This article took a fresh look at the education system and how it teaches people how to learn language. The creator of the program, Pat Howe, is dyslexic and worked for many years on developing his product. It is a system of cd's and color-coded flash cards for sounds. The article also says that 40% of people may not benefit from the program.
What seems interesting to me is the role in which color plays with the flash cards. Is there some sort of greater neurological imprint that can be made when color is used? If we use colors to signify specific sounds, how does that shape the way we think? Because I believe learning is very contextually based - for example, Prof. Boroditsky thinks and generally speaks in Russian when talking about her childhood and English when referring to her work - I believe that certain associations, especially if developed and reinforced early on, may have more significant ramifications down the road. Whether these are good or bad, I'd have to wait until data is analyzed.
Also, when it comes to learning the cd's, it would be interesting to discover the strategies used in the cd's. Are they using conversations to convey everyday vocabulary and meaning? Is this an immersion system that is backed up with the basics in grammar/spelling flash cards? I don't know how to gauge the effectiveness of this type of program, and the website isn't up to see how exactly the program works. I commented on an earlier blog that I believed effective language learning came from immersion, because that environment gives meaning and substance to every aspect of the language. I will be on the lookout for the website and it's products.
Orignial Article: http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/1029/breaking25.htm
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I found it interesting that you mentioned the significance of color. I have often wondered about color as well. Do the colors we see influence how we think? For example, do "warm" colors like orange and yellow leave a more positive image in our minds than colors like black? I am also curious to know whether color plays a role in memory. I know that I personally take notes using a few different colors of pens because I think it helps me to study better. When I tutor, I also use several colors to highlight different aspects of what I am teaching. What do you think :)?
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