draft invitation on a Genuine Contact Program-inspired English language study electronic discussion group

[EVERETT813 at aol.com]

Raffi,

Is this being done without sound?   Meaning, is the 'dialogue' all written
only, no sound?   It loots on the surface as if that is the case.   Because if
one really wants to learn another language, or the one they have been raised in
better, it will be necessary to hear the sounds and know the meanings.   You
have to bathe the brain in meaningful print.

In one of my past work lives, I have been deeply involved in teaching
illiterate adults and children how to read as fluently as they talk in their native
language.   There are about 20% of United States non-immigrant natives who
cannot read, or cannot read well enough, to function in this reading culture.
Facts from the US Dept. of Education and I'm betting it is much higher.
Another 20% are crippled readers who just get by.

There are principles about how the brain learns that have to be adhered to or
the effort will be significantly less than optimal, if not an outright
failure.   That is why our highschools are graduating 20% functionally or totally
illiterate students, they are not understanding what the brain does when it
learns anything you can put the words "How to" in front of.   How to read, how to
walk, how to drive and chew gum at the same time, not to mention have a
conversation, etc. (small joke).   Using these principles, we are able to move an
illiterate adult one grade level of reading ability in 10 hours of face-to-face
tutor time.   In children, it takes about 12-14 hours.   The US Dept. of
Edcn's standard for a 'good' literacy program is one grade level in 100 hours and
there is a 60-70% drop out rate.   Clearly, they are spitting into the wind.

Anyway, discussing this is a very long conversation that is too much to type.
  I'm saying what I did because I think your idea is commendable
but......without sound and meaning, building from the ground up, it will be more than very
difficult, I'm afraid.

Sincerely,

Paul Everett

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