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LEX Language Project Clubs
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SWAHILI is LEX Language Project's 20th language!! A sample of the new Swahili "Multilingual Friends
Around the World"
To order the CD, please call us at 617-354-1140.
In May 2009 Dr. Suzanne Flynn, MIT Professor of Linguistics and Language Acquisition, traveled to Japan for the second time to observe and participate in LEX language clubs. During her visit she addressed more than 2000 LEX language club members and visitors in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, offering scientific evidence as to the linguistic, cognitive and social benefits of the LEX program. Dr. Flynn began her talks with this comment: "After my trip here last year, I left with a tremendous sense of renewed hope and belief in humankind and the potential for each one of us to transform our own lives and, in do doing, have an impact on the lives of others as well." She concluded her speech by stating: "The LEX / Hippo program in my opinion represents the perfect embodiment of what we know to be true about language and learning. LEX / Hippo begins with the belief that next language learning is possible and as a corollary, learning throughout one's lifetime is possible. It understands the developmental process. You begin by singing the sounds. You hear lots of different speakers of the same language. You are allowed to proceed at your own pace. No one is instructing you to do this or that. You quite naturally learn. You immerse yourselves in other languages and cultures during your home stays. Clearly, Hippo recognizes that the human potential for language is infinite bounded only by time and energy. The more languages one knows, the easier it gets. Most important of all, Hippo and all of you recognize the power of the connection with others through a common language. Hippo is a truly inspired program and way of life." Dr. Flynn's 2009 speech can be read in its entirety here. Her speech from May 2008 can be read here or viewed in the video below.
For people in the Boston area who have had difficulty learning languages, the LEX program offers an informal way to acquire languages. LEX Language Project provides a fun, relaxed environment where adults and children are surrounded by the sounds of more than seven languages. It is like playing in a "multilingual park", where families and friends can share the joys of discovering languages together. Since
1981, LEX (formerly known as Hippo Family Club) has been investigating
natural language acquisition. Based on this research, clubs have
been established in Japan, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan and the United
States. All over the world, people of all ages can acquire language
naturally, in the same manner babies learn their first language.
LEX Clubs create a supportive environment where various languages
can be heard, used and developed casually with others. Why So Many Languages? In such countries as India and Luxembourg, people grow up speaking many languages. For example, a child in Luxembourg may be in a situation where his mother speaks French as her first language, his school friends speak English, the man at the butcher shop speaks German and his grandmother speaks Luxembourgish. Someone born into such an environment does not get confused; he can speak easily to anyone in any of these languages. Moreover, when he goes to learn a new language, he can acquire that easily, too. More... Community-Based Experience
LEX encourages people to participate with family and friends, because when an entire family gets involved in the LEX language activities, the natural, total immersion environment that is best for acquiring languages is established. Family and community involvement in this program is essential to its success. Only in the richness of human relationships can real learning occur. Languages are Like Music: Begin by Humming the Tune
Babies love music. At LEX gatherings, even babies who can't walk yet will sway to the sounds of a song. Infants don't learn their native language by breaking the language down into little pieces of grammar and vocabulary or by looking in a dictionary, thus children or adults do not need to learn other languages that way. Without understanding the meaning of another language, people can begin to speak all the words, as if in a song. There are no mistakes, only exploration. If one does not even know where the separations between words are, the "past tense" or "plural form" or "articles" are all hidden inside of the whole, and it is impossible to be confused by them. LEX
Language Project Audio Materials LEX Language Project is not like a school or classroom environment. While there are club facilitators, there is no teacher and no curriculum. The people who get together at LEX encourage and share languages with each other. Participating in LEX activities is just as important as listening to the CDs. In addition to creating an immersion environment, we need a place to try out the sounds we hear, and people to receive those sounds as language. When we speak even a single phrase, everyone supports and praises us. When we make a mistake, we are never criticized. In this environment, we want to speak more and more. |
LEX
Language Project, organized by LEX America, offers opportunities
for multicultural and multilingual exploration to all people.
At
clubs we often say, "sing the sounds." This is more than
just a metaphor. At first we try to sing the big wave of language,
the rhythm and melody which constitute the "Chinese-ness"
of Chinese, or the "French-ness" of French.
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