As the director of the Midtown-based language school Hills Learning, Jon Hills brings cultures together in New York. He has a background in finance and education, and has traveled to about 50 countries throughout Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. A four-year resident in Japan, Hills calls Japanese his second language, and he is also conversant in Chinese and Spanish.
Hills Learning, which offers classes in Korean, Chinese, Japanese and English, is also known for its monthly Asian Networking Events hosted with Two Rivers Associates LLC, with the next one scheduled for Wednesday, July 28. I talked with Jon about the history of Hills Learning and future plans for these events.
Tell us about Hills Learning and what it offers.
Hills Learning is the only language school in Manhattan that specializes in both Asian language instruction and English as a second language (ESL). We offer a more personalized and effective language learning experience than other institutions. We not only offer group classes at the center but also private lessons both inside and outside our center. Trial classes and events to practice your speaking skills encourage our students to learn both inside and outside the classroom.
A sample testimonial: “After college, I needed a way to continue my language study. I am very lucky I found Hills Learning. With Hills Learning you get a very personalized experience. You tell them your goals and what you want to learn and the teachers customize the lessons to fit your needs.”
What sets educational institutions apart is the management that runs them and the philosophies behind their educational practices. Hills Learning is not your typical language school or language institute in New York City, but rather a language learning services company. The idea is all our classes are created based on goal oriented language learning, or what we like to call “ROLL.” All students focus on tangible goals in the classroom and therefore feel satisfied once they’ve achieved those goals.
All our teachers are trained in the SWIRL method, our unique system of blending five language skills per class to give develop student’s language abilities. Many other institutions have classes but not methods, so there’s no real uniformity between classes and languages.
How did you get the idea to form Hills Learning and the Asian Networking Events, and what are your goals with it? How else are you promoting it?
Hills Learning was created to feed the need for cross-cultural communication and education in New York City. I’m a seasoned world traveler and appreciate other cultures and languages, and what better place to start a unique language school than New York City!
The Asian Networking Events are an extension of these philosophies. It gives Asian professionals a chance to talk about their specific cultures and languages with others, and vice versa. It’s also the only Asian networking in New York that blends the Japanese, Chinese and Korean cultures, as well as others. Usually Asian events are just targeted towards one ethnic group.
What are your experiences with Japanese culture? What kinds of things about it do you enjoy? Did your interest in it lead to any other kinds of professional job opportunities?
I lived in Japan for four years, both in a very small town and in the large metropolis of Tokyo. I’ve worked for a Japanese company, as well as taken and passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam.
I’m active in the JETAA (JET Alumni) Organization in New York. I used to run the Nihongo Dake (Japanese-language only) Dinners, which brought about 20 to 30 participants per month speaking Japanese and exchanging cultural ideas. Hills Learning also ran the first-ever Japanese language booth at Japan Day @ Central Park, an annual festival where 50,000 New Yorkers get together to celebrate Japan.
What were some memorable experiences that you had in Asia that made you want to connect more people interested in these cultures?
Backpacking through China and Southeast Asia really opened my eyes to the differences in culture and the wide variety of opportunities held by these countries. Hills Learning is planning on starting Thai classes soon, and we are currently investigating steps to take on most of the Southeast Asian languages.
What special guests are you planning to invite to future events?
For future events, we plan on having as many professionals in their specific industries as possible. This includes financial, but also marketing, communications, PR, etc. We’re also looking to expand beyond just corporate types or CEOs, and looking to move towards artistic guests, such as authors, publicists, artists and musicians.
Join Hills Learning for its “Business Card Exchange” Asian networking event at Solas Bar (232 East 9th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues) on Wednesday, July 28 at 7 p.m. Event is free with RSVP to events@hillslearning.com. For more info and past events from Hills Learning, visit www.hillslearning.com.
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Comments
Great article - inspiring company to follow! - thanks! - J
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