The Method

The right teaching approach makes
all the difference.

The Michel Thomas Method is built on a simple idea: if you remove stress from the learning process, anyone can learn to speak a new language. The responsibility for learning lies with the teacher, not the student. No memorisation needed, no tests, no worrying about mistakes.

Commuter on train

Why it works

Three simple principles, backed by decades of evidence.

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Listen and respond

You join a real teacher and two students in a recorded lesson. The teacher introduces the building blocks of the language and some key vocabulary. You and the students are prompted to use these to construct sentences. You pause, think, respond in your own time, then listen to the answer.

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Build, don’t memorise

Instead of learning grammar drills and vocabulary lists, you absorb the structural logic of the language. You start to understand why a sentence works, which means you can create new sentences you’ve never been taught.

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No pressure

Michel Thomas is an all-audio method. There’s no writing, no homework, no testing and no pressure to get it right first time. Mistakes are part of the learning process. You learn at your own pace, when and where suits you.

Backed by science

The method is based on principles that have been proven by modern neuroscience and psychology.

Active recall

By pausing the lesson and responding when prompted, you strengthen memory formation more effectively than by passive listening. This makes it much easier for you to retrieve that information later and put it into practice in conversation.

Learn step-by-step

The courses are carefully designed to progress steadily, building your knowledge and capabilities step by step. This is what gives you a constant sense of progression without feeling pressured.

No stress

We know that stress makes learning more difficult. To ensure the most effective environment for learning the Michel Thomas approach removes the anxiety that can come from tests, homework and trying to remember.

Experience the method for yourself

Listen to a two-minute excerpt from Foundation Korean

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