Presently located on Last School Campus, the ALL offers classes in a variety of languages, including English, Tamil, French, Sanskrit, Hindi, Spanish, German, Italian,. and Japanese. It also has award-winning materials – including videos, audio, and interactive software in over 26 languages – in its "mediatheque," and has a reference library for language learning. Guided study programmes are offered and one-on-one classes can be arranged on request. The ALL offers regular 3-month English Intensives for beginners and intermediate students.
The Laboratory is the only centre in India offering the Tomatis Method, a listening/ear-retraining therapy also known as "Audio Psycho Phonology", which has both language learning as well as therapeutic applications. Languages available using this special method include English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese & Chinese. Therapeutic applications include improving attention, concentration and memory, stress and anxiety reduction, release of creative potential, depression and lack of confidence, as well as autism, learning disorders including dyslexia, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, developmental delays, language delays and other language-related problems such as stuttering, certain kinds of hearing loss as well as problems in expression and voice control. The diagnostic "Listening Test" offers fascinating insights as a tool of self-knowledge. The Tomatis Research Centre offers individualised programmes in this method.
The Auroville Language Lab is a full-fledged language laboratory that draws upon the unique linguistic culture of Auroville.
The Auroville Language Lab is a special place where everyday, people of all ages and nationalities come together to learn new languages, and in the process learn more about each other and themselves.
In addition to providing a beautiful and inviting space for language learning, ALL is also involved in several ongoing projects, research, and in creating exclusive language-learning material.
Alive with the rich vibrant sounds of languages from all over the world, Auroville is the perfect place to learn a new one.
The doors of the language lab are open six days a week, providing our students with world class learning material, access to a multi-media library and the opportunity to choose one's own method of study (group classes, self-study programs or one-to-one classes).
A network of computers, each equipped with headphones and microphones, sharing resources, it gives access to a wide variety of very high-quality films, videos, audio materials and interactive software in many different languages. So even if there isn't a group class in the language you want to learn being conducted at the moment, that should not stop you: you can book your slot on the médiathèque and follow a self or guided study program.
We welcome young Aurovilians, Newcomers and Guests who would like to offer their services in teaching a language. ALL offers some wonderful resources to help you plan your lessons, make handouts that your students could use as well as a range of material including books, audio materials, videos, TV and radio programs. And discover how teaching is a very rewarding experience….
For the first time in India, the Auroville Language Lab offers Tomatis Ear Re-Education Therapy for both language learning as well as therapeutic applications.
A Listening Test, conducted at the Language Lab Annex at Center Field, measures hearing thresholds as well as different frequencies and determines the potential and obstacles to person's ability to learn languages. If you are interested, the Listening Test which is the first step can be arranged by calling 91-413- 2622575 or 91-413- 2622944 in the mornings between 9am-12 pm.
A typical program takes around two months and consists of a "passive" phase of listening through special headphones, and an "active" phase of repeating words and sentences under the effect of a special machine developed by Dr. Alfred Tomatis.
The method requires a commitment of 1.5 hours a day. While it does not replace the need for language classes covering grammar, vocabulary acquisition etc, it gives one the hearing of a native speaker, and consequently results in extremely precise and correct pronunciation. A three-nation study commissioned by the European Union, involving five universities has confirmed its remarkable accuracy; in some cases it reduces the time taken to learn a language by half!
At a therapeutic level, it helps people with depression, low self-esteem, lack of motivation, low energy, hyper-activity etc. It can also be used by stage artists, teachers etc to help to improve voice control. It also helps children and adults with learning disorders such as dyslexia.
Contact us for costs of the language and therapeutic programmes. Language exposure to English and French are already available; Spanish will be offered in a few months. Research work on the special settings for Indian languages including Tamil is continuing.