Method 3: Earworms

What is it?Audio-based approach to language learning

Chunks of language – i.e. phrases/parts of phrases combined with rhythm, set to music – with TL and English together

Why? What is the reason for claiming this method works?

Language learning depends on memorisation of words & soundsEarworms uses some simple techniques that harness more of the brain’s native power and this ‘accelerates’ learning

Listening to the rhythmic repetitions of English and Spanish a few times burns the sound patterns and meanings into the auditory cortex (part of the brain where sounds are stored)

The power of combining the words with rhythm/music in repetition anchors them deep into the long-term memory (think how you don’t forget the words to Baa Baa Black Sheep!)

Task:Listen to track nos. 5 & 10 – follow the stages 1-5 for each track – then be ready to evaluate next lesson.The tracks are to be found on StudentShared drive in MFL folder and called Earworms 5 and Earworms 10.

What do you have to do?1. First time of listening – read the words at the same time from the booklet2. Listen and relax – don’t actively ‘try’ to remember but enjoy the music in the background3. Say the words out loud along with the track – this helps you to anchor the words in your memory4. After listening several times, without stress, see how much you have retained by covering the English side of the booklet and see how many words you know the meaning of.5. To ‘fix’ the learning even more, try to introduce some ‘memory hooks’ - think of what the word sounds like to you and create an image (the funnier/more bizarre the better) e.g. for the number 5 in Spanish, cinco (pronounced ‘thinko’, think of a 05 in a thought bubble (think 05) and you will remember both how to say the word and what it means.

Earworms Vol.1 Track 5: Numbers, days and time

English Spanish Sounds like…

1 uno oono

2 dos doss

3 tres tress

4 cuatro kwattro

5 cinco thinko

6 seis sayeess

7 siete syetay

8 ocho otchoh

9 nueve nooebey

10 diez deeyeth

11 once onthay

12 doce dothay

20 veinte bayntay

25 veinticinco bayntaythinko

40 cuarenta kwarenta

‘past’ and ‘to’

half past… …y media ee medya

a quarter past.. …y cuarto ee kwarto

a quarter to.. …menos cuarto menos kwarto

ten to… …menos diez menos deeyeth

twenty to …menos veinte menos bayntay

Earworms Vol.1 Track 5: Numbers, days and time

English Spanish Sounds like…

Some examples:

Seven o’clock las siete las syete

Half past eight las ocho y media las otcho ee medya

A quarter past seven

las siete y cuarto las syete ee kwarto

Nine twenty las nueve y veinte

las nooebe ee bayntay

A challenge! Try filling in the gaps!

10 o’clock ……..diez

11.30 las……….. y media

6.15 (six and a quarter) ……..seis………cuarto

Twenty to nine ……….nueve…………veinte

3.15 ……..tres y ………..

Quarter to five (minus a quarter) las cinco ………cuarto

Ten past eight ………..y diez

Five to nine …….nueve menos……..

Half past twelve ……….doce y …………..

9.45 las diez menos……….

Earworms Vol.1 Track 5: Numbers, days and time

English Spanish Sounds like…

Days of the week

(on) Monday (el) lunes el looness

(on) Tuesday (el) martes el martess

Wednesday miércoles meeaircoless

Thursday jueves jwebess

Friday viernes beeairness

Saturday sábado sabado

Sunday domingo domingo

Earworms Vol.1 Track 10: Do you speak English?

English Spanish Sounds like…

Good morning/day

Buenos días Bwenos deeass

Good afternoon Buenas tardes Bwenas tardess

How are you/things? (informal)

¿Qué tal? Kay tal?

Do you speak English?

¿Habla inglés? Abla eengless?

Do you speak..? ¿Habla…? Abla…?

Spanish español espanyol

Sorry, I don’t speak Spanish

Lo siento, no hablo español

Lo syento, no ablo espanyol

I don’t speak.. No hablo… No ablo…

M name is… Me llamo… Me yamo…

I don’t understand

No entiendo No entyendo

More slowly Más despacio Mass despatheeo

It’s difficult Es difícil Es deefeetheel

It’s not easy No es fácil No ess fatheel

What is this? ¿Qué es esto? Kay ess esto?

How about an ice cream?

¿Qué tal un helado?

Kay tal oon elado?

Earworms Vol.1 Track 10: Do you speak English?

English Spanish Sounds like…

Ok, why not? Vale, ¿por qué no?

Balleh, por kay noh?

How about a beer?

¿Qué tal una cerveza?

Kay tal oona thairbetha?

How is it? What’s it like?

¿Qué tal? Kay tal?

Do you like it? ¿Te gusta? Tay goostah?

Yes, I like it. (very much)

Sí, me gusta (mucho)

See, may goostah moocho.

I don’t like it No me gusta No may goostah

Another (one) please

Otra, por favor Otra, por favor

Earworms method Student name:

What is this method? (Say what it is, what you have to do to learn with this method)

What do you know now that you didn’t know before using it today?

Rate your progress (better/less good/as expected)

What was effective/not effective?

What did you like/dislike?

Did it increase/decrease your motivation? How?

Did it increase/decrease the length of time you could concentrate?