The learning methodology we use at LEO is based on travelling the world to get to know the language and culture in their natural environment from the comfort of your own home!
A bilingual teacher hosts the class at the start and end of each lesson to answer any questions and clarify any unknown terms and systematise the incredible knowledge they receive during their travels. This type of learning is unique and developed by the founders and team at LEO.
Complete language and cultural immersion
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
LEO
keywords
Creative
writing
Small comfortably-sized groups
Native speaker
teachers
in their home countries
across the world
The LEO method is based on the knowledge and experiences that we gained during:
Numerous years of learning foreign languages,
Bringing up 2 fully bilingual children who experienced 2 educational systems,
Many years in language industry as founders and managers of:
Language
Industry
Experience
Industry
Experience
Origins of LEO methodology
COMPLETE LANGUAGE IMMERSION
Language with no cultural context is artificial. Not real. Placing language in a right cultural context is the key to understanding it. First with cultural context you might understand that a famous 5 o ‘clock tea is not really a black (or even white ;)) liquid in a cup and what is really meant when somebody asks you politely whether you would like some sugar in your tea that is standing just beside you. You cannot always go away to learn the right cultural context for the language- but you can do it with a native speaker. Now thanks to modern technology you can do it with a native speaker who is actually based RIGHT NOW in their home country and can help you understand the country and the culture and seasons, temperature or time zones that shape that language.
At LEO this is the core of our method- children are meeting qualified native speaker teachers based in their home countries online live and direct.
LANGUAGE IMMERSION
group
leverage
leverage
SMALL COMFORTABLY - SIZED GROUPS
At LEO we believe strongly in a leverage that a group gives to language learning.
"My first English language course was at the age of 5 in a local culture centre. I quickly learned how to recite a short children’s poem “One two it’s a show, three four it’s a door…”. Two years later my English knowledge seemed to remain in the same magic spot. Then came school, private classes with numerous private teachers but to be honest my language levels were placed first on a right place when I joined a language school Progress with a clearly defined language method. After that experience other language schools proceeded for other languages the Goethe Institute, Alliance Francaise (thanks to which I met my future husband and business partner- Mark). The only exception to the amazing efficiency I was getting when learning in a group was Russian where the most amazing teacher Malgosia took over- but even then I chose to do it with a friend as only with the group I felt I can progress rather than calling off the classes whenever I felt worse- no such excuses with the group- it moves with or without me so it is a motivation to get to it."
Dorota Sakowska-Hunt, LEO Academy founder
WORDS WORDS WORDS
The best way to get your language skills better? Words, words, words. Not memorised every day with big effort written on cards. Words have to be wanted. Wanted words are words we were missing that day, words we wanted to say and could not as we were not finding them in foreign language.
"As a student I found myself in a beautiful North Rhine town of Koblenz - soon it became obvious that nobody wants to speak to me in English and I was to start using my basic German. Angry, frustrated almost depressed every day after spending 8 hours in office hardly being able to communicate I started writing down the key words of the day that I wanted so much to say- using a little dictionary I luckily took with me (it was a pre-Internet era :)). Every day my list of words was growing and so were my communication skills. At the end of holidays when I was coming back on a night couch to Poland I woke up...and realised I was dreaming in ...German! I understood then that I won the language. With words."
Dorota Sakowska-Hunt, LEO Academy founder
words, words, words...
GO
for
it!
for
it!
X (no) grammar
We do not offer formal grammar lessons at LEO. We were never particularly prudent about grammar terms: adjectives, pronouns, adverbs- calling words with these terms seems to be taking their beauty and meaning away. Makes them not words anymore.
We do not object to the necessity of learning grammar- we simply leave it to traditional schools.
The key aspect about LEO’s method is broadening practical language skills combined with knowledge about everyday life, culture and curiosities of a particular country.
In this way, the language can be understood, felt, loved and spoken.
Double security
We believe that children learn the best when they are fully relaxed and interested in the subject. That’s why with the LEO method the point of interest is directed at exploring cultures and learning curious facts rather than a structure of yet another English class. We care for children’s well-being - in our method we provide 2 qualified teachers- children spend 45 minutes of active conversation & exploring foreign cultures time with a TEFL qualified native speaker and 10 minutes with the leading bilingual teacher who makes sure that a group understands all the nuances as well as provides feedback on creative writing optional homework tasks. For enhanced quality and security all classes are recorded.
Recordings are not shared or distributed without the explicit permission of the parents.
Double
security
security
Our Core Team
- PhD in neuroscience, University of Cambridge,
- British native speaker
- 15 years of experience in language related business
- Father of two bilingual children interested in neuromethods of language learning
- M.A. in Applied Linguistics, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz
- PhD candidate in Linguistics
- University Lecturer since 2012
- Blogger and author of teaching materials www.kjzp.wordpress.com
- MBA, University of Monaco
- MA University of Lodz, International Relations
- 15 years of experience in language related business
- Mother of two bilingual children & passionate of bilingualism
- M.A. in English, University of Szczecin
- Experienced teacher for all age groups, staring with three-year olds
- Fluent in five languages
- Mom of a little boy