| Every
people or nation has its own way of perceiving sounds, whatever the sound: the cockcrow, the noise made by a coin that falls on the floor, the sound of a particular voice. |
Acquisition of foreign languages
A.A. Tomatis discovered three laws that were named after him, the first of which is fundamental and was the subject matter of papers during the academies of sciences and medicine in 1957.
1. Our voice only
contains what our ears can hear.
This first law brings the relationship between hearing and phonation into
light.
"I speak a language better because I can hear it better"
2. If we give our
ears the opportunity to hear properly we immediately and unconsciously
improve our voice.
"I better hear a language, so I better speak it"
3. Phonation can
be modified by auditory stimulation maintained for a certain period of
time (law of remanence)
This stimulation is given by the electronic ear.
By listening to a language, I can manage to acquire it for good.
These laws were completed by the following discoveries:
the right ear is the dominant ear that processes language.
Every language has specific sound features.
Acquisition of foreign
languages.
3 steps.
Immersion.
The electronic ear
teaches my ears to perceive the sounds of the target language.
Immersing yourself in the target language through high pass filters enables
you to determine its key foundations and its phonology in minute detail.
High definition headphones equipped with a vibrator send out filtered
texts in the target language.
The bascule produced by the electronic ear phonologically opens the ears
to the new language.
Active acquisition.
I speak the language under the electronic ear's control.
In a sound isolated language lab, equipped with headphones and microphone, I repeat words and sentences. The electronic ear restores the acoustic features of the target language both at the level of frequency and of the time given to control the syllable. It forces the patient to go over to the area of audio-phonatory control of the target language.
Fixing and memorising.
After 4 weeks of maturation I train the audio-phonatory area again.
Work-groups - Training courses - Courses :
Acquiring a language. Several methods are possible :
The "gift for languages" is nothing but a relatively sharp ability to " know how to listen " which can easily be trained.
Before taking any step, an assessment and a listening test are always necessary. They enable to bring the hearing abilities and dysfunction into light so as to best draw up everyone's programme.
(for more information, click here)
2. Foreign Languages Acquisition Module :
In accordance with the three phases of immersing oneself in the language, acquiring and memorising it, this formula can assist those who have already acquired some knowledge of the language but who want to improve and fix what they have acquired more durably and more efficiently. This module is possible for English, Dutch, German and Spanish.
(for more information, click here)
Faster and shorter version of the acquisition module. It is rather intended for those who already have a good grounding in the language but who particularly want to improve their listening comprehension and their accent. This module is possible for English, Dutch, German and Spanish.
(for more information, click here)
Following-up formula which is more sustained and more adapted to the child's needs. For those who are learning to use the language but who have some troubles in various fields, it is a way of rediscovering the language with some additional assistance. This module is possible for English only.
(for more information, click here)
Formula which includes several techniques of ours, using each of them alternately in such a way as to offer the more comprehensive aid. Thanks to some evolution in its programme, it also allows one to keep up with the school level in a more pleasing, playful and efficient way. This module is thus intended to all the children who want to discover or rediscover the pleasure to use the language accurately. For English only. All these formulas can be drawn simultaneously and are compatible with each other. That is why you can freely choose one or the other according to your child's specific needs.
(for more information, click here)
