DATES:

Dr. Peter Pikkert builds this workshop on the principles developed in the MTI PILAT program.

Location: All held in the Greater Toronto Area

PLANTS is a proactive approach to learning a new language. Before you are field-tested you can evaluate your language learning strengths and weaknesses, learn the principles and skills of language acquisition, and practise your newly acquired skills during 10 hours of supervised language learning in small groups. All within two weeks in the world’s most multi-cultural city – Toronto.

The Ecology of Language Learning
Just as a plant depends for its growth on the quality of the soil, the seed, and the nurture, the inter-cultural worker’s acquisition of new language learning skills depends on:

The Soil: Toronto
The world’s most multicultural city offers an unparalleled opportunity for PLANTS to match participants with a language associate from virtually all of the world’s major and many of its minor languages. Also, PLANTS participants will enjoy a genuine intercultural experience in one of the city’s ethnic communities (Chinatown, “little India” etc).

The Seed: Skills, Strategies, Tools and Techniques
PLANTS includes a tool box of 25+ activities and techniques for learning languages and cultures and will demonstrate LinguaLinks, Wycliffe’s language learning CD resource.

The Nurture: Language Learning Principles
Designed for maximum productivity, they prepare the participant to cultivate the “Seeds” to fruition in the soil of their new cultural assignment. Moreover, participants are encouraged to discover their own learning style and create a customized language learning program for themselves.

And let’s not forget the gardener, the main instructor for PLANTS: Dr Peter Pikkert. He combines the best of academic training and field experience. He earned his D.Th. with the University of South Africa. He has also studied at the Toronto Institute of Linguistics, and the universities of Syracuse, Leicester, Jordon and Istanbul. Dr. Pikkert is the director of International Centre for Cross-Cultural Studies (ICCS). He has lived most of his adult life in the Middle East, speak Arabic, Dutch, English and Turkish, and travels from the Middle East two times per year to teach the PLANTS seminars.

Considering how mission-critical language learning tools and strategies are, sending every inter-cultural worker to PLANTS program is the wise investment of seed capital. It can be a major fact in reducing expensive, avoidable attrition from the field.

Graduate from PLANTS in two weeks with:
Insider skills for Language Learning

• At least 25 highly effective language & cultural learning techniques and ideas.
• A pro-active approach to language learning.
• A personalized learning style analysis.
• Personalized, tailor made plan.
• A work book filled with language learning resources.
• feedback on 10 hours of real language learning.

Phonetics Foundations

• Ears trained to distinguish the fine differences between sounds.
• Mouth prepared for brand new sounds.
• Speech flexibility.
• A basic understanding of structure of words, sentences, discourse and meaning
  and of the social functions of language

Language readiness

• Confidence and motivation.
• How to get the most out of language school.
• Discover the resources on the SIL Lingua Links CD.
• Understand nature of language learning.
• Practical tips for the whole family.
• Daycare and program for children provided
  
  

REGISTER ON-LINE FOR PLANTS