In my interview with Jason West, the creator of English Out There, we discuss the weaknesses of traditional English schools, methodologies, and materials, and how his approach aims to overcome them. I especially enjoyed his effective, no-nonsense approach to language learning, his efforts to bridge the gap between traditional classroom-based learning and independent study, and his willingness to share before-and-after speech samples of his students.
More Info
For information about Jason and English Out There, check out his site, EnglishOutThere.com, and show, The Languages Out There Podcast.
I believe only adequate regular long-term practice by foreign learners in listening comprehension and speaking in English with well-thought through content and with native speakers of English can make conventional English teaching and learning more effective.
It was so good to hear this conversation!! I am teacher of Spanish/English and I couldn’t agree more on what you were saying. Traditional methods don’t work. Placing students in real controlled situations is what works!! and it is a shame that most teachers are not even aware of this! I also felt like a slave to the system that doesn’t work when I taught in a public High School- I couldn’t take it for more than one academic year. It was so wrong!!
Thank you very much to both of you!!