A scientific approach to foreign language instruction

The QTalk Method of language instruction is based on the three key elements of short- and long-term memory: encoding, storage and retrieval (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968) By using a simple visual system, students encode the vocabulary into long-term memory during the first session of instruction, as a result of a high level of repetition of the images. This method of instruction is implemented by using images to represent objects and characters. The introduction and utilization of verb pictures allow the instructor to form full sentences when the images are placed side by side.

This method of language instruction offers immediate gratification (Stephen Krashen, 2004, Why Support Delayed Gratification?) The student experiences the satisfaction of being functional in a new language immediately and can easily realize applications to real life situations. Notably, such satisfaction facilitates the release of endorphins, making learning even easier! An example of this occurrence is demonstrated by the ease with which we remember happy events in our lives, even though these events may have occurred many years previously. This method incorporates the use of workbook pages, once initial vocabulary instruction (delivered through a PowerPoint presentation) is completed. We do not recommend introducing students to the "text" form of words, however, until they have acquired strong communicative skills. With the learning of a foreign language, listening and reading can be categorized as "recognition" skills. That is, "memory retrieval in which a person identifies an object, idea or situation."

The learner, after a certain amount of instruction, can begin to recognize enough in written text (reading) or in speech (listening comprehension) to "make sense" of what is being said. However, in order to learn to SPEAK, one needs to be able to "recall" the words. Recall can be defined as "memory retrieval in which a person reconstructs previously learned material." Recognition skills are of little use when trying to recall information. The learner must recall the words on his own, in order to express himself (SPEAK). This is why the vast majority of students who try to learn a foreign language report that speaking is much more difficult than reading or listening to (and understanding) the language.

Encoding specificity

(Tulving & Thomson, 1973) states that "the association you form at the time of learning is the most effective retrieval cue." Because of the effect of encoding specificity, vocabulary introduced in our method must be rehearsed in different situations. QTalk materials include symbols (delivered via PowerPoint lessons), books, Rolodex activities (for paired practice), and dialogue games. These different platforms enable the instructor to deliver information in a variety of ways, diversifying the distribution of information through visuals, text, and oral activities.

Comprehensible input

It is imperative that students understand vocabulary AT ALL TIMES! The instructor must clearly explain the meaning of the visuals (a lack of clarity causes interference in the memorization of new information.) The instructor then models the pronunciation of the word in the target language and encourages students to repeat these words as they focus on the images. The vast majority of QTalk visual images are self-explanatory. This is critical because information that is difficult to visualize is extremely hard to memorize. Our brain naturally tries to relate to new information by comparing it to a large database of scenes we have experienced in the past. An example of this is seen when we watch a movie based on a book we have previously read. "That's not the way I pictured it," most people reply. (Note: Our method of "comprehensible input" is in direct opposition to the popular method of foreign language instruction in our schools, where teachers "immerse" students in a new language by conducting the entire lesson in the target language, leaving students lost, uncomfortable, and frustrated!)

Maintenance rehearsal

Maintenance rehearsal must take place during the short-term memory stage of instruction (also known as the working memory) as soon as new vocabulary has been introduced. It is the process where students recall the vocabulary (through repetition) without assistance from the instructor. Our visual system enables students to recall the words by relying on their memory skills only. Maintenance rehearsal is essential in order to transfer information from short- to long-term memory. An example: We are better able to remember a phone number if we say it out loud three times to ourselves! Early language output is essential to the learning of a new language. When we produce the task of recalling words (aided by the visual symbol cues), we secure its transfer to long-term memory. Similarly, every time we recall a phone number, we restore it (solidifying its place) in long-term memory.

Elaborative Rehearsal

Using Elaborative rehearsal we help students relate new information to what they already know. They are able to remember things more vividly as they associate them with things already stored in long-term memory. The more senses and experiences that we use in trying to help students memorize information, the more likely it is that they will be able to retrieve it. So, with our method, we deliver lessons using symbols to represent vocabulary, manipulating words within a sentence to form as many different sentences as possible. Students interpret these sentences, giving them practice in using new vocabulary in a variety of different ways. Additional activities focus on the practice of new words, and the learner gradually becomes more comfortable using the words in a variety of different sentences.

Output/Input

In traditional foreign language classes, language production (output) only begins after a few weeks or months of instruction. In these classrooms, there is a heavy emphasis on grammar. However, when language learning takes place in a natural environment (for example, when a person travels or immigrates to a new country) language is produced by the learner out of necessity. This early production of the language accelerates language acquisition, even though occasional semantic mistakes occur without the intervention of an instructor. Following this same model, the QTalk visual and auditory system requires that students produce the language and interact with others through a series of dialogue game boards and meaningful oral interaction, allowing them to produce the language after just a few minutes of instruction-even during the first lesson!

Conceptual networking

Conceptual networking is the automatic association of words (Collins & Loftus, 1975) in a network that establishes connections between concepts. Only once students integrate new vocabulary into long-term memory do they begin to perform conceptual networking. That is, they begin to connect new words to the previously learned information, the beginning of second language acquisition. To implement this process, students must explore many sentence combinations with their limited vocabulary. The distribution of vocabulary through the various lessons allows the student to recycle previously learned materials with new vocabulary. In contrast, many traditional classrooms deliver instructional material divided into "themes," and learning is made more difficult, since vocabulary is not taught in a natural way. Each QTalk lesson is composed of different topics of the language that naturally follow previous units. Oral exercises require that students perform conceptual networking as the teacher provides a word which the student uses to create a sentence.

Synapses

By the time we reach our teenage years, our ability to create phonetic synapses declines. However, synapses are not limited to phonetic production but also to sentence structuring. For instance, we are easily able to string together many words or numbers after saying them many times. This is a result of the process where information goes through a passage way in the same area of the brain hundreds of times, eventually forming a synapse (a connection between two neurons.) With the QTalk Method, nouns are introduced with their most commonly found articles. This allows for these words to be used immediately in the context of sentences without troubling students to search for the appropriate article. These synapses also facilitate speech production. An example in English: children are introduced to the phrases "some juice" or "at home" as if they are one word.

Chunking Information

In order to memorize groups of words efficiently, information can be broken down into chunks of smaller units (Ericsson, Chase, and Faloon, 1980) Each element of these units can actually be more than one word. For instance, "en el parque," or "at the park" can be one element. When introducing vocabulary to students, instructors should not give more than seven elements at one time. This allows students to transfer the information easily into long-term memory. Once students attain an acceptable level of comfort, the teacher can introduce new information (again, with a limit of seven items) which is then integrated with the previously learned material. Teachers should be aware of the effects of primacy and recency. That is, learners will best recall the information which is presented to them at the beginning of a lesson (primacy), and at the end of a lesson (recency.) The information delivered in the middle of the lesson is the most difficult for the student to recall. Because of this effect, it is important to recycle vocabulary previously learned by using practical applications of the language (through the use of games which create an environment for dialogue to occur.) The QTalk Method employs a series of dialogue game boards which have been created for large groups, enabling students to practice speaking as they interact with each other in a fun, competitive environment.