Under the auspices of her language centre, young entrepreneur Mina Lepšanović helps clients who live in French-speaking countries or work with francophone clients around the world to find motivation and to outline their personal language goals and achieve them as quickly as possible
Within the scope of the unique programme ’French UP with Confidence’, people are able to overcome their fear of speaking and improve their knowledge of the French language. And judging by the results our interlocutor has achieved, this is easier to achieve than one would think.
You are the founder and owner of language centre Mina French Coaching where you work as a Neurolanguage Coach®. Could you explain to us what this work entails, as we’ve never previously heard of it?
I am a teacher of the French language and a Neurolanguage Coach® certified by the Efficient Language Coaching (ELC), which is accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Neurolanguage coaching® is a method of language learning that combines neuroscience findings about ways the brain likes to learn with coaching techniques, in order to optimise the speed and efficency of the learning process itself.
What’s the biggest problem faced by your clients?
In my work with more than 800 clients from around 30 countries around the world, I realised that the biggest problem they face, regardless of where they come from or what language they are learning, is the fear of mistakes. I also encountered this myself as a student, because I believed that, as a future professor, it was impermissable for me to make mistakes, while a foreign language is actually learnt by speaking, making mistakes and learning through those mistakes.
On the basis of knowledge about the brain gleaned from neuroscience and coaching techniques, I help people free themselves of their fear and mental blocks
I consequently set out to learn about the brain and the way our mindset influences the way we learn language. It was on the basis of the conclusions I reached that I created the French UP with Confidence programme, within the framework of which I help people overcome their fear of speaking and improve their knowledge of the French language.
That’s your winning formula that yields excellent results?
That’s right! On the basis of knowledge about the brain gleaned from neuroscience and coaching techniques, I help people free themselves of their fear and mental blocks, i.e., to gain insight into their negative convictions regarding language learning, which they probably acquired in school and which now hold them back from progress. I then use modern technologies, as I believe that learning a language should be fun in order for us to be motivated to work. This prompted me to forge a partnership with the French platform Frello, and my clients – within the scope of the programme – have access to the Frello app, on which they can improve all their language skills independently and in an interesting way. We also use WhatsApp groups, through which they have an opportunity to converse in French every day, with me and my assistants, who are native French speakers resident in different French-speaking countries around the world, such as the Ivory Coast in Africa.
You currently speak four languages, but we don’t believe you’ll stop there, given that you advocate lifelong learning. What’s the next item on your “To Do” list?
I speak Serbian, English, French and Spanish, and I plan to learn Italian, which I studied in high school, and Russian. And science has proven it’s never too late to learn a language, as the brain’s neuroplasticity and ability to renew itself throughout life has been determined. My next objective is to expand my online community and create digital courses and products to help people all over the world master the French language in an efficient, easy and fun way, and thereby gain new business opportunities and the feeling that they are part of the French-speaking community in which they live.