What is Your Callan Method?

[Pocketchalker]

I've worked at a couple of different Callan schools and to tell you the truth(imho) I think the method is great up until about the 4th or 5th stage and then I think more needs to be incorporated, grammar lessons, conversation activities and the like.

Anyways...my question is...

What is your plan of attack?

Go Back 20

First 50 min

10 revision
1 read
1 dictation
10 revision

Second 50 min

Last 10 from first hour revised again
1 read
1 dictation
8-10 new

or

Go back 30

First 50 min

10 revision
1 read
1 dictation
10 revision

First 50 min

10 revision
1 read
1 dictation
8-10 new

Also, is there a chart somewhere that has the specifics, such as what you should be reading and which dictation you should be doing based on what paragraphs you're revising?

I'm sure I've seem one in one of the schools I've worked in but the school I'm in now can't seem to locate this chart.

[Torsten]

Hi Doug,

How did you get started with Callan Method? I know that's very popular in Poland while almost nobody is interested in teaching Callan style ihere in Germany or any other country for that matter. What do you think is the reason for that?

Many thanks,
Torsten
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[Pocketchalker]

Thorsten,

Actually Callan was what got me into teaching. I'm a salesman by trade from the US and when I came here and decided to stay and teach I needed a way to 'break into' it and learn 'how' to teach.

I did some reading up on it and being also someone who studies the brain and how it works thought it to be a pretty straight forward method.

Since then I've found and discovered that society as a whole has changed and thus it doesn't work as well 'right out of the box'. It needs some help, if you will. The method being designed 50+ years ago worked well... in my opinion. But, with all the junk in today's world that people have to focus on in everyday life there 'brains' aren't what they used to be... relaxed. So, they don't absorb the information as well.

I've taught for 5years now many different ways and learned quite a bit. To be honest, in high school English was my worst subject. My English teacher is rolling in her grave. lol.

Callan is good up until about the 5th stage. It's a great way to start learning basic vocab and building confidence in speaking, but after the 5th or maybe 6th stage I think people should switch over to a book method and learn some grammar and sentence structure.

You mentioned using it in German. The school I'm at now uses both English and German Callan and it appears to work well. They've added grammar exercises and sentence building worksheets into the mix and do switch people over at stage 5 or 6, depending on what the student wants. It must be working because they have something like 17+ schools throughout Poland and are opening more all the time. Leaderschool.

[Torsten]

Hi Doug,

Thanks a lot for sharing your Callan teaching experiences with me. It's interesting that you say people today have more difficulty absorbing information than they used to decades before. Why do you think is this? I mean with all the tools available today shouldn't it be easier for us to learn and share our ideas?

As for Callan, the system certainly contains some sound suggestions but I don't think it will ever get widespread in any country other than Poland. Actually, I doubt it's 'widespread' in Poland. There might be a few schools using the method while the vast majority either don't know anything about it or won't adapt for several reasons.

By the way, where in Poland do you live?
Talk to you soon,
Torsten
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[Inteach]

I have been teaching English to non-native speakers, on and off, since 1975. 2 years ago I came across the Callan method, took the course in London and soon started teaching FREE at home to get some experience. after a month I began charging. I now have a thriving, successful school, and 2000 hours of experience. IMHO one cannot mix Callan and other methods. There are massive advantages in speed of learning, usefulness of the language and retention. I do believe that after book 4 (stage there are few advantages in the Callan method and perhaps other methods are just as effective. There are over 200 Callan schools in Poland and it is regarded almost as a brand-name in English schools. There are very good reasons for the effectivity of the method which lie in 'Learning / Memory / Forgetting / Neuro Linguistics / Psychology' etc. To begin judging the system, without really investigating it, seems pointless. The school in London never advertises and yet there are thousands of students there every week..must be something in the water.

[Torsten]

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Pros and cons of the Callan Method.
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[Pocketchalker]

So many ways to respond to your audio...I agree with some of the things you said although it takes me back to the basics of what people are wanting to learn...communication. You are correct, there are so many things available today that it can almost be too overwhelming and give people 'too big' of choice... Our goal is to communicate, not to learn how many ways we can learn a language. Then again, with technology, "the way" we learn is changing....

I'll try to respond with an audio in the next couple of days...

Cheers
Doug

[Torsten]

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The advantages of the Callan Method.
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[Pocketchalker]

Just listened to your message and would love to respond with that audio...although I can't seem to figure out how...

[Pocketchalker]

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[Torsten]

Hi Doug, please read this as it explains how to record a voice message: http://www.english-test.net/community/3/index.html#How_can_I_record_and_listen_to_audio_messages
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