Manchester City are a team that understands the value of good communication. Many of their players, staff and coaches are learning English, and some of the English staff are learning Spanish to help communication at the club.
Now their newest star, 19 year-old Brazilian Gabriel Jesus is having English lessons too, and his commitment is already impressing Manager Pep Guardiola. “He arrived and then immediately after one or two days he asked to start to learn English”, says Guardiola. “That means a lot, to be involved and settle and when the people are talking on or off the pitch he can understand it. That is a good sign for us.” The Manager also commented on how committed Gabriel Jesus is; “He has English lessons every single day and that means a lot to me”, says Mr Guardiola.
Jesus’s team-mate Fernandinho has also noticed the youngster’s efforts in English, remarking that “He is already trying to speak English words. At the training ground he keeps saying ‘Good morning’ and ‘How are you?’”. Fernandinho stressed the importance learning English, saying “That’s important because it gets him involved in the team quickly, and when you are 19 years old you are able to learn quickly”.
La Academia always encourages beginners to get stuck in and to use their new language as often as possible, even if they know only a few words. “By using the language you can develop confidence. The smiles and encouragement that you get when making an effort to speak someone else’s language make the hard work worthwhile”, says Ruben Cnobel, who heads up la Academia’s adult English language tuition. If Gabriel Jesus continues his English lessons and uses his new language skills actively, he will quickly progress”.
If correctly taught it’s possible to learn a language at any age – adults often seem to progress slower than children, but this is because people will correct a child, but are reluctant to seem rude by correcting an adult. With a good team of teachers to help, and the encouragement of his team-mates and Manager, we’re confident that Gabriel Jesus will gain good English skills rapidly.
If you’re an adult who wants to learn a language with experienced and understanding teachers, la Academia is the place to go – or, if you prefer, we can come to you! Give us a call or drop us an email to find out more.