I bought this book because of all the coverage surrounding Michel Thomas's life. I have been a practicing applied linguist for over 20 years and a user of accelerated learning methods. Unlike most language trainers and academics I believe that you can teach language at positive levels of proficiency in as little as 5 days because I have been doing it for over 10 years, so it was natural for me to buy this book soon as I saw it.
The Michel Thomas method rests on lowering student tension, eliminating fears resulting from past negative experiences 'learning' language by the students, making language input comprehensible using mnemonics (or heuristics as the book calls them), building good rapport with the students and a class spirit, no homework, no grammar, no trying to remember with a focus on 'understanding', simplifying the concepts taught and finally the teacher taking responsibility for the student acquiring the material. I wholeheartedly agree with all of these concepts. I used them in teaching and learning for the past two decades and I agree that when applied the results are amazing. I also agree that the current system needs to be reformed to include these concepts in order to produce better learners.
But none of these concepts is new! I am sure Thomas was aware of a real language master, namely Shinichi Suzuki whose methods of teaching music, science and language are applied by millions all over the world and produces highly efficient musicians at very young ages. Suzuki's 'Nurtured by Love' is a book that should be read by any teacher and despite the weak English is a masterpiece in the art of education. Suzuki believed in the same concepts as Thomas and tried to reform the educational system as well.
Other methods that Thomas no doubt was aware of and applied in teaching language are Tomatis, ACT, SALT, Suggestopedia, Krashen's Comprehensible Input and the Third Ear method to name just a few. These methods, similar to Thomas's focus on easing student tension, building good rapport in class, and using everything from music to mnemonics to ease student tension in the classroom and accelerate learning.
What was shocking to me is that the authors address SALT and Suggestopedia only to say that Thomas's method was better and discount them all together. Their comparison and treatment of accelerated learning is so shallow that it would have been better for them not to even mention it to start with.
The minute you open this book, and despite the useful information in it, you are in for a diatribe attacking what is called the 'Mind Prison', the 'dis-educational system' and praises for 'The Master Teacher' all in italics and trademark (TM) signs next to them. Yes they trademarked slurs against the system. I am not a fan of the current system either, and I refuse to call it educational because I have seen its product at all levels and I believe it is doing this country a great disservice. However, trademarking slurs is just going too far and is almost nauseating in the book. The authors call Thomas a Master Communicator due to his effectiveness in class. Maybe so, but he wasn't so masterful communicating his own message to the world because he was paranoid about people stealing his ideas and because he resented the system so much that he could not reform it. According to press articles I read about Thomas he failed in communicating his vision due to his secrecy which prevented him from sharing his methods effectively with other teachers. I don't think he was so masterful if he left it to these authors to communicate it. People like Suzuki, Krashen, Asher and Lozanov published ideas and method because the only way you can make accelerated learning more accelerated is by sharing and by receiving and accepting criticism. I guess at 17000 USD in 5 days teaching language basics to Hollywood stars Thomas's first priority wasn't sharing but rather protecting turf. I would give him credit for being more commercially savvy than the people I mentioned above but they have made and continue to improve the system more than Thomas ever will. Unfortunately, by not sharing his method directly during his life, and opening it up to applied linguists, Thomas deprived himself from achieving his goal of improving the system after his death. Some great ideas haven't been recognized until their originators passed.
As far as calling Thomas "The Master Teacher" is an insult to people who look at Lozanov, Suzuki, Lynn Dohirty among others who produced documented similar results and who I am sure would blush if they were addressed as such.
If you buy this book please ignore the silliness of trademarks and hero worship. It still has value for people who are new to the field of accelerated learning but if you can spare the money I advise that you buy Suzuki's 'Nurtured by Love' first and Starr's 'To Learn With Love'. These are great reads by humble instructors who are in the trenches of accelerated learning and who really see in the nurturing of the mind and improving education in the world more than dollar signs and trademarks.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
