We believe that

the only way to be creative and feel happy
is personal and professional development

We are Language and Motivation

We created Language and Motivation because we believe that everyone deserves personal and professional development. The fact that we teach foreign languages quickly and effectively is a result of our experience and the method we use, as well as our conviction that we must pursue our dreams, like living abroad and working in the field that really interests us. We love what we do and combine our strengths to help our students learn a language with minimal effort!

In 2016, we were trained and inspired by professor Olivier Delhaye, who is the primary source of all this scientific knowledge. Since 2018 we have been based in the Netherlands, Greece and Belgium and the team of teachers is still growing.

OUR TEAM

Sofia Karfi, Founder of LM

Sofia Karfi LM founder, Teacher of French

Highly-skilled teacher with passion for delivering high-quality learning experiences with innovative ways of teaching and digital material that keeps students engaged. Proven track record of driving students to high CEFRL-level certifications in short time.
Strengths include:
– More than 10 years of teaching experience.
– Talent in motivating students and encouraging them to participate in the class.
– Rigorous on equal opportunity for all students, regardless of their skills, attainment, and needs.

 

I believe that we can do everything that we set our mind to!

Stella Papadimitriou, teacher of French

Stella Papadimitriou Teacher of French and English

Continuing education for professional competence or just for self-fulfillment is everyone's right. It is not that educational opportunities have been lacking but people craving for lifelong education need to overcome limitations. With 13 years of teaching history, Stella has seen people quit working on their goal of learning a new language because of the time-consuming and arduous traditional teaching methods.

With the F.A.S.T. method I help everyone discover or rediscover the motivation they need to reach their potential.

Mahdy Youssef - Teacher of Dutch

Mahdy Youssef Teacher of Dutch

Mahdy has always had a big passion for languages. He grew up knowing two different cultures and that’s where his language interest started. He studied Languages and has been tutoring since high school.

The F.A.S.T. method is a revolutionary way of teaching. I could barely imagine teaching with a different method.

Sani Deligiorgi Communications & Operations Manager

Sani holds a KnowCrunch Professional Diploma in Digital & Social Media. She is working side by side with Sofia Karfi, going through all sorts of digital necessities and facilitating good operations in Language and Motivation. She also helps students get on-board with the language courses providing information and step by step services.

It's an honour to work with amazing people and learn new things! I am in the frontline welcoming new students and that keeps me motivated.

Anneta Saridaki, Teacher of Dutch

Anneta Saridaki Teacher of Dutch

Annetta is a teacher of Dutch with a teaching experience of over 20 years. She studied Dutch at the University of Leiden. She has been working with bilingual adults, as well as with children of different nationalities and backgrounds. Her aim is to motivate her students to achieve their objectives and attain success in what they are doing.
 

Being a teacher at Language and Motivation is a wonderful experience. You meet new people and you also work with a great team!

Vaggelio Dimitraki Teacher of Spanish

With more than 15 years of experience in instructing students in Spanish language, Vaggelio is a skilled and enthusiastic teacher, committed to encourage language retention and eventual fluency of students from various backgrounds and learning styles. She fosters engaging classes and develops thoughtful and enthusiastic students who manage to achive measurable language progression. 

I love to be creative and motivate my students to get passionate about the Spanish language and culture. 

Gogo teacher of German

Gogo Tsiaousi Teacher of German

Gogo has been a German teacher since 2010. After graduation she started teaching German at different levels. Learning a foreign language is like opening a door to a new world. The German language can be more amazing than you ever thought in this world of languages.

Teaching German with the F.A.S.T. method is an interesting way to explore the language.

Jildou teacher of Dutch

Jildou Broersma Teacher of Dutch

During her studies for becoming a language teacher, Jildou has learned a lot about teaching a foreign language. She has got experience teaching different levels and different ages in Dutch and English and is now mainly focusing on teaching her mother tongue, Dutch.

With the F.A.S.T. method I motivate many students to reach their language goals in a safe and comfortable learning environment.

Chara Siafaka, Teacher of Portuguese

Chara Siafaka Teacher of Portuguese

Chara - whose name means Joy - is an experienced and motivated teacher. She believes that the teacher's expectations have a huge impact on students' achievement. This is the reason why she has high expectations for all of her students. 

I know what each student is capable of individually, I strive to help each one attain their personal best.

