Circular Syllabi and more

When I was in graduate school, we had to take a pedagogy class before teaching. One of the most useful concepts we learned about was the circular syllabus. With a circular syllabus, instead of learning the language in a linear, orderly fashion - first nouns, then adjectives, then verbs... - you just keep going around the circle, learning the same things over and over but in a little more depth each time. For French (which I taught), it might go like this:

While this is highly oversimplified, the basic point is there: after the first lesson, one learns variations of and new things about old concepts, rather than learning one part of the language all the way through, then the next, then the next. Ideally, the circular syllabus works out like a circular staircase: while you keep gradually climbing to the next level in your skills, you keep coming back to the same points (along the circle). Unfortunately, a lot of do-it-yourself programs aren't like this (Pimsleur is a happy exception). For this reason, it's extremely helpful to look at a variety of tools for language learning. You make your own circular syllabus by coming back to the old material but from a slightly different angle. In this way, you can learn new things without getting totally bored. One hopes.

This week, I've been looking at Adrienne's Italian in 32 lessons, as well as continuing to look at the Learn In Your Car Spanish. I've also been flipping through the Lonely Planet Spanish Phrasebook and Berlitz' Shortcut to Italian. As a result, I've learned a few new things, relearned a few old things, and reinforced my skills. If you need a break from language learning, why not try language relearning? Using the ideas of the circular syllabus and varying your materials will enable you to maintain what you know and just maybe learn some new things without even realizing it.