E C O L E V A R A D I S. A.
institut de linguistique appliquée et de communication professionnelle
32, avenue de Frontenex CH-1207 Genève à 5 min. de Rive ·
Parking · Tram 12 et 16, bus 9Tél: 0041-22-736 28 74 Fax: 0041-22-736 28 84
Geneva, using a critical approach to traditional, as well as more recent methods. The Varadi
method involves the active participation of the student with added emphasis placed on the rapid
development of oral expression, while providing a sound knowledge of grammar.
One of the principal advantages of the Varadi method is that it spares the student a great deal
of memorisation, and replaces it with the organization of Knowledge, which is an undoubtedly
more creative approach. Instead of placing emphasis on the quantity of words learnt, we endow
our students with the means of discovering and using numerous possibilities of combination
using the acquired elements.
We know today that the teaching of languages to adults should not be inspired by the methods
used for teaching little children. In fact, certain methods claim to teach foreing languages to adults
with the same ease and spontaneity that characterises the learning of the mother tongue by a
small child. These methods are less effective and slower than we might think: a child needs three
to four years to assimilate the primary elements of the language, and evec then it will yield only
very basic results. Let us not forget that the adult, who already marsters one or more languages,
possesses a rich field of knowledge that can be greatly expanded and utilised.
Our language courses intended for adults therefore propose texts and situations grounded in
everyday situations and in which the adult discovers his/her centers of interests and needs. We
offer dynamic and practical texts that spark the imagination of our students and convey to them
the motivation necessary for overcoming the difficulties involved in learning a new language.
