Language 360 Method
The Language 360 Method emphasizes learning by hearing while using authentic real-world language arranged in simple but powerful audio compositions.
Learn by Hearing
Humans evolved to learn language by hearing it. Learning language by hearing takes advantage of the human brain’s inherent abilities to store what is repetitively heard in areas of the brain that facilitate language comprehension and long-term memory. These areas of language comprehension and memory are uniquely and intimately connected with imitation and the brain’s speech mechanisms. As we continuously expose ourselves to a language through hearing, we eventually cross a threshold beyond which language acquisition begins to blossom. But even though we evolved to learn language by hearing it, we did not do so blindly.
Context
Equally important to hearing is context. Context is available through all human senses – sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. The words and grammar of a language combined with context create meaning. In the everyday human experience, the process of absorbing meaning through language and context generates all sorts of emotions. These emotions give sound and context their punch and they are connected to memory by energy. In other words, the more real and powerful an emotion, the more energy generated. The more energy generated, the more permanently and “near the surface” of the brain memory is recorded. The human brain responds to the context of what it perceives to be reality, even if only as a sympathetic observer, with all its senses energetically wide open.
Authentic Material
The contextually packed concrete nature of authentic language from real-world situations, even when relatively unexciting, carries the power to spark the brain into action and quicken the learner’s ability to absorb and recall. Authentic material is language material that was spoken and/or written for any purpose other than to be used as a language learning aide. Humans go about their lives in the real world. The context of real situations, real experiences, real emotions, is much more concrete and powerful than synthetic language designed for nebulous encounters in an imaged future moment. The unique ability humans have to sympathize combined with real-world material, transports the language learner into real situations, where energy and emotion combine to stimulate comprehension, retention and speech imitation. The Language 360 Method seeks to harness within the framework of language learning the concrete reality, emotion and energy of authentic real-world moments and events no matter how exciting they might be.
Summary
The Language 360 Method takes advantage of inherent human language-learning abilities by creating simple but powerful audio compositions from real-world language in real-world contexts. By incorporating this material into consistent and disciplined language study, native or near-native comprehension and speech production can emerge naturally and spontaneously.
The Language 360 Method is simple, but powerful. Its power is found in its simple and unique audio compositions and its reliance on authentic real-world language.