Federica Bernabei Teacher of Italian

Thanks to the teaching experience gained over the years, Federica has understood that she likes to share knowledge with others and work in groups. Αlongside language and music teaching, she is currently pursuing a PhD. in Music and Musicology.

I firmly believe that sharing is a great strength, and I like the F.A.S.T. method because it helps students be independent and overcome their limits.

Stephan NL teacher of Language and Motivation

Stephan Mulder Teacher of Dutch

Stephan has always been captivated by languages, which led him to pursue a degree in German language and literature. Throughout his 10 year teaching journey, he has taught multiple languages at international schools in the Netherlands and Tanzania. He is an enthusiastic and motivated teacher, who is very passionate about educating and communicating in different languages with people from different cultures.

The F.A.S.T. method allows students to be more engaged and autonomous in their language learning process.

Andre Heuzer Teacher of Dutch

Sharing knowledge and experience has always motivated Andre. As a teacher, as a journalist and as a writer. Dutch is his mother tongue, but living outside the Netherlands now every day it is clear to him how important it is to learn the language to blend into local society.

Learning a language should not be an endless list of grammar rules in funny sentences, but should focus on communicating with people around you. The F.A.S.T. method makes that possible, and makes learning new languages both easy and fun.

Kathy Heidel, teacher of German

Kathy Heidel Teacher of German

Kathy believes that communication is key and learning languages is the way to go. Language learning is both a passion and profession and she has travelled the world while doing it. Combining knowledge, studied German as a foreign language, with experience, 20+ years of teaching, she is always excited about different learners approaching the German language.

F.A.S.T. does not mean fast, here it means C.L.E.V.E.R!

Learn a language in 3 months! Get Started today

  • I did the 1-on-1 3-month course from A0 to B1 with Mahdy. Indeed it boosted my Dutch language level very fast. I really like the way it was taught as it goes directly to adult’s material so that you learn the language by directly applying the language to explain things. He encourages me to try to speak a lot and it felt fun to have the lessons. It is indeed encouraging and tailor-made. I am impressed by my growth of Dutch level which one can take much more time just to reach my current level.

    Peter D., Postdoctoral researcher, student of Dutch
  • Such a nice experience! The Teacher Training has just finished, however, the networking, collaboration, and exchange of good practices of the F.A.S.T. method can go on amongst the participants. Many thanks to Sofia Karfi for coordinating the training and to all colleagues who participated!

    Spyroula M., teacher of Turkish
  • Language and Motivation is a unique language school. With one-on-one lessons and supportive teachers, this was the best learning experience I could have asked for. I followed their Dutch course and my teacher Annetta was never once impatient or discouraging. She zoned in on the areas for improvement, while keeping me happy and engaged with my development (she's literally the best). Can't recommend it enough, thanks for everything LM!

    Aiyana Z., Creative, student of Dutch, successfully passed all levels of Staatsexamen B2
  • Getting to know the Language and Motivation method has been a great surprise for me, as well as a challenge to try out a different way of teaching a foreign language. Sofia Karfi, thank you for this opportunity and for the excellent training in the method. I look forward to applying it.

    Anna X., teacher of German
  • My participation in the training was a completely constructive experience, which opened new horizons to the adult education methodology that I had not even imagined existed!

    Kostas I., teacher of German
  • After 12 lessons I started talking the language. I could never believe that could happen. Mahdy is a great teacher, with passion for his work. I highly recommend this method!

    Elina R., Assistant Scientist Drug Product Development at The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, student of Dutch
  • Through my personal experience, I found the teaching methodology followed by Language and Motivation to be pragmatic and effective; better than the traditional way of learning. Before starting with Language and Motivation I was already at A1 level in Dutch, however, that felt more of a theoretical knowledge than a practical skill. After I started my language course with LM, only after 2-3 classes I began to develop good confidence in speaking Dutch. For me, I was just following simple instructions on how to study and prepare for the classes, it was after some lessons I realized that Dutch began to come out of me automatically. And that was surprising and thrilling to see. I would also like to appreciate my teacher, Jildou, for her patience & support. And for creating an atmosphere where it is easy to connect with her and develop an understanding. All in all, it has been a really positive outcome which I am very happy about!

