Input
Language learners can understand.
Language learning, the human way
How do people really learn languages?
I've spent the last 30 years trying to answer that question.
In classrooms, with adults, through technology, and as a learner myself, I keep coming back to the same thing: people remember language when it matters to them, shows up in different ways, and gives them a real reason to use it.
Swim In: story, read, listen, speak, games, music, chat, and support.
TESOL Denver, 2009
The tools have changed. The learning question has stayed the same.
At TESOL Denver, I talked with TOEFL TV about complete language training. A lot of useful technology has emerged since then, but the core philosophy still holds: learners need input, output, language focus, and fluency.
Output
Chances to say something real.
Language Focus
Attention to form without losing meaning.
Fluency
Familiar language becoming easier to use.
TOEFL TV Studio, TESOL 2009 Conference in Denver.
Swim In
The "Swim In" app is the culmination of 30 years of immersion in language learning.
A chapter world where learners read, listen, speak, play, sing, and chat with language that keeps coming back until it starts to feel usable.
A quick look at the loop. The real point is to try it.
01
Read
Start with meaning.
Read With Support
Story, image, audio, and native-language support keep meaning clear while learners meet the language for the first time.
02
Listen
Hear it again.
Listen Again
After reading with support, learners return to the same sequence through sound, with help still available.
03
Say It
Try useful language.
Say It
A speaking game with support, points, and a real reason to give clues.
04
Games
Make repetition social.
Social Practice
The phone becomes a shared prompt for people to talk.
05
Sing
Let repetition carry feeling.
Sing
Music makes repetition feel human.
06
Chat
Ask, respond, keep going.
Chat In Context
Conversation draws from the chapter world.
Work With Me
For teams trying to make language learning feel more human.
I am most useful where language learning philosophy has to become something people can actually use: a product flow, a curriculum sequence, a teacher tool, or a workshop that helps a team see the learning problem more clearly.
Language Product Strategy
Learning loops, onboarding, motivation, scaffolding, input, speaking practice, retrieval, and the small decisions that help learners come back.
Curriculum And Teacher Tools
Materials and systems for multilingual learners, ESL / CLDE teams, story-based teaching, and practical classroom implementation.
Speaking And Workshops
Thoughtful sessions on how people really learn languages, what technology can support, and why stories, music, and characters matter.