Essentials Course Ware Companion

Essentials Courseware Companion
for Students
August 2011 Update

LssenLlals Courseware Companlon for SLudenLs - 1ransparenL Language, lnc.
2011, 1ransparenL Language, lnc. All 8lghLs 8eserved. 1hls documenL may conLaln oLher producL and corporaLe names, whlch may be
Lrademarks or reglsLered Lrademarks of oLher companles, and whlch are used only for explanaLlon wlLhouL lnLenL Lo lnfrlnge.
2

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lnLroducLlon..................................................................................................................................................3
uslng LssenLlals Courses...............................................................................................................................4
CeLLlng SLarLed .........................................................................................................................................4
navlgaLlng Lhe Course ..............................................................................................................................3
Lxplorlng leaLures and ConLenL ...................................................................................................................6
uslng Learnlng AcLlvlLles...........................................................................................................................6
!"#$%& ($)...........................................................................................................................................6
!#&*+&, -. ..............................................................................................................................................7
!#/0102+$.+/0 !#$2.+2&..........................................................................................................................8
3&2/40+5& 6 7#+.& -. .............................................................................................................................9
8/1# 9:1$#&.........................................................................................................................................10
!#/;12& 6 9$< -. .................................................................................................................................11
9&0.&02& =0%2#$>?@& .........................................................................................................................12
A+2.$.+/0 .............................................................................................................................................13
B$>& 9"/,.........................................................................................................................................14
uslng AssessmenLs and 8eference 1ools................................................................................................13
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D$041$4& 810;$>&0.$@% ....................................................................................................................16
8evlewlng ConLenL .................................................................................................................................19
undersLandlng MeLhodology .................................................................................................................21
Concluslon ..................................................................................................................................................23
ConLacLlng 1ransparenL Language..........................................................................................................23

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Welcome Lo Lhe LssenLlals Course, an exclLlng new language-learnlng soluLlon from 1ransparenL
Language!
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1he LssenLlals Courses from 1ransparenL Language, lnc. are programs LhaL provlde a fun, engaglng, and
lnLeracLlve envlronmenL for learners who wanL Lo masLer Lhe essenLlal vocabulary and pronunclaLlon
skllls necessary Lo communlcaLe ln a forelgn language. Lach course conslsLs of a serles of unlLs, made up
of lessons and acLlvlLles whlch provlde beglnners and advanced beglnners wlLh Lhe clear learnlng paLh
and sLrucLure Lhey need Lo succeed, whlle aL Lhe same Llme allowlng more experlenced users Lhe
flexlblllLy Lo focus on Lhe exerclses LhaL besL sulL Lhelr needs. ueslgned wlLh Lravelers and advenLure-
seekers ln mlnd, LssenLlals Courses appeal Lo Lhose who are looklng for an easy, qulck way Lo geL sLarLed
ln a new language.
1hls Courseware Companlon handbook ls lnLended Lo glve an overvlew of how Lhe LssenLlals Courses
work, whaL you can learn wlLh Lhe appllcaLlon, and whlch acLlvlLles are lncluded. More deLalled
lnformaLlon on uslng Lhe varlous acLlvlLles can be found ln Lhe onllne help accesslble from Lhe
appllcaLlon lLself.
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Lach LssenLlals Course sLrlves Lo help you prepare for pracLlcal, everyday conversaLlons ln a forelgn
language. 1he courses are organlzed around a seL of unlLs, each coverlng a common slLuaLlon such as
geLLlng around Lhe clLy, eaLlng ouL, shopplng and handllng money, geLLlng Lo know people, deallng wlLh
emergencles, and so on.
Lach unlL conLalns several lessons made up of engaglng and lncreaslngly challenglng acLlvlLles LhaL lead
Lowards masLery of essenLlal words, phrases, and expresslons. 1he end goal ls Lo enable you Lo
undersLand and convey Lhe baslcs for survlval and Lo parLlclpaLe ln Lyplcal, everyday communlcaLlon.
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1he slmple answer ls, because Lhey ,/#E. 1ransparenL Language's "ueclaraLlve llrsL" approach,
descrlbed ln more deLall laLer ln Lhls documenL, provldes a proven paLh Lo lnlLlal language acqulslLlon.
Lach unlL and lesson lncorporaLes Lhe key elemenLs leadlng Lo successful language acqulslLlon: =%&F1@
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4
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1here are many ways Lo learn a language wlLh an LssenLlals Course. 1hls secLlon suggesLs one posslble
sLraLegy for worklng wlLh Lhe appllcaLlon, by walklng you Lhrough Lhe feaLures you wlll encounLer.
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LssenLlals Courses make lL obvlous whaL Lo do flrsL: 1o geL sLarLed, slmply open unlL 1, read Lhe
lnformaLlon on Lhe unlL Pome screen, Lhen cllck Lhe large, red !"#$" &'#$()(* buLLon Lo begln.

