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| Is Callan methode |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| OK |
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46% |
[ 6 ] |
| Bad |
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53% |
[ 7 ] |
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| Total Votes : 13 |
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| Author |
Message |
Sara Avalon
Joined: 25 Feb 2004
Posts: 254
Location: On the Prowl
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 Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="lumber Jack"]I have taught the similar "Avalon" method, and been involved in a number of arguments on the teacher's applied linguistics forum about this.
[quote]
Am I that popular? 
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Kent F. Kruhoeffer
Joined: 22 Jan 2003
Posts: 2129
Location: 中国
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 4:47 am Post subject: |
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ls650 wrote
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| It looked like the 'teacher' read out from a script and had the students parrot back everything word for word. That might be fine for teaching very entry level stuff, like numbers or greetings, but I don't see it of being much benefit to the student at a higher level |
That is a fairly accurate picture. ^
There is definitely a 'parrot aspect' with Callan, no doubt about it.
Whether that is good or bad is a slightly more complicated question.
Something I failed to mention in both of my earlier comments:
The value of any teaching methodology ought
to be assessed within a given teaching context.
Here's what I mean by that.
I'm in Thailand at the moment, so my given teaching context is Thai.
Thais, by nature of their L1, tend to speak in VERY short, 2 or 3-word 'sound bytes'.
It's annoying as hell, but that's how they speak Thai,
so that's how they (try to) speak English.
For example, a Thai will say something like, "no have"
instead of "I don't have ..." or "I haven't got ..."
or
"Teacher go toilet" instead of
"Teacher, may I go to the toilet?"
The parroting of longer answers,
normally a negative aspect in language acquisition,
actually helps Thai students to gain the self-confidence they lack,
and through repetition, helps ease them into the 'rhythm' of English.
In that sense, Callan has earned a place in my toolbag.
As I mentioned in my first reply on page one, and would like to repeat ...
Callan is most certainly not the method to end all methods.
There is no 'miracle' to language acquisition; no magic elixir,
and certainly no substitute for the qualified & creative teacher
who carefully weighs up & chooses a particular methodology
in order to achieve the best result within a given context.
In plain English, Callan would not be my
first choice in every classroom situation.
Choosing a method (or a textbook) is a bit like getting dressed in the morning.
Depending on the weather ... you pick and choose accordingly from your wardrobe.
 TGIF ! |
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