Ben Franklin the guy who invented the lightning rod, bifocals and the Franklin Stove also knew a thing or two about teaching.
I found this quote from Benny in the Spanish language version of Readers Digest.
dime y lo olvido, enséñame y lo recuerdo involúcrame y lo aprendo
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
So what’s old Ben on about.
Let’s break it down.
Dime y lo olvido (tell me and I forget it)
What do most teachers do?
They tell, tell, and tell.
Sooner or later you tune out and it just goes in one ear and out the other.
It’s the worst.
It’s not just boring it’s ineffective.
Dime y lo olvido – Tell me and I forget it.
By the way, it doesn’t matter if the telling is in person, in print or on CD. If there’s tell, tell, tell going on, you better run, run, run.
Dime y lo olvido (tell me and I forget it)
Enséñame y lo recuerdo (show me and I remember it)
My Karate sensei, en paz descanse (may he rest in peace) was magnificent at showing. When he demonstrated, I knew exactly what my form should look like.
And when his health started failing and he could no longer show me, it just wasn’t the same.
He could only tell me.
As great as he was, telling only goes a fraction of the way that showing does
Dime y lo olvido, enséñame y lo recuerdo (tell me and I forget, show me and I remember)
And then there is the third level.
involúcrame y lo aprendo – involve me and I learn it
Any effective teaching system continually involves you.
Ben Franklin knew it 200 years ago. And it’ll be true 200 years from now
involúcrame y lo aprendo
Have you ever learned anything without involvement?
Walking
Talking
Swimming
Riding a bike
Using the computer in front of you now
You learned it all by being involved.
If you have tried to learn Spanish and failed, it’s because the teaching didn’t involve you.
Yet, I can show you how to get involved and practicing Spanish within 5 minutes.
Stop just watching, become involved. This is the best way to master any subject…especially Spanish.
https://synergyspanish.com/ben.html
Saludos
Marcus Santamaria
Actually you start speaking about the future from lesson 3 of Synergy Spanish with going to.
Then, from the foundation you have with Synergy Spanish it will feel natural to speak about the past with the ideas in this lessons.
https://synergyspanish.com/rewiring-brain-spanish/
I think it would be very beneficial if I could speak Spanish in the past and future tense, which does not seem to be part of your lesson plan. Is there something I am missing?
Marcus’ Spanish is the best language course I have seen and studied in the past three years. Not being immersed in daily Spanish speaking, I go back and review often and find that I retain more each time, a cumulative effect. Repetition, which is normal in daily conversations in Spanish speaking country when you are there, is necessary to imprint vocabulary in the mind.
It is also ENJOYABLE! Marcus keeps it going at a pace that is very doable. Every lesson another step to fluency. One tip, if you see a word you don’t recall, keep a dictionary handy.
Muchas Gracias, Mi Amigo y professor, Marcus
Daniel Remy
(77 years old and still learning– keeps the mind young!)
i am a senior citizen and am working hard to grasp spanish.
Yo recuerdo mucho de los palabras aprendido quando estaba en Espana quarenta anos pasado pero me gustaria hablar mas ahora pero no hay nadie circa de me con que puedo hablar en el idiona
Hola Marcus,
Very good lessons. I achieved a lot but I would love to see the words too. Gracias
Hola Marcus,
Very good lessons. I achieved a lot but I would love to see the words too.
Hi briliant way of learning many thanks
I cannot hear the Spanish sounds(words) very well!!
Hi. Great course but it would be even more rewardin g if you, Marcus, would include alongside each noun in your super lists a simple masculine or feminine sign . I,m presently having to start adding gender to the nouns alongside many other estudiante. If you could provide this service we would be very grateful.
Best wishes & thanks again.
Cliff Hannah
I have finished your first course. Which one comes next?
Hi Carole,
The next course for you is Synergy Spanish.
Saludos,
Marcus
I have really enjoyed learning Spanish with your CD’s! I am on lesson 14 as I am working at this slowly, but surely. Your lessons are so easy to practice with, much better than the other programs I have tried. I live in Panama and now can carry on a conversation in Spanish fairly well, even for hours! Thank you so much for your courses!
Really like these lessons. They make it seem easy. Thank you.
i enjoy all your emails easy to understand but remembering them is the problem
Gracias Marcus,
We retired to Rosarito Beach, BC, MX, 7 mos ago and your program has helped immensely. Having Spanish speaking neighbors has bridged the gap regarding being involved. Interestingly, I read it better and my wife hears it better. I’m just more intent on the learning and understanding the “how” and she just lets it flow.
Another helpful hint is utilizing Google Translate. I don’t have to work so hard to figure things out and because it’s my interest it coordinates better with my learning, another reinforcement to your story above.
Keep up the good works. God Bless you and your family for your generosity in helping us learn.
Hola Marcus, love your spanish course, keep up the good work for us amigos. Muchas Gracias:)
Just Great Marcus well done, Is your Karate as good as your Spanish Dime por forvor
Les.
It is so obviously the way to learn. Why do other teachers not know this? If they do know this why do they not use it? So glad I found your course. It’s been a pleasure learning with you, Thank you.
This just makes sense! Looking forward to learning more. Thanks!
Thank you that is wonderful y lo recuerdo muchas gracias