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?ou can Lhen work wlLh Lhe acLlvlLles ln LhaL unlL, as descrlbed below, for as long or as shorL a Llme as
you wlsh. 1he appllcaLlon auLomaLlcally Lracks progress, whlch ls reflecLed ln Lhe unlL CompleLlon sLaLus
bar. ln subsequenL sesslons, Lhe !"#$" &'#$()(* buLLon on Lhe unlL Pome screen wlll be replaced wlLh
='360' &'#$()(*, whlch opens Lhe mosL recenLly used acLlvlLy. 1hls handy feaLure allows you Lo plck up
exacLly where you lefL off, so you can make progress even wlLh shorL sesslons. lrequenL pracLlce
sesslons (every day or every oLher day) are generally besL for learnlng, buL any amounL of language
exposure can be beneflclal.
1o geL back Lo Lhe unlL Pome screen aL any Llme, cllck ln Lhe upper rlghL-hand parL of Lhe screen.

3
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ln Lhe LssenLlals Courses, Lhe cholce of acLlvlLles balances Lhe developmenL of recepLlve and producLlve
language skllls. ln each unlL and lesson, you wlll progress from less Lo more complex and challenglng
exerclses: beglnnlng wlLh easy famlllarlzaLlon of Lhe new conLenL, movlng Lhrough acLlvlLles LhaL
promoLe memorlzaLlon of new words and phrases, and flnlshlng wlLh more demandlng exerclses LhaL
requlre solldlfled knowledge and hlgher language skllls.
Lach acLlvlLy focuses on Lhe vocabulary ln Lhe currenL lesson whlle lnLer[ecLlng words and phrases
learned earller ln Lhe course. 1hls 'recycllng' of vocabulary relnforces memory and moves words and
phrases from shorL-Lerm Lo long-Lerm memory. 1he flow of acLlvlLles ls deslgned Lo maxlmlze
effecLlveness and efflclency, whlch ls parLlcularly lmporLanL Lo learners wlLh llmlLed sLudy Llme.
When an acLlvlLy ls compleLed, you wlll auLomaLlcally be offered Lhe opLlon Lo sLay on LhaL exerclse for
addlLlonal revlew, or move on Lo Lhe nexL. 1hls cholce allows you Lo work aL your own pace, wlLhouL
pressure. ?ou can also [ump Lo any acLlvlLy by cllcklng aL Lhe boLLom of Lhe acLlvlLy
screen Lo open Lhe unlL navlgaLor, Lhen cllcklng on any acLlvlLy lcon.

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1hls easy navlgaLlon feaLure provldes a clear order for you Lo follow, whlle sLlll offerlng Lhe flexlblllLy Lo
reLurn Lo prevlous acLlvlLles or look ahead Lo see whaL ls Lo come. 1he order and Lype of acLlvlLles
avallable varles from lesson Lo lesson and from language Lo language, based on whlch exerclses are mosL
useful for Leachlng Lhe necessary concepLs ln a parLlcular unlL. Powever, all unlLs end wlLh an
assessmenL, whlch evaluaLes Lhe your undersLandlng of Lhe maLerlal presenLed ln Lhe precedlng lessons.
ln addlLlon Lo Lhe acLlvlLles and assessmenLs shown ln Lhe unlL navlgaLor, mosL LssenLlals Courses also
make cerLaln reference Lools avallable aL any Llme. lor example, Lhe Language lundamenLals secLlon,
whlch usually lncludes grammar and/or alphabeL lnformaLlon, can always be opened by cllcklng ln
Lhe upper rlghL-hand parL of Lhe screen.
1he acLlvlLles, assessmenLs, and reference Lools are descrlbed ln more deLall ln Lhe nexL secLlon.

