Hello!
Well, I guess it’s my turn, and after Marina’s inspired introduction, I will try to measure up to hers.My name is Valter, and I was the second one to join the team, a little after Marina. Or should I say, the one who caught the Myngle bug right after her…
The great thing about the team, and about the Myngle community that is being born, as we speak, is how similar and how different we all are at the same time.
Like Marina, I love foreign languages – and have been an avid student for many years. I even taught them part time for a few years as I was going to university. I started out as a teacher at Berlitz, then moved on to being an independent teacher. Then decided to open my own language school. That was back in the early 90’s, as the internet was just starting up. So I put the 2 together, and thought: Wouldn’t it be cool to learn a new language over the internet? That would save the hassle of having to move around in the clogged streets of São Paulo, Brazil, and allow students and teachers to enjoy the convenience of staying at home / in the office… Well, of course, the internet was definitely not up to the task at the time, so I left the project in the back burner for a while.
Then I traveled the world. First in Europe, where I went to business school. Then the US, where I worked for Enron and was a witness – and a victim – to one of the most widely publicized corporate debacles in recent history. Trust me, it was amazing… (in hindsight) like experiencing an earthquake or watching a volcano erupt right in front of you…
After I decided I had had it with energy traders in the US, I moved to Asia. Not as a backpacker, but as a banker for ABN AMRO, a Dutch bank – quite a different experience from Marina’s. Along the way I got 2 lovely daughters whom I treasure dearly.
Then as destiny would have it, I ran into Marina by accident around the summer of 2006 and rescue my plans from the drawer. Rather nicely, timing turned out to be quite right, as only now did the necessary preconditions for quality synchronous language elearning materialize.
It’s been an amazing experience so far and I can only think it’s just the beginning… I am definitely enjoying the ride and look forward to the next stages in the development of Myngle.
Valter is a Myngle adviser.
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August 24th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
wow!
It’s nice to meet you here. Though you didn’t make yourself visible in Myngle but reading your page is quite a good one to know you. I just want to say thank you for sharing your ideas and come up to this wonderful site.
With prayer,
Aubrey
Philippines
August 27th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Hi Aubrey!
Thanks for your kind words!
I am the one who should be thanking you for your keen participation at Myngle!! As one of our top teachers, you are a key part of our success. The site would not be wonderful without the contribution of people like you.
As an aside, I have just returned from the Philippines, where I spent a very relaxing week in Boracay. I had the chance to experience some true Filipino specialties: Boybawang and typhoons!
Cheers,
Valter 😉
January 7th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Hi Valter,
I am writing an article on how the current economic situation is affecting English language schools for the English Language Gazette.
According to trends from previous recessions, demand for business English goes down but general English goes up, as children and teenagers are sent to learn English to recession-proof them as they start to enter the job market.
It would be great if you can send me recent statistics to prove or disprove this.
I look forward to hear from you
Regards
Michael
January 8th, 2009 at 1:31 am
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the mail and for the interesting question on a topic that is very relevant to these times. A few comments:
* From a business perspective, indeed budget for employee training in general (English instruction included) is one of the first items on the corporate chopping board. Demand has fallen significantly at some traditional (offline) shools we know that target the business market.
* Your comment on general English is interesting, as it makes a lot of sense from a psychological point of view. Faced with a recessive economy, it is understandable that parents will be concerned with their children’s future careers and feel even more compelled to equip them to become more competitive (by having them learn English)… The interesting twist, however, is that by the time their children reach the job market (or get to master English for that matter), the reccession that triggered the process is very likely to have ended. So because of a timing mismatch, this anxiety-driven initiative by parents does not quite work as intended. Having said that, the results are obviously positive, and in this situation we could say that parents make the right decision for the wrong reason…
*A more general phenomenon that applies to both business and general English education, however, is cost-cutting. Whether the sponsor is a corporate employer or a family, before interrupting the English course altogether, they will try to find a more affordable alternative. Which is what we are seeing at Myngle, where we offer a more cost-effficient way to learn languages compared to the traditional classroom model. Through our synchronous online learning programmes, we eliminate many costs by doing away with needs for transportation, physical infrastructure and avoiding lost time.
Lastly, I am afraid I do not have statistics with me to prove or disprove this. I have asked Myngle team members to get back to you on that.
Please let us know if you have any othe questions or would like further help with your article.
Cheers,
Valter