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OpenBook for English as a Second Language (ESL) English is considered by many as a difficult language to master. OpenBook has been successfully used in ESL settings with excellent results. The OpenBook strategy is ideal because it builds on the most basic units of language and gradually increases in complexity while allowing unlimited practice and repetition. Since the student works between tutoring sessions privately with the computer, there is no embarrassment and more verbal practice occurs.
OpenBook even has an authoring module that allows for customization for additional languages or for building specialty lesson content. This is particularly beneficial for a specific industry or profession employee training requiring a specialized English language base.
One student said, "Thank you for changing my life". Since coming to Canada over 15 years ago, our student experienced ESL training in a traditional classroom environment and also 1-on-1 tutoring. The benefit was more for reading and some writing, but everyday English listening and speech remained a challenge. Other people were impatient to hear his indistinctly pronounced words and he found it difficult to understand their speech as words rather than a stream of "English noise". Three months with OpenBook made a real difference. Now he says he can listen to the news and TV programs and understand what he hears. Because he has learned to hear and produce subtle phonetic pronunciation, others can now understand his speech too. Most people find it easier to learn to read and write in another language than to converse. To listen and speak is an "instant" skill where there isn't enough time to take apart what is heard, break it into words, understand the words and the ideas and then to answer with the reverse process. OpenBook, thanks to its teaching styles and the infinite patience of a computer, develops a student's ability to hear the words as distinct words, gradually speeding up as the student's skill and confidence increase. The student works with OpenBook using a microphone and speakers for instant feedback. The program provides "mouth modelling" so the student can see as well as hear how the sounds are made. First the student masters individual sounds, comparing his/her pronounciation to that of OpenBook, then mastering syllables, then words, then phrases and sentences. OpenBook HomeWork lets the student work for long or short periods, anytime of the day or night, with all the repetition the student wishes, in the privacy and comfort of his/her own workspace. Enabling learning at a student's pace when a student has time available is where OpenBook HomeWork excels. In the real world it is a luxury for some to attend regular courses while earning a living. Too many skilled people miss the opportunity to learn English in a practical way. Learning Crossroad helps them to understand, speak and "turn the corner" to live and work comfortably using English.
Learning Crossroad focuses on "applied ESL" for everyday needs. We are adding additional language support to OpenBook and we are developing additional course material which will concentrate on everyday situations and needs. We want all of our students to reach their potential at their own pace, in their own time, building self-confidence and self-esteem.
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The ESL application can follow an accelerated or compressed course depending on the student's needs. OpenBook
provides user interfaces that can be selected to be appropriate for young children or adults. The instruction
language can be selected from a growing list that includes Spanish, Mandarin (Chinese), Russian, Bosnian and other languages in the future.
There is a world of difference between passing a reading and writing English fluency test, and having the skills to get and keep a job and engage in day to day communication in a store, bank,
medical clinic, etc.