6
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1hls secLlon provldes baslc lnformaLlon abouL Lhe key acLlvlLles and feaLures found ln LssenLlals Courses.
1he exacL seL of acLlvlLles avallable may vary by language. Some languages may noL have all Lhe acLlvlLles
descrlbed below, whlle oLhers may have addlLlonal acLlvlLles noL llsLed here.
?/"'C 1he onllne help for Lhe appllcaLlon, accesslble by cllcklng on any screen ln Lhe program,
provldes more deLalled lnsLrucLlons on uslng each acLlvlLy.
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hrase Map lnLroduces Lhe vocabulary for a lesson and helps you form a connecLlon beLween wrlLLen
and spoken words. ln Lhls acLlvlLy, you wlll see Lhe enLlre seL of words and phrases from Lhe lesson aL
once. All you have Lo do ls hold Lhe mouse polnLer over each Lerm Lo see Lhe LranslaLlon and hear Lhe
audlo recordlng. 1he acLlvlLy wlll be compleLed when you have cllcked on all Lhe lLems.

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revlew lL ls deslgned Lo famlllarlze you wlLh Lhe vocabulary for Lhe currenL lesson. lllpplng
Lhrough Lhe cards exposes you Lo Lhe sounds, wrlLLen forms, and meanlngs of words and phrases.
uurlng Lhls exerclse, you wlll see Lhe forelgn language, as well as Lhe Lngllsh meanlng, and wlll be able Lo
llsLen Lo a naLlve speaker pronounce each word or phrase. Some cards also lnclude plcLures Lo lllusLraLe
and relnforce Lhe meanlng.

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ln some courses, Lhe conLenL for languages whlch are normally wrlLLen wlLh characLers LhaL
may be unfamlllar ls presenLed wlLh LransllLeraLlons along wlLh or ln place of Lhe acLual forelgn
characLers. 1hese LransllLeraLlons, whlch represenL Lhe sounds of one language uslng Lhe
characLers of a more famlllar one such as Lngllsh, can be a useful Lool for masLerlng
pronunclaLlon and memorlzlng words.
noLe: Some LssenLlals Courses lnclude an acLlvlLy called "revlew lus" ln place of hrase Map and
revlew lL. lL serves Lhe same purpose of lnLroduclng Lhe words and phrases.

8

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ronunclaLlon racLlce provldes you wlLh an opporLunlLy Lo hone your pronunclaLlon skllls and develop
confldence speaklng new words and phrases ouL loud. Lach word and phrase has been recorded aL a
naLural speed by a naLlve speaker. ?ou can llsLen Lo Lhls pronunclaLlon as many Llmes as you need Lo be
sure of Lhe Lerm. lf necessary, you can even play Lhe lLem aL a slower speed Lo dlscern Lhe nuances of
Lhe naLlve speaker's pronunclaLlon. When ready, you can record your pronunclaLlon and compare lL Lo
LhaL of Lhe naLlve speaker, boLh by llsLenlng Lo Lhe recordlngs and by looklng aL Lhe wave form
represenLaLlons of Lhe pronunclaLlons.

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8e sure Lo pracLlce your pronunclaLlon ofLen - Lhe more you say, Lhe more you'll learn and Lhe beLLer
you'll sound. ?ou should also noLe Lhe sound feaLures avallable ln Lhe upper rlghL-hand secLlon of Lhe
screen: ad[usLs Lhe volume, whlle ad[usLs Lhe sound speed.

