Originally published
as articles in a major Japanese newspaper, this English translation allows
English-speakers to learn about LEX Language Project's (formerly Hippo
Family Club) unique approach to language. These clubs were formed in Japan
in 1981 as part of LEX: the Institute for Language Experience, Experiment
and Exchange, an organization that continues to do groundbreaking research
into the process of language acquisition.
Anyone who has struggled
to learn languages in a classroom, tried in vain to memorize verb conjugations
or felt at the mercy of a foreign language dictionary will welcome the
revolutionary new approach to language acquisition described in Anyone
Can Speak 7 Languages!.
In the past, language
has served as a barrier, separating people from different lands. LEX views
language as a dynamic network that exists so that all human beings can
communicate with each other. With the hope of overcoming language obstacles
and building bridges between nations, LEX has developed an enjoyable way
to acquire several languages.
As these authors
immerse their families into a sea of language, they describe how their
attitudes towards so-called "foreign" languages are transformed.
Along this journey, they regain their childlike sense of wonder lost
during years of traditional classroom learning, and discover the fundamental
similarities shared by all languages and human beings.