While living in Italy in her early 20s, Erin Janklow developed fluency in Italian. The experience of learning a language as an adult was part of the inspiration to start Entrada ESL, a D.C. startup that works with service industry employers to help workers learn to speak conversational English as they work.

In developing the TalkBack Method, as Entrada’s offering is known, Janklow reflected on what helped her learn the language. Working with a linguist, she set out to address the barriers to learning a language. Grammar and vocabulary are important elements, but the platform focuses on teaching pronunciation and conversation, which Janklow calls the “building blocks to further assimilation into the community.”

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