In ancient England, Latin was taught by means of what has been called the Classical Method: focus on grammatical rules, memorization of vocabulary and of various declensions and conjugations, translation of texts, doing written exercise. What was the reason?

1. Methods of Ancient England.

Languages were not being taught primarily to learn oral communication.

How did they Create Generations of ‘Dumb Scholars’?

Languages were taught to learn for the sake of being "scholarly" or, for gaining a reading proficiency in a foreign language.

For the people of England, English is their mother tongue. They speak English at home.

2. Oxford & Cambridge Methods.

Unlike British, English is not our mother tongue. We don’t speak English at home.

3. And, How Do They Make Us ‘Dumb’?

According to cognitive educational psychology, ‘Meaningful Speaking’ must be the first step in learning any new language.

By speaking, we gain confidence, start loving English, and get ready to learn grammar rules.

By the time they reach school-age, they are already in a position to ‘manage’ English. What they need from school is the training to use ‘correct, structured English’.  

Therefore, Oxford, Cambridge methods are heavy on grammar from the day one! They create ‘Grammar Scholars’ because they need not (or are not meant to) develop ‘Oral Communication skills’.

Over emphasis on ‘repulsive’ grammar at the very early age, and no emphasis on speaking lessons, make us ‘Non-talking, Purposeless, Grammar Scholars’!

Prator and Celce-Murcia (1979:3)* list the major characteristics of the ‘Classical Method’ that creates ‘Grammar Scholars’ and not ‘English Communicators’:

Much vocabulary, idiom & phrases, phrasal verbs are taught in the form of disconnected lists of isolated words. Encourage memorizing. Students fail to find the logic to apply them in their dya-to-day life.

Classes are taught in the mother tongue, with little active use of the English language. Meaningful, purposeful use of English language is not discussed.

Do You Still Follow these Methods?

Long elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given - right in the beginning. Students start fearfully relating grammar structures with complex formulae in physics or mathematics.

Grammar provides the rules for putting words together, and instruction often focuses on the form and inflection of words. Students believe before they start speaking, they must correct the structure.

Reading of difficult classical texts in begun early. This approach steals away the interesting aspects of English language. Students get conditioned to the idea that English is tough and ‘it is not for me’.

Little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercise in grammatical analysis. Adult minds look for ‘convincing reasons for learning’. If it can’t find any, it refuses to learn!

Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences from the target language into the mother tongue. This forces students to think in ‘their mother tongue’, ‘translate to English’, then ‘speak’!

Blindly teach pronunciation from a standard software - Not during a meaningful, purposeful dialogue.

* Prator, C.H. and Celce-Murcia, M. 1979. An outline
of language teaching approaches. In Celce-Murcia, M. and McIntosh, L. (Ed.), Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. New York: Newbury House.

Classical Method does virtually nothing to enhance a student’s communicative ability in the language. It is remembered with distaste by thousands of school learners, for whom foreign language learning meant a tedious experience of memorizing endless lists of unusable grammar rules and vocabulary and attempting to produce perfect translations of stilted or literary prose (Richards and Rodgers 1986:4). Then, why is it so popular?

Test of grammar rules and of translations are easy to construct and can be objectively scored.

It requires few specialized skills / little efforts on the part of teachers. Anyone can teach English!

Why the Flawed Method is So Popular?

Many standardized tests of English still do not attempt to tap into communicative abilities, so students have little motivations to go beyond grammar analogies, translations, and rote exercise.

The English skills acquired through this method is enough to acquire mediocre skills in Engineering / science areas.

It is convenient (and no risk) to think that the best way to learn English is the way the native English people do.

Rote-learning in many other areas of education is encouraged. Therefore, nobody finds faults with the tedious experience of memorising endless list of unusable grammar and vocabulary lists.

In a society where the student’s career success doesn't depend on his ability to convince, debate, argue, or motivate, his/her English skills are judged only through the ‘grades’ in grammar tests!

Acquiring a second (foreign) language is a habit-breaking experience. According to research in Cognitive Educational Psychology, the following three are the critical success factors in Second Language Acquisition:

Begin with Oral Communication: First step in any language learning is in ‘Speaking’. ‘Spoken English’ exposes the ‘problem areas’. True second language learning happens when student gets feedbacks on this.

Content-based Instruction: An adult can acquire a second language only through meaningful lessons that has immediate relevance in personal/professional life. Isolated lessons, and word lists repel them away.

Inference: What are the Three Success Factors in Second Language Acquisition?

Ordinary training programs ignore the development of these higher order cognitive skills as it involves new methodologies, technology & training of staff members.

Linking Body-language to Verbal Communication: Scientists say 86% of communication is non-verbal. Linking verbal & non-verbal communication enhances self-awareness , hasten English learning & likeability.

What is the Uniqueness of the SpeakEnglishGym RIEOTS Methodology?

It is the Only Program Using Content-based Instruction Methodology: Meaningful, Purposeful whole lessons, Customisation, Body-language recording, Interactive Tests & Spoken English Simulation.

It is the Only Method Founded on Realistic Spoken English (Simulation) Sessions: Students can attempt realistic challenging conversation sessions any number of times and build on by rectifying mistakes.

It is the Only Method to Receive Contextual, Actionable Feedbacks: Advanced tools to precisely pin-point deficiencies in one’s (Technical/Managerial) verbal and non-verbal communication. Self /Peer review feature.