9

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8y Lhe Llme you use 8ecognlze & WrlLe lL, you wlll have become famlllar wlLh Lhe words and phrases ln
Lhe lesson and feel comforLable pronounclng Lhem, so you should be ready Lo focus Lo rememberlng Lhe
meanlng of each lLem. ln Lhls acLlvlLy, you wlll pracLlce your recepLlve language skllls by hearlng and
seelng words and phrases ln Lhe forelgn language and Lyplng Lhe meanlngs ln your naLlve language.

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1he lour Square acLlvlLy allows you Lo pracLlce recepLlve language skllls ln a game-llke formaL. lour
cards are dlsplayed on Lhe screen, one aL a Llme, each showlng a dlfferenL word or phrase from Lhe
lesson. 1he lnformaLlon on Lhese squares wlll Lhen be hldden whlle a LranslaLlon appears aL Lhe Lop of
Lhe screen. ?our challenge ls Lo remember whlch of Lhe four squares had Lhe word or phrase LhaL
corresponds Lo LhaL LranslaLlon. SelecLlng a square wlll dlsplay Lhe hldden lLem and deLermlne wheLher a
maLch has been made. olnLs wlll be earned dependlng on how many Lrles lL Lakes Lo flnd Lhe correcL
meanlng.

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11

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roduce & Say lL helps you recall and produce Lhe language you are learnlng. ln Lhls acLlvlLy, you wlll see
a flash card wlLh a word or phrase ln your naLlve language and wlll have Lo Lhlnk of or say ouL loud Lhe
correspondlng forelgn language word or phrase. lf you don'L remember, Lhe program wlll refresh your
memory by showlng boLh languages and playlng Lhe naLlve speaker sound.

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As ln 8ecognlze & WrlLe lL, Lhe underlylng presenLaLlon algorlLhm cusLomlzes Lhe order and frequency of
Lhe words and expresslons shown, mlxlng new words and phrases wlLh Lhose prevlously seen. 1hough
Lhls acLlvlLy may seem challenglng aL flrsL glance, Lhe facL LhaL you evaluaLe your own performance
means Lhere ls no sLress lnvolved.

12

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SenLence unscramble, someLlmes [usL called unscramble, comblnes Lhe sounds and wrlLLen forms of
famlllar expresslons Lo make you reflecL on how words are puL LogeLher Lo consLrucL phrases or full
senLences. ln Lhls acLlvlLy, you musL unscramble each phrase or senLence by dragglng Lhe words and
puncLuaLlon marks lnLo order and checklng your resulLs. 1hls exerclse encourages you Lo Lhlnk abouL
word order and baslc grammar prlnclples as you pracLlce baslc senLence sLrucLure. 1he sound and
LranslaLlon for each phrase or senLence wlll be avallable afLer lL ls unscrambled.

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13

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ulcLaLlon moves producLlve language skllls Lo Lhe nexL level. ln Lhls acLlvlLy, you wlll hear words, phrases,
or senLences, Lhen Lype Lhem ln Lhe forelgn language. Pelp ls offered ln Lhe form of "free leLLers" and
sound recordlngs LhaL can be replayed as many Llmes as needed. 1he process of llsLenlng carefully and
Lhen produclng Lhe Lerms Lhemselves wlll relnforce learners' memorles of Lhe vocabulary lLems.

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lor languages LhaL use dlfferenL wrlLlng
sysLems, Lhe program provldes a vlrLual
keyboard Lo asslsL wlLh Lyplng. ?ou can use
Lhls feaLure Lo locaLe Lhe correcL keys on your
physlcal keyboard, or slmply cllck characLers
on Lhe vlrLual keyboard lLself. 1he onllne help
lncludes deLalled Lyplng lnsLrucLlons.

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Came Show ls a fun and compeLlLlve acLlvlLy LhaL challenges your memory and producLlve wrlLlng skllls
by asklng you Lo reconsLrucL a forelgn phrase or senLence. 1he acLlvlLy beglns by showlng a serles of
blanks, one for each leLLer ln an expresslon LhaL you have sLudled. As Lhe Llmer counLs down, more and
more leLLers are gradually fllled ln. ?ou can walL as long as you need Lo recognlze Lhe phrase, buL Lhe
sooner you Lype Lhe correcL answer, Lhe more polnLs you wlll score.

