My connection with Berlitz actually goes back to the 1990s. My mother started learning German here because she needed it for her job at an Austrian company. She had a very intensive course - it was exhausting, but she loved it.
Later, when I was in high school, she kept encouraging me to learn English. We checked the possibilities with Kriszta (Ms. Krisztina Hoór, our Director in Budapest), and that’s when I started my course. I joined Berlitz around 2000. It’s been 26 years. Of course, there were some breaks, but it’s still been a long journey.
At the moment, I’m taking Russian classes with Irina. She’s amazing. I really appreciate her patience because I have to admit I’m quite busy, and I’m not always the best when it comes to homework. I prefer learning through lessons - that’s what really works for me.
One of the most striking things for me was that no one spoke Hungarian during the lessons - that was completely new at the beginning.
I also really enjoyed having different teachers over time. It meant I had to constantly adapt and get used to different accents and ways of speaking. I remember one teacher from New Zealand - for the first two weeks, I felt like I was in a Dutch class. It was quite funny!
But this variety turned out to be incredibly valuable. Today,
it doesn’t really matter which part of the globe I go to - I can understand almost everyone.
Although Scottish English is still a bit tricky…
Jokes aside, I used to live in Kenya for two years, and when I returned home recently, I had no difficulty understanding East Africans.
During high school, I improved so quickly that I started a small side business translating technical documentation for security equipment.
Even before graduating, I was already interpreting for my uncle at business meetings. That was when I realized how effective the Berlitz Method is - because I felt confident using the language in real situations. And that’s the best part: I’m no hesitant to speak at all.
I learned three languages with Berlitz: English, which I took to an advanced level, Italian for a short time, and later Russian.
Out of the three, Russian was the most challenging, mainly because of its grammar. There are so many exceptions! There’s always a rule - and then a “but” that changes everything.
When it comes to grammar, I often take a different approach: I pick up the language first and deal with the rules later.
There are so many! I’ve met a lot of great people over the years, and with some of my teachers, we even became friends.
What really stands out is the atmosphere. The way teachers approach students, combined with the method itself, creates a completely different experience compared to a traditional language school.
There have been many funny moments too - and honestly, the fact that I’ve been here for over 26 years says it all.
