For as long as there have been multiple languages, cultures have worked to communicate with each other. The first reason was for trade, then for friendship and romance and the last was to negotiate the end of wars. I will stick with the first two reasons for my approach.
My phrase worksheets worked fairly well but I didn't feel like there was much retention. I wanted to know how I can teach something they can keep and use later on their own? That said, I want to find a way to learn Thai using the same process. Is there such a thing out there?
Google something like Learn A Language Quickly and sooner or later you come up with a fellow who says you can learn any language in 90 days. He talks about how many languages he can speak and how he mostly just forces himself to start speaking the language mistakes and all. I tried that for about 20 minutes and decided to continue my search.
A popular teaching method in the US is called Total Physical Response or TPR. The idea is that you learn faster when you get your body moving with the language. A simple example is the song, Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes. The song has children pointing to such body parts as they sing. I learned to song when I was probably just four and I still remember it so I figured there must be something to it. From looking at the program, I could probably do great things if I had the training.
Then I saw something new. Where Are Your Keys? Up in the northwest USA there are several native American tribes with long traditions and their own languages. Over time, though, many of the languages have disappeared. Tribe leaders have been working desperately to keep what languages are left alive then along comes this programs.
The method is to play a game where there are a limited number of things in front of you and your fellow players. The demonstration uses a red and black pen, a rock and a stick. Using American Sign Language, you start with, "What is that?" From there you move to yours and mine, want, have, give and take and so on. Using repetition and sign language should help students retain what they learn.
I decided to try this with my students. First I needed to find four things all students carry because rocks and sticks are not part of their usual arsenal. After observing several classes, I came up with red pen, blue pen, notebook and bag. Each student would place these things in a square on their desk and then, while standing on a chair, I lead the class in using sign language. I had them copy me asking, What is this? Whose is this? Is this mine? I had them say Yes and No. This all seems quite basic, but my students mostly enjoyed it. I was able to get some of them to work in small groups asking each other questions and all the classes ended well.
Now I need to work out more conversations about things around them. The idea is that rather than teach long lists of vocabulary and grammar rules, have them learn by doing. It is how I have learned most things in life and I want to give them that same opportunity. I will report how this works in future writings.
