, you’ll design yourself some time management tools.  You’ll see, once again with mind mapping, it is simple, easy and strikingly efficient !

Taking notes during a workshop in Paris

Practical information

Our workshops will take place at the Hub’s Summerschool :

• In Amsterdam : on the 20th of July from 9 am to 5 pm.
• In Rotterdam : on the 21th of July from 9 am to 5 pm.

Address Amsterdam :

The Hub Amsterdam Westerstraat 187 1015 MA Amsterdam

Address Rotterdam :

The Hub Rotterdam Heemraadsingel 219,3023 CD Rotterdam

Prices :

For Hub Members : 190 euros including VAT

For non Members : 232.50 euros including VAT

All the material are provided by the trainer

Booking :

For Amsterdam : just click here !

For Rotterdam : just click here !

Stichting Lingua Franca Foundation realise the importance of  each client’s individuality and uniqueness. We acknowledge the existence of the client’s own specific needs and demands. We also acknowledge that each client needs to take total control on the development of his/her need(s) through out the entire course and everybody has his/her own pace to tackle the need(s) according to the level of understanding and acceptance.

Walking through the sand

We want the client to know that we actually understand their needs and the manner of wanting their needs to be fulfilled. Face-to-face interaction is one of the basic methods we use to penetrate the client’s true wish. Some people are afraid of spilling out what is truly in their hearts; thinking that others might make a mockery out of them. Some even think their needs and demands are too impossible to achieve. We are here to break that barrier of endless fear. We are here to assure them dreams can be realities if you work hard to achieve it. Dreams are not impossible. It is solely up to YOU to make the impossible possible.

Tailored Made Programme

The services offered by the Stichting Lingua Franca Foundation are specifically designed around YOUR NEEDS. Yes, YOUR NEEDS. We will propose to you a programme/service/workshop/course specially for YOU. A tailored made programme to solely suit YOUR EXACT NEEDS.  Considering all factors and wishes from YOU the client, the Foundation will evaluate seriously all levels of the individual’s potential and achievement. From there, we will create a course that you are comfortable with to enable you to  finally achieve your goals.

Personal Development and Performance

]]> http://linguafrancafoundation.org/2010/01/13/uniqueness-of-service/feed/ 0 Suziana Salleh walking through the sand personal development and performance http://linguafrancafoundation.org/2010/01/10/uuhh-uuuhh-mama-i-can-read/ http://linguafrancafoundation.org/2010/01/10/uuhh-uuuhh-mama-i-can-read/#comments Sun, 10 Jan 2010 01:21:19 +0000 Suziana Salleh http://linguafrancafoundation.org/?p=880 Continue reading →]]> Have you ever witness little children who are able to read without having to teach them how to read the language in the first place? This is without sending them to a specific language school, or send them to special language class to enable them to learn to grasp the language and to fully understand the concept of the language itself. I am talking about literally putting a book in front of them and they start reading simultaneously, and surprisingly with almost no fault nor correction! I am not saying that you shouldn’t teach any language just by speaking alone, but believe me! It helps a lot in grasping the meaning and pronouncing the words faster than usual.

boy reading a book

I have been speaking English with my children since they were born. It’s not their only language since we speak more than three languages in the house. But to my astonishment, my children are able to recognise words and sentences from any English book and are able to read them fluently. All I know is that, all these years we never stop talking and practising the language. We speak English every single day.

One thing here that I feel the urge to mention is that I make sure the children speak proper English. Not any ‘broken’ English as most people put it. I have the tendency to keep correcting their sentences whenever there is the need for correction. This is because I know for a fact that it is crucial to speak the language correctly so that the person receiving the information will benefit from understanding fully what you want to relay in the first place – hopefully without having to repeat over and over again for clarity.

boy and girl reading a book

Now, it seems that my hard work has been paid off – slowly (I am waiting for a big fat cheque at the end of all this! Haha, just kidding…) Honestly, I am genuinely happy to see that my children are benefiting our endless effort all these years.   There are a lot of sweat and tears along the journey, however, I am more than satisfied with the fruitful result. Imagine that throughout the years,  it was I  who read the books to the children almost every night. And now? Now, it’s totally a different story altogether. It’s a total opposite, really!  The children are the ones who read pirate adventures books, or stories about beautiful princesses and the ever lasting Prince Charming. Or stories about little boys and girls, or stories about frogs and swans, gnomes and fairies and even funny comic books to me instead! You should have seen the look in their eyes once they start reading on their own. As if they have found the long lost treasure  from Treasure Island. They are so proud to tell me, ” I can read, mama…. I can read!”

With this, I am now teaching the children the proper structure of the language through writing. I do not have to start at the very beginning since this is no longer an unfamiliar territory.  I am sure that the children will have more pleasure in learning the language  thoroughly since I am already seeing signs of ‘having so much fun‘ while they are reading and writing English. I am entirely convinced that the children will be able to read, write, speak and hear the language in full gear in the very near future! Never under estimate the power of the mind of a child….