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8ullL-ln feaLures make lL easy Lo Lype accenLs and speclal characLers whlle Lhls fun and compeLlLlve
acLlvlLy challenges Lhe your memory and producLlve wrlLlng skllls. lor example, Lo Lype accenLs and
dlacrlLlc marks ln languages LhaL use Lhe LaLln alphabeL (Lhe same baslc characLers as Lngllsh), you
slmply need Lo Lype Lhe base characLer, Lhen selecL Lhe form you need from Lhe posslblllLles LhaL appear.

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13
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AssessmenLs LesL wheLher or noL you have masLered Lhe maLerlal ln a unlL, uslng dlfferenL klnds of
quesLlons drawn from Lhe currenL unlL's acLlvlLles. ?ou may be asked Lo selecL mulLlple cholce answers,
Lype LranslaLlons, and more. lnsLead of glvlng feedback as you go, as ln Lhe regular acLlvlLles, Lhe
assessmenL wlll show a slngle overall score aL Lhe end LhaL wlll lndlcaLe wheLher you have passed. lf you
have, Lake a momenL Lo congraLulaLe yourself on how far you've come. lf noL, Lhough, don'L worry - [usL
revlew Lhe conLenL a whlle longer uslng Lhe acLlvlLles ln Lhe unlL, Lhen Lry Lhe assessmenL agaln. ?ou can
Lake lL as many Llmes as you need Lo feel comforLable wlLh your score.

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16
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1he Language lundamenLals secLlon of Lhe program ls accesslble Lhrough Lhe lcon aL Lhe Lop
rlghL-hand slde of many screens any Llme lL ls needed. 1hls secLlon may offer a varleLy of reference
Lools, dependlng on whaL ls mosL useful and approprlaLe for Lhe language belng LaughL.
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Among Lhe mosL common resources offered are Lhe Language Learnlng 1lps and Crammar 1lps Lools,
whlch lnLroduce baslc language and grammar lnformaLlon Lhrough a serles of shorL vldeo presenLaLlons.
Lach vldeo addresses a slngle key polnL abouL Lhe forelgn language, wlLh conclse explanaLlons and clear
examples. ?ou may waLch Lhe vldeos as many Llmes as you llke, whenever you wanL a qulck reference.

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17
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AnoLher reference Lool someLlmes found ln Lhe Language lundamenLals secLlon, especlally for
languages whlch use dlfferenL wrlLlng sysLems, ls AlphabeL Lxplorer. 1hls Lool allows you Lo lnvesLlgaLe
each characLer or leLLer of Lhe alphabeL ln more deLall by seelng all lLs wrlLLen forms. ?ou can also hear
leLLer names, llsLen Lo lndlvldual leLLer sounds, locaLe characLers on Lhe keyboard, and even [oln leLLers
LogeLher Lo vlew Lhe comblned forms. 1hese feaLures make AlphabeL Lxplorer a useful reference for
beglnners, especlally Lhose learnlng a language where Lhe wrlLlng sysLem ls compleLely new Lo Lhem. lL
can also be handy revlew for more advanced learners.

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18
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Some languages also lnclude an AbouL Lhe Language opLlon ln Language lundamenLals. As Lhe name
suggesLs, Lhls feaLure provldes a general overvlew of Lhe language. 1hrough a serles of slldes, lL covers
Lhe language's orlglns and hlsLory, as well as where and by whlch peoples lL ls spoken.