    Mridul T., M. Tech Biotechnology, student of Dutch
  • I was a bit skeptical at first when I read about the practice-based teaching method, but learning Dutch this way has been amazing! The lessons are easy to follow, the teacher is fun and personable and my everyday life has become easier, as I now understand more and more words when people speak with me! Highly recommend it.

    Martina S., Digital Illustrator / Concept Artist, student of Dutch
  • Learning a language with Language and Motivation using the F.A.S.T. method is fun, effective and doesn't feel like studying at all! I was stunned by my progress of French and enjoyed every single private class with my French teacher Stella. Also, since it's a small language school communication is very quick and LM is very flexible adapting to your needs if possible. I felt very much being a part of LM and not just being "another student". Highly recommended if you want to learn fast a new language!

    Clara C., Lecturer Water Management University of Applied Science Rotterdam, student of French
  • Through a variety of very interesting and contemporary foremost articles, very funny and interactive videos, and a variety of tools that really really astonished me, within a period of three months, we easily reached a level of Β2-C1 in terms of text understanding and communication.

    Jenny P., student of Spanish
  • I attended the one-month training for F.A.S.T. method for language teachers in LM and it was really enlightening. I had the chance to collaborate with fellow colleagues of various languages and exchange lessons with them. As a new teacher of English I would recommend this training to fellow colleagues as it is a new approach to learning a language which allows adults to stay committed to due to the fact that certificates can be taken in a short period of time and requires only 1.5 hour per week for lessons.

    Katerina B., teacher of English
  • We saw how the method works from theory to practice: we took material, made material, taught and learned in a holistic approach to the F.A.S.T. method.

    Stella P., teacher of French
  • I took Dutch lessons with the F.A.S.T method from Mahdy and it's been nothing but a great experience. It's a really quick and effective method, it allows you to learn the language in a way that you customize so you learn what you usually use in your daily language. I definitely recommend it to everyone who is trying to learn a language and fed up with the traditional ways.

    Ipek, student of Dutch
    Ipek A., Clinical Psychologist, student of Dutch
  • During the training I discovered why it is so revolutionary. I started to feel and believe in the method more and more and now I could barely imagine teaching with a different method. Definitely the best teaching/learning method.

    mahdy
    Mahdy Y., teacher of Dutch
  • There are no words to describe Sofia !! I'm very glad that I had this amazing person as a French teacher!!! She loves her job and she makes you feel the same about French language!!! Not only teaches a foreign language but she helps you to open your horizons. Don't afraid to start this way of education! It is guaranteed you will succeed!!! She is the best! I highly recommend her as a teacher!!!!

    Stella M., Economist, student of French
  • It's my firm belief that, Miss Sofia is an incredible teacher! Not only she teaches you how to communicate in French for example, but she focuses also in the civilisation. So, you have the opportunity to learn also about the country and the problems that people are facing, the art and the culture. Generally, you learn really interesting stuff that in reality are incorporated in the language. A language in not only about grammar and vocabulary and Miss Sofia helps you understand that. She is really meticulous but a very cordial person too!!!

    Haris M., Biologist, student of French
  • The training via Language and Motivation has given me a different view of teaching. It is motivating and special to see how quickly students achieve a higher level with this method.

    Deborah
    Deborah G., teacher of Dutch
  • I never understand how the time passes during my classes with Bo. I have a lot of fun and learn Dutch without even noticing! She is very resourceful and helpful, which makes it super easy to tackle challenges along the way. Dankjewel voor alles!

    DilaraOguz
    Dilara O., Entertainment Services, student of Dutch
  • My second lesson is on Monday but I can tell for sure that I wish to continue with the lessons and your innovative method!

    Vaggelis P., NVS Planning Manager EMEA, student of Dutch
  • How does it feel to have lessons with Mahdy? It is always a great pleasure to learn with him. It is a great inspiration and we see the success after every week. Ik kijk ernaar uit naar onze weekelijkse "date". There is a big motivation to reach my goal step by step!! Thank you both, Mahdy and Sofia.

    Katrin
    Katrin S., Nurse, student of Dutch
  • Thank you, Sofia and Sani very much. We haven't started and it's already a very nice and organized experience! The process is so fun! I should have started earlier!

    Nadia N.I., HPI E-Commerce Partner Content Specialist at Webhelp, student of Spanish
  • It's something different from other methods. Fast learning that investigates the language deeply. This way, both oral and writing skills are improved.

