Anyone who watches a Callan Method lesson for the first time notices two things. The teacher asks “Is Rome a village?” and the student doesn’t just say “No”, but “No, Rome isn’t a village, but it’s a city.” And the questions come very fast, with almost no pause. Both are pillars of the method.
Why full answers
- You speak more than the teacher. A full answer to every question means hundreds of sentences per lesson. A “yes” or “no” teaches nothing; a full sentence teaches structure, vocabulary and pronunciation at the same time.
- The negative is practised constantly. Answering first in the negative and then in the positive trains both forms in every answer, until they come out without thinking.
- Memory works through opposites. To answer “Is Chinese an easy language to learn?” you must instantly recall the opposite word: “No, Chinese isn’t an easy language to learn, but it’s a hard language to learn.” Recalling opposites makes words spring to your tongue when you need them, like a reflex.
- You use the words you need, instead of avoiding them. The answer uses the words and tenses of the question. Left free, you would use only what you already know.
- You don’t have to invent what to say. What matters is not the content of the answer but how it is said. All your energy goes into saying it well.
- Contractions, like real English. The answers use “isn’t” and “it’s”, as people actually speak.
Why so fast
According to Callan’s Student’s Handbook, normal conversation runs at about 180 words a minute, while many teachers of other methods speak at little more than half that. A Callan teacher speaks faster than normal conversation from the first lesson, so your ear is trained for English faster than what you will meet outside.
- It stops translation: there is no time to translate, so the brain learns to process English directly. More on thinking in English.
- It keeps you concentrating: slow speech lets the mind wander. Fast questions keep you alert, because the next one may be yours.
- It multiplies practice: the faster the pace, the more questions, answers and repetitions fit in each lesson.
- It prepares you for the real world: after fast lessons, the English of meetings and films seems slower.
“But what if I don’t understand?”
Callan stated that every student, without exception, can understand the teacher at top speed. If they can’t, there is only one cause: not enough review. Some need to hear a question three times, others a dozen times. Each question is also asked twice, so you hear the words you will use in your answer.
Adults won’t necessarily speak as fast as the teacher, and they don’t need to. But they can speak much faster than if left to answer in their own time. If you hesitate, the teacher gives you the next words and carries on with you, so the sentence comes out whole and in rhythm.
Speed is not rushing: each word is pronounced clearly and each new word is introduced slowly and carefully. The speed is in the rhythm of the lesson. Watch real lessons to see it.
This article was inspired by Mr Q’s study of the handbooks written by Robin K. T. Callan and by the dozens of hours of conversation he had with Mr Robin Callan at his home, conversations that were recorded and that Mr Q considers a treasure trove of knowledge.