When I first started doing what Blaine describes below about waiting for cute answers, I made a lot of very fast strides forward in the method. It is a major concept for me and has never let me down in class: …I believe people who are the most effective at TPRS don’t tell stories. They ask […]
I don’t like to look all over when I am reminded of a quote – I just want to be able to find it. So I am initiating a new “Quotes Worth Remembering” category here. I want to put Kate’s recent quote in as the first one. If you read something that you want in there
I didn’t get that half time job at George Washington High School. I should say, I didn’t want it. It turns out that the department itself is great, a bunch of gifted young people firmly grounded in Krashen whose district scores are so high that the school has to leave them alone. It’s a long story, but I won’t be
Here is an email from Carol Hill: Dear Ben: I have a French 1 student on homebound instruction (concussion). She has not been in class since March. Just got this from her homebound French teacher. Thought I would share. Best, Carol “I’m very interested in the story telling methodology. Eileen is way ahead of most
For most of us Laurie needs no introduction – she is one of the leaders of using comprehension based methods in the classroom and has been a constant source of inspiration to me personally. She really fits my definition of what the term warrior means. For those who have yet to meet her, here is her
Germany is pretty much leading the world in the green movement. The French certainly aren’t going to lead Europe into anything having to do with comprehensible input, not with their love of analysis and wine. But in a recent comment from Martin in which he invited Robert and others to visit him if they are in Germany, it
I just got this from Angela; it certainly brings up more about a leitmotif that has been front and center here over the years: Hey Ben! Check out this article that I ran across: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/7616618.html Here’s a line that really stuck out at me… “Our students do not reach professional fluency by listening – they
Each spring, after teaching massive CI in the form of stories and reading, I am always conflicted (I’m sure we all are) when it comes to thinking about teaching them some grammar. Some of them, after all, are next year heading straight into classes where grammar instruction is the order of the day. I just
I got this email from Drew who is over in Germany this week doing some professional training and whose experience there prompts reflection on what we all are doing: Ben, After 5 years of no German in my life I decided to come to Germany to do a German class for German teachers in case
Jen recently had a year end interview with an administrator about her new work with comprehension based methods. She said that her administrator asked this crucial question: “How do you choose which structures you’re going to work with if you don’t have a textbook to give you a road map?” This is an excellent question –
I got this bio description today from David Young which is, in his own words, “ridiculously long”. He offered to edit it. I say why do that? My goal is to keep the group small, the trust high, and get to know each other. So maybe get a big cup of java and settle back and
Story scripts should be simple and emotional. Students are attracted, as Michele once said, to verbs and emotions. But too many verbs confuse them and stories lacking in emotion bore them. Amy Catania (http://amycatania.tripod.com/cuentosfantsticos/) wrote a story about a waitress who lost her new ring and started jumping up and down on a table screaming,
