This is the second part of a series of posts explaining part of the Oxinity teaching method to learn languages better and faster.
If you haven't had a chance, I welcome you to read 4 secrets to learn languages faster and better.
5. it is not a matter of simply chatting
6. no homework
7. no books
8. shared classes
5. It is not a matter of simply chatting
Many people ask me for converstaion classes, saying they "simply want to talk". One person even asked me if chatting for an hour and a half every morning while driving was a good method to pick up a new language. He was a beginner.
The conclusion I come to is always the same: → you can't learn anything by talking for the sake of talking. So many aspects need to be corrected that the student will not be able to assimilate them all and progress to higher levels will practically be null. If we think logically, practicing what one already knows will result in little (or very slow) progress. There must be clear linguistic objectives; it is not a matter of free conversation.
At Oxinity, we work a lot on pronunciation, as learning intonation and sound modulation are essential, and rarely applied in academic approaches. Vocabulary and grammar are practiced in practical contexts, and the end of each session is dedicated to skills: a short reading for later discussion, debate, etc. All these exercises are solved orally through guided practice by a qualified teacher. Following this structured system, students gain confidence and become fluent enough to present their ideas and simultaneously increase their level.
→ Only 20% of the learning is acquired in a class. The rest happens outside. As so, at Oxinity we know that imposing homework is the least efficient way to keep learning a new language. What we encourage is four our new language not to be something that happens only one hour a week in front of a teacher. → Languages are "out there" in our day-to-day lives. That's why we’d rather propose interest in podcasts, books, blogs, websites and series instead of filling out technical exercises. Our learning curve increases tremendously when we are interested in what we have in front of us, and that's precisely where we can find the remaining 80%. In class we work on establishing a good basis in order for students to later develop it through what they are most interested in.
7. No books
At Oxinity we don’t work with books. Books mark one same fixed line for all students, but, as we have mentioned before, this is not a natural process regarding that each person progresses differently. Even so, this does not mean that there is no guide to follow. → How is this done at Oxinity? After each lesson, the student is assessed: green light for those activities that have been successfully consolidated and red light for those that have not been solved. The results of each class will determine the material for the next session; this is the way to create → personalized classes and the way to help the student progress faster. They are offered what they are ready to assimilate; → the perfect challenge to keep progressing, no more, no less. Advanced complex material leads to blockages, while simpler material might lead to boredom and disinterest. The method is based on working according to acquired knowledge. Again, there are people who think that personalized classes consist in talking about what the student wishes, but such approach is very limited and completely wrong.
This is the real online training: using existing technology in favor of better and faster learning. Remote classes should not be limited to the use of a mere camera and sending PDF files from a scanned book. The book will still set the pace and it will still be synchronous and "analog" teaching. Oxinity uses smart technology to create tailored content and this is what digitizing a teaching method is all about; a pedagogical system based on technology.
8. Shared classes
→ A one-sided student-teacher relationship is, again, unnatural. At Oxinity, students are grouped in threes, although at times there is only one student per class, especially at intermediate levels. This equation of three is not arbitrary; it has a very well thought-out function. What happens is that there will always be one of the participants who will be at a slightly more advanced stage than the rest. As this becomes evident, the leading student will see his or her security reinforced, while the weaker one will be motivated to see what he or she can achieve through applying the method. → The students encourage and motivate each other.
On the other hand, when the same students coexist in the same classroom, fixed roles tend to be assigned and/or adopted: that one student who always answers, the one who never speaks, the one who tends to be absent-minded, etc. Through flexible and shared sessions, → each class is a whole new opportunity. Oxinity's technique takes into account psycho-cognitive aspects that go beyond mere language learning.
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4 secrets to learn languages faster and better