|
Membership LEX Language Project (formerly Hippo Family Club) is a fun place where you can enjoy many different languages together with family and friends. The Clubs are not classes; they do not have a structured curriculum, or even students and teachers. Instead, they provide an environment which nurtures language through relaxed encounters with all the different kinds of people who are members of your club, and in the world around you. The LEX CDs help establish this natural setting where you are surrounded by the various languages on a daily basis. Everyone, from children to adults, can enjoy the contents of the CDs: songs from around the world and stories created by LEX. All members are required to purchase either the Basic set or the Mini Set, which come in CDs or audiocassettes. The Basic set of 21 CD's has stories and songs in seven languages. (English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish). The Mini Set is a subset of the Basic set and contains stories in the same seven languages. Optional sets with Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Malaysian, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Taiwanese, Thai and Turkish are also available. In order to create a multilingual environment, the CDs are played as background music anywhere at anytime: at home, while commuting, while jogging or working out. In the beginning, the CDs may sound like noise, unfamiliar and incomprehensible. But, before you know it, they will become music that you can sing along to. At first, like a baby, you try to imitate the sounds on the CDs and being spoken around you. Gradually you will be able to say the words or phrases that the people around you are saying. As you see how words and phrases are used in context, their meaning becomes more clear. The sounds and structure of a language are imprinted inside you as you "collect" them through repeated exposure to the CDs. Later, when you hear those same sounds spoken by someone, you experience a "resonance" with the sounds stored inside you. You begin to understand their meaning and soon are able to use the expressions yourself in an easy and natural way. Language is received from the people around you. LEX offers a place to share languages with friends and neighbors. LEX is a highly effective way to learn to speak languages naturally and fluently. Additional benefits of LEX include the process of mutual self-discovery as you make new friends, strenghten community and family ties, and explore the world through language. LEX Language Project clubs are a program of LEX America, a not-for-profit organization. We are supported by member fees and the sales of language materials. Each club meets once a week. If you are a member of one club, you can attend the meetings of any other club in your area -- and any other club around the world -- at no charge. The Paros Scholarship Fund provides financial support to individuals and families who would not otherwise be able to join Lex Language Project (formerly Hippo Family Club). The scholarship gives assistance with Lex Language Project membership and audio materials. The scholarship covers 60% of the registration fee, monthly membership fee (dependent on family size), and CD set. LEX America continues to offer a Work Fellowship to new and current members who want to participate but do not currently have sufficient funds and who do not receive the scholarship. We offer a year-long work fellowship wherein the recipient puts up LEX posters in lieu of paying the monthly membership fee of $50 (or for a credit of $50 from a family membership). A new member would have the registration fee waived, and could pay for the CD set in 12 monthly installments over the course of a year. We will be happy to forward guidelines and an application to any interested individuals. |