 La Lingua was started in December 1995. After writing my last essay for my Linguistics Degree I was left wondering what to do next in my life. All the money that I had saved up had disappeared with tuition, rent, food and beer. I found myself with just 2 dollars to my name wondering what to do next. I wasn’t able to sleep.
All I had was my house, my knowledge of Linguistics, and a good technique for teaching Japanese. I made a poster advertising ‘Japanese Lessons', and with my last 2 dollars made 20 photocopies and posted them on bulletin boards all around the University. One student came, then another and then another. Word of mouth got around and soon I was teaching Japanese all day long and distributing flyers all night. In 1996, we moved to Sydney’s Chinatown as a language school, teaching English conversation and several other languages, with the help of a friend. There I met a group of linguists and language teachers who devoted themselves to developing courses, to teach ‘English that you can use in real-life, the minute you walk out the door’. We introduced the small class system with an average of 8 students, when the average in other schools was 16. Our reputation grew fast, and we came to be known as one of the first and best ‘English conversation schools‘ in Sydney. We won the Australian Ethnic Business Council Small Business award in 2002, for our contribution to Australian society, and for being a mediator between Australia and the international community. In 2000, La Lingua was officially recognized as an Australian government-recognized CRICOS-registered ELICOS school, accredited by NEAS, accepting international students from all over the world. La Lingua has also become an official testing centre for TOEIC. La Lingua’s creative and dynamic teachers and staff create a strong school spirit and a fun learning environment. Our goal is to have ‘Happy Students and Happy Staff!’ La Lingua Language School is ‘everyone’s school’, created by our teachers and staff, as well as our students. It is a visible outcome of my study abroad to Australia, and encounters with people from all around the world. What will your study abroad in Australia bring to your future life? We are looking forward to hearing your story. | 