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19
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1he prevlous secLlon of Lhls handbook gulded you Lhrough Lhe avallable acLlvlLles, buL Lhere's more Lo an
LssenLlals Course Lhan Lechnology. 1he LssenLlals Courses offer a comprehenslve seL of conLenL, all of
whlch comes wlLh naLlve-speaker pronunclaLlon. Many of Lhe flash cards also lnclude plcLures Lo make
Lhe maLerlal more memorable.
Whlle Loplcs may vary by language, mosL LssenLlals Courses cover Lhe followlng:
-()" Q: uslng common greeLlngs, maklng pollLe requesLs, geLLlng acqualnLed, and more.
-()" R: Crganlzlng a Lrlp, buylng LlckeLs, dlscusslng prlces and paymenLs, asklng Lhe Llme, and
more.
-()" S: CeLLlng around a clLy, uslng communlcaLlon faclllLaLlon phrases, Laklng a Laxl, uslng publlc
LransporLaLlon, and more.
-()" T: SLaylng aL a hoLel, maklng reservaLlons, asklng abouL check-ln and check-ouL Llmes,
orderlng room servlce, and more.
-()" U: LaLlng ouL, asklng for a menu, orderlng food and drlnks, asklng for lnformaLlon, and more.
-()" VC ueallng wlLh money, exchanglng currency, golng Lo a bank, asklng abouL hours of
operaLlon, and more.
-()" WC Colng shopplng, Lalklng abouL slzes and maLerlals, bargalnlng, asklng dlrecLlons wlLhln a
sLore, and more.
-()" XC Asklng for help or medlcal aLLenLlon, dlscusslng healLh, requesLlng emergency asslsLance,
reporLlng losL or sLolen lLems, and more.
-()" YC Asklng and glvlng dlrecLlons around Lown, dlscusslng lssues relaLed Lo drlvlng, and more.
-()" QZC uslng addlLlonal greeLlngs, maklng pollLe conversaLlon, dlscusslng Lhe weaLher, and more.
-()" QQC ulscusslng fllghLs, reporLlng a losL passporL, uslng addlLlonal communlcaLlon faclllLaLlon
phrases, expresslng graLlLude, and more.
&#(*6#*' <6(:#0'("#43: WrlLlng Lhe language, undersLandlng baslc grammar, and/or learnlng
more abouL Lhe language.

20
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When you look aL Lhe vocabulary presenLed ln Lhe LssenLlals Course, you'll noLlce LhaL words LhaL are
semanLlcally llnked, such as Lhe days of Lhe week, body parLs, eLc., are ofLen spread ouL across several
lessons raLher Lhan belng grouped LogeLher. 1hls dlsLrlbuLlon of vocabulary may aL flrsL provoke
quesLlons from sLudenLs used Lo learnlng wlLh sLandard llsLs of relaLed Lerms, buL lL has been
dellberaLely chosen based on exLenslve language learnlng research.
AlLhough lL has LradlLlonally been belleved LhaL lL ls fasLer and easler Lo memorlze vocabulary organlzed
lnLo semanLlc seLs , research has shown LhaL Lrylng Lo learn Lerms presenLed ln semanLlc clusLers ls
acLually more dlfflculL Lhan learnlng unrelaLed words (naLlon, 2001, 1lnkham, 1993, Warlng, 1997). As k.
S. lolse (2004) sLaLes, "SemanLlc seLs are noL only unhelpful, Lhey acLually hlnder vocabulary reLenLlon"
and may Lrlgger confuslon and mlsundersLandlng (p. 32). When learners are Lold Lo memorlze an enLlre
semanLlc llsL, such as "sLocklngs, sulL, pockeL, dress, haL, sleeve, shoe, coaL, shlrL, belL, gloves", Lhey noL
only flnd lL harder Lo remember buL also confuslng, because Lhey may end up calllng one Lhlng by Lhe
name of anoLher. Spreadlng ouL such Lerms combaLs Lhls Lendency by lessenlng Lhe chances of mlxlng
up slmllar lLems. k. S. lolse glves a very convlnclng example LhaL many forelgn language learners can
conflrm based on Lhelr own experlence:
"erhaps Lhe besL personal example l can glve here ls wlLh Lhe !apanese words for lefL [hldarl] and rlghL
[mlgl]. l was LaughL boLh of Lhese aL Lhe same Llme, buL l cannoL say LhaL l learned boLh of Lhem aL Lhe
same Llme. 1o Lhls day, l have a hard Llme rememberlng whlch ls whlch. l have Lo come up wlLh all sorLs
of mnemonlc devlces Lo help me sorL Lhe Lwo ouL. (lL ls compllcaLed: l have Lo remember LhaL lefL ls
shorLer Lhan rlghL ln Lngllsh, and lL ls Lhe exacL opposlLe ln !apanese, whlch ls way Loo much efforL Lo
remember a dlrecLlon LhaL you need Lo be able Lo use or undersLand lmmedlaLely.)"
Long llsLs of relaLed lLems also mean LhaL language learners very ofLen spend Llme memorlzlng words
LhaL are noL very useful for everyday communlcaLlon, such as Lhe words for "magenLa" or "llps", when
Lhey would beneflL more from focuslng flrsL on Lerms LhaL Lhey wlll hear and use far more frequenLly. 1o
avold Lhls lssue, Lhe organlzaLlon of Lhe vocabulary ln Lhe LssenLlals Course Lakes Lhe raLe of word usage
lnLo accounL. lollowlng Lhls sequence, you wlll galn a solld foundaLlon of useful words.

