Why did I create Qoclico?

A little explanation is in order. Who’s behind Qoclico? Well, it’s me, Anne-Sophie. A wandering French woman… …expatriate… I have lived in several European countries, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and Central America, nine countries in total. In most cases, I have taught French as a foreign language, commonly known as “FLE.” In turn as a teacher, pedagogical coordinator, teaching department director, I had the opportunity to evolve in this field and to be able to really examine it from several points of view. It is this 360° vision that has allowed me to see the strengths and “blind spots” of the sector and to come up with a unique language learning solution that finds its niche in a packed market.

Qoclico is designed for all adults who are learning French, all those who have learned it and wish to improve their knowledge, and all those who have the feeling that they are not progressing or that they are not comfortable using it. Qoclico is particularly interesting for professionals who embrace regular expatriation and travel for work. For these people, speaking another language is essential. However, the comings and goings make the task both urgent and delicate. It is difficult to keep a rhythm in learning when our daily routine is constantly disrupted. So how do we do it? There is no shortage of course options, you may say. Certainly, but the same cannot be said of the options that are truly adapted to this audience. So what do I intend to bring to these people, to these learners with Qoclico? Well, read on to learn about the following 5 key elements.

First, the digital dimension. Thanks to maplateforme.qoclico.com, learners can access an interface dedicated to them and follow tutored training modules. As this platform functions as a social network, they also have the opportunity to interact with other learners and interact within a classroom group and also in discussion forums. They can compile ‘favourites’ to create their own checklist and resource library and can track their progress. Qoclico Learning Platform offers the possibility of semi-autonomous training, meaning with the support of a tutor.  Qoclico also has a virtual classroom for “virtual face-to-face lessons”. With Qoclico Learning Platform and virtual classroom, no more breaks and dropouts due to your business trips!

I have a confession to make. Before I embarked on e-learning, I was not really convinced myself. I didn’t think that this learning method could really be effective, especially in a language-learning environment. I had personally tested a few platforms as a learner of Portuguese and Dutch. I had found it fun, of course, but one thing is certain, I still don’t speak Portuguese, let alone Dutch. But a few years ago I had the chance to be part of a teaching team that offered blended training. The tools I discovered through these trainings were a revelation. First it was new and truly adapted to teaching. Secondly it was practical, and thirdly it worked! Some tools even allow more advanced classroom activities and dynamics than in a physical classroom.

Now, let’s go back to our list of 5 key elements. Second, the human dimension. E-Learning can become a very enjoyable activity using an ergonomic platform. The offers are fun and even free or low-cost, and there are many on offer across the web, thanks to robots. It’s fast, it’s automatic, and it’s visually appealing. But when the goal is more about learning and progress than having fun, you think you’d be better to find a school or tutor and stick to it, face-to-face. But of course, the trouble is that you can’t find the time or you can’t find a decent teacher, or there are no courses at the right level. So you get demotivated or you pretty quickly just drop out altogether. What we can learn from this classic example is that unless you are self-taught, you cannot do without a real teacher to learn. Robots are fine for a while. In through our online offer Qoclico includes a permanent support from a teacher. He or she exchanges with you via a messaging system, answers your questions, annotates your exercises and evaluates your writings, and he or she leads virtual face-to-face sessions (i.e., live, each through his or her portable device).

Third, specialisation. At Qoclico we don’t know how to do everything and we don’t speak all the languages, we are specialists in French and… French, that’s all! That is all we do and we do it well.

Fourth, resources for advanced learners. We found that these language learners are often left out of most of the French as a foreign language learning options. Yes, it is above all a question of balancing supply and demand. There are supposedly never enough advanced learners to justify opening a class of their level. So either the advanced levels are not opened or they are mixed, which requires the implementation of a special pedagogy (a “differentiated pedagogy”) in which few teachers are trained correctly. Qoclico fills this gap perfectly. Sometimes we tend to say, “that’s it, you’ve reached a level where you can manage on your own and continue to learn on your own”, but not everyone wants or knows how to learn on his or her own. “So all that remains is to perfect your French, you no longer need lessons.” But, as a lot of us know, it’s no small feat to correct the myriad of little mistakes that have become automatic. So we at Qoclico decided to develop resources for this specific advanced language learning audience.

Finally, the fifth element: real language coaching. Too often it is not the level that is at issue but the ease of language use. Qoclico tackles these blockages and “self-limitations.” Our language coaching sessions are not French lessons. However, they allow you to progress and better communicate in French. During these sessions we work on trust, on the cause of blockages and have develop customised tools to help overcome them.

As you will have understood, I created Qoclico to put adult learners back at the heart of French learning through a customised approach. We, as school or teachers, are here to support these learners, and to facilitate their learning progression. But nothing beats giving them concrete control of their learning trajectory, and importantly, tangible and consistent progress.