CULTURE AND LANGUAGES: Callan method - pro or contra?

Today I’ll write about next method of learning English. It’s a bit older than Helen Doron’s from last week. The beginning if it was in 1960. It’s based on conversations. Also, it’s connected with the natural human ability to learn by automatic listening and repeating words – the same as little children are learning how to speak in their mother language. The teacher has to correct any mistakes which students make during talking. He answers many questions and aims at getting answers automatically. At the end, students understand their words without any doubts.

Many young students can be happy that this method doesn’t use homework, they don’t have to write vocabulary and make notes. This method is focused on speaking, speaking and once again – speaking. Grammar isn’t explained and it’s learned when the opportunity occurs. It’s based on repeating all the time.

Let’s see advantages and disadvantages of this method. The advantages are:

- it helps to speak fluently,

- it helps to overbear shyness,

- varied vocabulary,

- it makes students to be active,

- it helps to get to know speaking language,

- it’s for people at every age.

Unfortunately, as all methods it has disadvantages as well – I chose these, which are the most often recall by people who are using it:

- old version of English, books aren’t made current,

- it doesn’t teach reading and writing well,

- it doesn’t use the current academic achievements,

- it’s based on reproducing, not producing process,

- speaking is automated,

- repeating is based on short memory,

- grammar can’t be understood in some situations,

- lessons can be unattractive.

It’s obvious that each method will have supporters and opponents. It’s very important to get to know about the course before going, ask friends- maybe some of them has an experienced with it and can advise us. However, you can try and then change your mind ;)

Fascinated by life