For anyone who’s a fan of the Michel Thomas Method for language learning, you might find this video interesting. It’s by one of his students, Harold Goodman, who spent 10 years learning the secrets behind the MT method by being trained by Thomas personally. He went on to create the Michel Thomas Mandarin course, and interestingly mentions that he did not even speak Mandarin when he was given the contract by Hodder & Stoughton to create the course. However, using what he knew about the MT method, he went on to research Mandarin and systemise it into a MT course so others could learn it more easily.
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There is a lot to be said for a no stress method of learning a language. Take away the grades the exams the homework and the perfection and you are left with the way a child learns his mother tongue. All you need to dobis listen repeat and have the desire to comunicate. The stress holds us back the desire for perfection holds us back but an infant has no conception of perfection or stress they just have the desire to comumicate and that is all we need. We can leave all the baggage behind and revel in the joy of comunication.
Needless to say I am two weeks into ssiw and have already spoken more Welsh in the last two weeks than I have in thirty years of previous methods. I am surprised delighted and absolutely loving it!
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