Callan method
The Callan method is a method of foreign language didactics .
The focus is on learning through active speaking and frequent repetition of what has been learned. It is named after its developer Robin Callan († 2014).
Callan developed his approach to teaching English based on the Direct Method , which was developed at the end of the 19th century . With the help of this method, the English language should be learned up to four times faster. Initially developed for English, the method is now widely used in language schools .
functionality
With the Callan method, learners should hear the language to be learned at all times during the lesson and should also speak it actively themselves as much as possible. The teachers use a well-structured catalog of questions in which each question represents an exercise in a specific word or phrase, or is supposed to repeat what has already been learned. The learners should practice realistic conversational situations by answering the questions in complete sentences.
Even at lower levels or beginners, the pace of teaching is always high. The language teachers ask the questions at a frequency that is slightly faster than the average conversation speed. In this way, students quickly acquire the ability to understand the target language directly without first translating what they are hearing into the respective mother tongue. Thinking in the target language is encouraged.
Lesson content
At the entry level, emphasis is placed on teaching basic grammar and building up a basic vocabulary. Complicated or rarely occurring terms and constructions are deliberately excluded in order to focus on the basics first.
As the level rises, the Callan Method expands the learner's skills to include fluent conversations, error-free writing, etc. The grammar taught and the vocabulary used correspond to the learner's respective skill levels.
The Callan method is used to classify skills in a system comprising 12 levels. The individual levels relate to the knowledge and skills required in the most important international language certificates. The highest levels 11 and 12 correspond to the scope of the content conveyed in them, a language level of C1 according to the CEFR standard (Common European Framework of Reference).
application
Probably the most famous Callan student is the North Colombian Nobel Prize in Literature, Gabriel García Márquez , who attended the Callan Method School of English during his stay in London. International companies such as IBM, Fiat and Olivetti also trust the Callan method and use it for language training for their employees.
Notes and sources
- ↑ a b Elliot, Chris: Death of Robin Callan, the benefactor who saved Grantchester's Orchard Tea Gardens, haunt of Stephen Fry, John Cleese, David Attenborough and Crick and Watson , Cambridge News, April 24, 2014, online (no longer available) Internet Archive version of June 20, 2014
- ↑ Cf. How does the Callan method work?
- ^ Callan Method Organization: The Callan Method