영어속독(200단어)--The Practical Linguist<1>

Some readers were surprised last month (March 29) when I wrote that language should be taught in intensive, all-day, all-week blocks of time rather than, as at present, in hours scattered over the week and year. I recommended the block plan because of the way the brain works. Intensive use of a new language for more than a week allows the brain to fit the language into far corners of the mind.

 

Skeptics asked if any research shows that intensive blocks of learning are superior to classes that are spaced out. In truth, not much research has been done because not many people have thought of the problem this way. People simply assume that educators know how to arrange the school week and the school calendar--and educators do know these things, if the criterion of knowing is being able to minimize the cost of scheduling teachers and classes. If, on the other hand, the criterion is maximizing learning, then more research is needed.

 

It is worthwhile to seek actual results that bear on the issue of blocks of instruction versus scattered classes. As the saying goes, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating," meaning that actual results are far more persuasive than any claim in a cookbook or textbook.(219 words)

 

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