21
.#*%)&$1#*-#/ B%$7"*"2"/C
1hls secLlon descrlbes Lhe meLhodology behlnd Lhe LssenLlals Courses. undersLandlng Lhls meLhodology
wlll help you learn efflclenLly wlLh program.
!"#$ +) 1'#*$ F9 NG'8,#&#$+<' B+&)$N6
1aklng lnLo conslderaLlon people's llmlLed sLudy Llme, 1ransparenL Language's meLhodology focuses on
a "ueclaraLlve llrsL" approach LhaL emphaslzes Lhe qulck and effecLlve developmenL of baslc memorlzed
proflclency ln a forelgn language. 1he Lechnlque conslsLs of uslng vocabulary-based acLlvlLles Lo grow
each learner's lexlcal reperLolre, Lhen uslng learned words and phrases ln more challenglng acLlvlLles
LhaL provlde mulLlple opporLunlLles Lo uLlllze newly acqulred conLenL ln varlous seLLlng and conLexLs.
1hls learnlng process ulLlmaLely leads Lo Lhe developmenL of Lhe recepLlve and producLlve language
skllls LhaL are necessary for successful communlcaLlon.
1he "ueclaraLlve llrsL" approach ls based on research ln second language acqulslLlon, compuLaLlonal
llngulsLlcs, and neurosclence. neurosclenLlsLs have found LhaL Lhe human braln has Lwo memory
sysLems: declaraLlve and procedural.
1he ;&2@$#$.+*& >&>/#< %<%.&> sLores facLs and concepLs and faclllLaLes memorlzaLlon by
creaLlng relaLlons beLween arblLrary elemenLs. 8ecenL research suggesLs LhaL Lhe same braln
sLrucLures LhaL enable Lhe learnlng of concepLs and facLs also supporL Lhe memorlzaLlon of new
words and phrases, lncludlng Lhelr wrlLLen forms, sounds, and meanlngs.
1he )#/2&;1#$@ >&>/#< %<%.&> underlles moLor and cognlLlve skllls, such as playlng Lhe plano or
rldlng a blcycle. lL supporLs learnlng sequences and helps learners recognlze, apply, and
evenLually auLomaLe more complex, rule-governed llngulsLlc sLrucLures. lL also conLrlbuLes Lo
Lhe accuraLe selecLlon of words and sounds, and Lo Lhe reLrleval of newly learned words and
expresslons ln a speclflc conLexL.
8esearch has demonsLraLed LhaL aL Lhe beglnnlng levels of forelgn language acqulslLlon, adulL learners
rely prlmarlly on Lhe declaraLlve memory sysLem. ln Lhe beglnnlng of language learnlng, lL ls lmporLanL
for learners Lo focus on bulldlng Lhelr declaraLlve reservolr by acqulrlng useful lexlcal lLems. knowlng
baslc words and phrases ls a prerequlslLe for asklng express needs and asklng baslc quesLlons. 8rlLlsh
llngulsL uavld Wllklns (1972) puLs lL Lhls way: Whlle wlLhouL grammar llLLle can be conveyed, wlLhouL
vocabulary noLhlng can be conveyed" (p. 111).
1he vocabulary ln Lhe LssenLlals Course focuses on words and phrases frequenLly and commonly used ln
real-llfe slLuaLlons. 1hese new words, phrases, chunks, and even full senLences are lnlLlally sLored ln Lhe
declaraLlve memory and can be acLlvaLed ln classroom acLlvlLles or ln real slLuaLlons ln a forelgn counLry.
As language sLudenLs progress Lhrough Lhe course, Lhey wlll lncrease Lhe slze of Lhelr lexlcal reservolr,
whlch ulLlmaLely wlll help Lhem become successful communlcaLors ln everyday slLuaLlons.