    Andreas G., Environmental Scientist, student of English
  • Sophia is an excellent teacher and a wonderful person. She likes her teaching procedure to include poems, videos and articles, in french of course, which makes the lesson amusing but also teaches you many things about the french culture as well. She is very passionate about her work and she will help you understand and love the french language!

    Alexandra M., Psychologist, student of French
  • I really feel grateful for these incredible lessons in English with my superb teacher Stella Papadimitriou! She was always there to support, encourage and inspire me with her marvelous and subtle way! I can speak English confidently for the first time in my life! Thank you Stella, thank you Sofia, thank you Language and Motivation! 💜🙏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

    Maria M., Lawyer – Writer, student of English
  • I have tried this unique way of learning french and my progress was rapid.In just a few months i got prepared to give my exams and i succeded to get a diploma of B2-upper Intermediate level. The procedure of learning was very interesting by reading articles, watcing videos or even commenting books, so you have the ability of understanding grammar and syntax by reading or watching a complete article or video. I suggest without a doubt this way of learning!!!

    Niki V., Lawyer, student of French
  • I first came across Language & Motivation website while looking for a teacher for private Dutch lessons. I thought reaching B1 in three months was not possible, except in courses with classes every day, so I kept looking. But I was so intrigued that I couldn't stop thinking about it and a week later I sent an email asking for more details. Once I had settled down and was sure I could dedicate 6 hours per week to homework in the following three months, I decided to go ahead. I was impressed from the start. After the first lesson, I found myself being able to read and roughly understand a sign that had been sitting for weeks in the common room at my workplace. I guess that’s the main breakthrough of the F.A.S.T. method: it gives the students tools to break the language down to make it easier and then build it up at their own pace as they advance. It takes effort and dedication, and you only get what you give, but teacher Jildou was there to make everything clear and keep every lesson stimulating and fun.

    Márcia G., Historian, student of Dutch
  • Watch to what Jenny has to say about Language and Motivation

    Jenny P., student of Spanish
  • Language and Motivation has not only helped me pass the aforementioned exams but has also enabled me to communicate with my Dutch colleagues at work almost only in Dutch and also engage in day-to-day communications with Dutch people in their native language more than ever. I will continue to work on to take my Dutch proficiency to the next level.

    Dong YL, Assistant Finance Manager, student of Dutch successfully passed all parts of NT2 Staatsexamen II
  • Watch to what Ornela has to say about Language and Motivation

    Ornela P., Biomedical Engineer MSc, student of Dutch
  • I started using the F.A.S.T. method with Language and Motivation to brush up on my spoken French and use it in my workplace. I couldn’t imagine how quickly I could communicate with a certain vocabulary and terminology after my lessons with my teacher Stella! It was a really interesting process that gave me knowledge not only about the French language but also about my profession itself, as my study for the courses was focus on it. I now feel more confident to communicate in French and I am sure that this is a great way to learn fast and efficiently a new language.

    Ourania A., Architect Engineer, student of French
  • It's for sure a revolutionary approach to teaching a foreign language! Sofia is the most appropriate person to communicate her knowledge and expertise to all her colleagues. Personally, I recommend her and this training without question because it opens up new roads to this continually changing and demanding field of foreign language teaching. Thank you Sofia!

    Maria E., teacher of French
  • Being a teacher at Language and Motivation is a wonderful experience. You meet new people and you also work with a great team!

    Annetta, teacher of dutch
    Anneta S., teacher of Dutch
  • Teaching German with F.A.S.T. method is a fast and interesting way to explore the language.

    Gogo T., teacher of German
  • With the F.A.S.T. method I hope to motivate many students to reach their language goals in a safe and comfortable learning environment.

    Jildou B., teacher of Dutch
  • LM understood my needs and assigned the right teacher to me in short span of time. My teacher Annetta was the best in calibrating my needs and she made me fetch the fruits of success.

    Shakthi R., Software Test Engineer, student of Dutch
  • Sofia is an inspirational and passionate teacher! She's also very understanding and adaptable to your needs. Thanks to the Language and Motivation method, you will explore a new way of learning a language that is both fun and challenging! I have already taken the 3-month course for French and I am continuing to another one, so I strongly recommend her 🙂 My only regret is not having started the lessons earlier. So don't hesitate and do it now!

