The Callan Method

This is getting interesting. But shouldn't this twist deserve a new thread? Does Callan deserve all this attention?

The Callan Method is like Madame Tussaud's. People only go there because they've heard of it. The people who like it are the ones who are easily impressed by dummies.

No disrespect, but the teacher of Callan in the previous post does not seem to have a great command of the language. Is this the idea of the Callan Method? To simplify and downgrade everything to the point where Callan English will become the true world language - accessible for all.

Good afternoon,

 Students who enjoy learning and aim at success never accept purist teachers, ie such who correct them all the time, whenever possile. Although, I agree that tutors need limit their own mistakes in spelling, still some of those might achieve far more than others...

 The number of Callan schools around the globe speaks for itself, and I am probably better destined to speak or it, as have learned English as a second language when 9. So, I would know how it really works to get to something just by repeating. We all do, or have you learned your mother tongue from grammar books, when 2?

 

Tom, Callan teacher since 1997

see for yourself

 

Measuring success in language teaching is not an exact science. Of course you can look at how many hours students take to pass a particular exam but there are so many uncontrolled variables that come into play.  In any case I don't see the claims for this method backed up by any such studies.  Just saying "IT WORKS!" really isn't at all convincing.  For beginners it may have some advantages, because the teacher doesn't need any training and at that stage the learners aren't able to communicate with each other and need lots of target language exposure from the teacher.  So it would possibly make economic sense as one of the tools at a language school.  But ideally, although the drilling technique is very useful and highly appropriate at the beginner level, in my experience having the freedom to modulate the drilling activity is essential to keep learners interested and receptive.  At a later stage drilling is far less efficient because fluency can be practised between students.  In the wartime context that was mentioned it seems highly advantageous since the language contact would most likely be as short as possible and a predictable set of questions and responses could be determined.

Having watched the videos I can only say I wouldn't like to learn in that kind of environment.  It looks really dull.  I just can't imagine my students - except perhaps absolute beginners - coming away from a lesson feeling like they've learnt something and had some fun.