22
O.= 7. $"' ())'*$+#,) -./&)') $'#8" 3&.*/*8+#$+.*6
Cf course, lf your goal ls spoken communlcaLlon, lL's noL enough Lo know only Lhe wrlLLen forms of
words. lL ls equally, lf noL more, lmporLanL Lo be able Lo say and undersLand Lhem. ?our new language
may challenge you wlLh an array of leLLers and sounds LhaL may noL exlsL ln your own language, and may
aL flrsL be dlfflculL Lo recognlze and produce. racLlclng pronunclaLlon noL only lncreases your chance of
undersLandlng and belng undersLood, lL also lncreases fluency and conLrlbuLes Lo learnlng new words
and phrases, all of whlch ulLlmaLely faclllLaLes communlcaLlon.
1o LhaL end, every word and phrase ln an LssenLlals Course ls accompanled by a hlgh-quallLy audlo
recordlng execuLed by a professlonal naLlve speaker. 1he audlo ls recorded aL a naLural speed Lo
accusLom you Lo Lhe "real language" you wlll encounLer when ln a counLry, alLhough you also have Lhe
opLlon of slowlng down Lhe sound Lo focuses on Lhe nuances of Lhe pronunclaLlon.
1hroughouL Lhe course, you are encouraged Lo repeaL ouL loud afLer naLlve speakers. 1he LssenLlals
Courses also have dedlcaLed ronunclaLlon racLlce acLlvlLles LhaL requlre you Lo llsLen Lo and record
forelgn words and phrases. AfLer recordlng, you can compare your pronunclaLlon Lo LhaL of Lhe naLlve
speaker audlbly (by llsLenlng Lo boLh sounds) as well as vlsually (by comparlng wave forms). Lach Lerm
can be recorded as many Llmes as necessary for you Lo be saLlsfled wlLh Lhe pronunclaLlon.

B I#@' </$0 )( ",' >$/(6(1)#")/( >$#1")1' B1")@)"E

23
!"#,2+&-"#
now LhaL you've seen whaL Lhe LssenLlals Course has Lo offer, dlve ln and sLarL learnlng! Lxplore all Lhe
feaLures and pracLlce regularly, and you wlll make progress.

We aL 1ransparenL Language are confldenL LhaL you'll flnd Lhls program a powerful Lool Lo advance
language knowledge. lf you have any LhoughLs or quesLlons LhaL you wanL Lo share wlLh 1ransparenL
Language, feel free Lo conLacL us uslng Lhe lnformaLlon provlded below.

!"#$1,$-#/ @)1#&91)%#$ ;1#/+1/%
CusLomer feedback ls Lhe mosL lmporLanL aspecL of Lhe conLlnual process of lmprovlng our producLs. We
look forward Lo your feedback, commenLs, quesLlons, and suggesLlons.

>.8?2C
CusLomer Servlce, Sales: (800) 367-9619 or (603) 262-6300
1echnlcal SupporL: (603) 262-6300

<B[C
Crders, 1echnlcal SupporL: (603) 262-6476

2\DBF&C
Crders, Ceneral lnformaLlon: lnfo[LransparenL.com
1echnlcal SupporL: supporL[LransparenL.com

I2] >BO2C
www.LransparenL.com

DBF&C
1ransparenL Language, lnc.
12 Murphy urlve
nashua, nP 03062
uSA

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