]]> http://linguafrancafoundation.org/2010/01/10/uuhh-uuuhh-mama-i-can-read/feed/ 0 Suziana Salleh boy reading book boy and girl reading http://linguafrancafoundation.org/2010/01/01/the-best-job-in-the-world/ http://linguafrancafoundation.org/2010/01/01/the-best-job-in-the-world/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 08:40:42 +0000 Marco Bertolini http://linguafrancafoundation.org/?p=814 Continue reading →]]>

The Winner of the Best Job in the World

Do you remember this contest buzzing in all medias several months ago ?  You could get the Best Job in the World : all you had to do  was  to become the Caretaker of tiny islands along the shores of the Queensland Area, in North-West Australia.

The job was paid some US $ 111.000  (about € 83.000) for six months. It consisted mainly in exploring the islands of the area and reporting to a blog.  Ben Southal, the winner, has been elected out of 34.000 applicants from the whole world.

Ben started his best job of the world on the 1st of July 2009 and is living his last days in paradise.  But is it really a paradise ? Not so sure since Ben has recently been stung by a  tiny jellyfish along the Hamilton Island shore and it almost cost his life.

Thus, the best job of the world almost turned into a pure nightmare. Fortunately for Ben, the members of his crew were experimented men who immediately identified the symptoms – some itchiness and a red spot on his skin – as the result of the Irukandji jellyfish biting, or else, he would have died in the following hours.

And now ? And now, Ben will simply go back to London and work as a fundraiser for a charity institution there, as usual.  So, no more exploration of paradise islands and media celebrity.

All this is very tv-reality like, don’t you think so ? Actually, the whole process was an advertisement campaign to promote local tourism.

Maybe you think : ok, but it was worth trying, wasn’t it ? Sure, it was !  For Ben, it has been a very interesting experience : very long free holidays, all included with a comfortable sum of money at the end.   But was it really the Best Job in the World ? Let’s even forget the recent accident.  But, frankly, it was more of a sponsored tourism trip than a real job…

Find YOUR own Best Job in the World!

Does that mean I have to forget about my best job in the world ?  Absolutely not ! It is one of the reasons why we founded the Lingua Franca Academy ! The help you need to find or to create your Dream Job !

But what is your Dream Job ? Only YOU can tell what your Dream Job is. And certainly  no communication agency can tell you what it is or what it should be !

So, what is the Dream Job for you ? It is the one which makes you happy, the one which will make you blossom for long years to come – or at least the five coming years – the one you will practice without getting the impression you are actually working – most of the time, let’s be honest, and, last but not least, the one that will provide you a decent income.

Medias, with their constant flux of bad news – and even more since the beginning of the crisis – can give you the impression that this kind of job doesn’t exist anymore…  This is totally untrue !  Good jobs still exist !  Good companies still hire motivated people !  There is, somewhere, a job fit for you, a job that will provide you satisfaction and financial security !

You’ll tell me : it’s not easy to find such a job.  No.  You’re right.  It is not easy and it demands some efforts.  But it is worth trying, don’t you think so ?

It is the main goal of the Lingua Franca Academy to find or to create your own  Dream Job !

All along the coming year – and we hope, long after – we will provide you advices and free tools to define your own Dream Job.  We will invite you to conferences, seminars and training sessions. We will publish free tools online to help you to know yourself better and to lead a more effective job search…  We will give you a good approach to write better application letters and resumes, to conduct better job interviews etc…

And YOU too will find your Dream Job, your Best Job in the World !

The Lingua Franca Academy will soon develop activities in Brussels, the Belgian capital, and this blog is aimed to inform Brusselers about our courses, job opportunities, coaching, and the goals of the Lingua Franca Foundation.

We will tell you soon where we will settle our Academy in Brussels.  You can already find this blog by cliking here.

Measuring the language skills of their public servants is also a matter of importance as they have to cope with so many complex topics in so many languages.

So the European institutions have created DIALANG in order to help trainers, trainees and institutions to evaluate and adapt the level of language knowledge.

These tools help professional to create language learning courses.  But some of them, like the DIALANG Self Assessment Statements help you to evaluate your own command of a language.

European Language and Job Search Training and Coaching

The Lingua Franca Academy is preparing a series of language courses as well as specialized Job Coaching for people who aim to work in the European Institutions. Some courses will be on site learning courses and some will be online packages.

In order to help you to assess yourself your command of a language, we publish here two free tools that you can download and use to evaluate your command of any language.  It is not a test, but an evaluation tool, a series of assessemnt you make yourself regarding your skills in a language.

Be honest : don’t try to trick yourself and, at the end of the process, you’ll get a clear and complete image of your command of this language.

Téléchargez en français

Download in English

The Lingua Franca Academy, the Research and Education Department of the Lingua Franca Foundation, is opening a new category on this website : the Free Tools category.

In the articles of this new category, you will find free tools to help you in your daily life, to know yourself better or to act as a professional trainer or teacher.

Today, we open this new series with a test to determine the way you analyze new information and resolve problems.

Synthetic VS Analytic

According to your tendency, you will collect and analyze problems, situations and general information differently.

Synthetic minds will grasp the information in one go, but they tend to be rather superficial.  Analytic ones go deeper and deeper into the minute details but they tend to forget the general picture…

Analytic minds are fit for professions like accountants or controllers while synthetic ones are generally good animators and brilliant media speakers.

Find out which category you belong to by clicking on one of the links below. You can :

• download the documents
• print them and fill them in
• count your results
• determine the category you belong to
• follow the advices we are providing you

Click on the corresponding flag to download the documents in French or English and enjoy your first free tool.

Télécharger en français

Download in English