    Evgenia K., PhD Candidate, INRIA, student of French
  • Watch to what Philip has to say about Language and Motivation https://youtu.be/YpSbOhRUXjI

    Philip B.,Physiotherapist, student of Dutch
  • The training was very useful, it suggests new tools, material and ideas! Sofia is wonderful as a trainer! She is always ready to answer, to clear out and suggest solutions to your questions! Thank you Sofia 🙂

    Natalia P., teacher of French
  • Watch to what Nadia has to say about Language and Motivation

    Nadia N., HPI E-Commerce Partner Content Specialist at Webhelp, student of Spanish
  • Mahdy, the Dutch teacher is very good and always made me feel comfortable.

    ilaria
    Ilaria F., Medical Personnel, student of Dutch
  • I always had a really tough time with new languages. With "Language and motivation" things didn't miraculously change but I felt motivated, which wasn't the case with my previous experiences. And slowly I built my dutch language skills to pretty much get by in my day to day life. Now in some cases, Dutch people talk to me in Dutch without realizing I am not a Dutch speaker. I am not at a level to hold a fluent conversation yet but with "Language and Motivation" I feel I got the tools to get better slowly. My tip to new learners is to trust the process and move things at your own pace.

    Harry S., Director of R&D, student of Dutch
  • Watch to what Maria has to say about Language and Motivation

    Maria T., Senior Legal & Compliance Officer – Vice President, student of French
  • I really loved the teacher's training! It was an unique opportunity to learn something new, to question the limits of our practices, to share thoughts with colleagues, to improve ourselves! Thank you so much!

    Aikaterini K., teacher of French
  • Your method is exceptional and Jildou is a special teacher with patience and communicability. She managed during the time we collaborated, to make Dutch more accessible. I wish to join you again as soon as conditions are favorable for me.

    Nikolaos Ch., student of Dutch
  • J'ai commencé à apprendre le français avec Sofia il y a deux mois et regardez comment j'écris! Je suis très contente, parce que je sais que je peux dire déjà plusieurs choses en français, car Sofia insiste beaucoup sur les cours oraux! Merci beaucoup, Sofia! Je pensais que le français était très difficile, mais tu rends les choses difficiles faciles!

    Fani K., Journalist, student of French
  • Sofia est une excellente professeur. Ella a une manière unique de motiver et d’inspirer ses élèves. Même après des journées difficiles au travail, je me sens contente après avoir fini un cours de français. J’ ai le sens de l’ accomplissement. Sa méthode est exigeante mais elle vous permet d’apprendre par l’expérience, ce qui s’avère efficace pour développer rapidement des compétences linguistiques. J’aime Sofia et je la recommande vivement!

    Ilia T., Coca Cola HBC, Switzerland, student of French
  • Watch to what Amanda has to say about Language and Motivation [embed]https://youtu.be/Egcyu4d47Dc[/embed]

    Amanda D., Global Autonomous Maintenance Pillar Leader at JDE, student of Dutch
  • After 2 months of French lessons with Sofia I can say that these lessons are like "gym". You don't really want to go because you know that it is going to be hard, but after the class you really feel wonderful. Incredibly interesting texts, exercises, discussions, lessons.. I feel really grateful and very happy that I decided to trust her. I highly recommend it if you want to save time, money and energy by putting your forces, concentration and love into practice!

    Stefania T., Art therapist, student of French
  • Sofia is full of energy and an excellent teacher. I was afraid that Skype lessons might not be for me but I was so wrong. If you are really interested in learning French, then you should certainly have a call with Sofia!

    Vagelis A., Programmer, student of French
  • The most wonderful french teacher! And the story goes like this.. I started learning french since learning a second foreign language was required by the national educational system.. I could never have been able to imagine that through those lessons I would be initiated in a new way of life! Not only did I acquire a very good level in french quickly enough, but also I got motivated in exploring a whole culture! Reading articles related to current events, listening to songs and watching videos on a variety of topics constitute Sofia’s best methods of teaching her students that language is a way of communicating and expanding your world! This teacher definitely reveals your confidence to interact with people in a language other than your mother tongue! Strongly recommended!

    Emmanouela K., Lawyer, student of French
Sani DeliOur Team