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Question: What exactly is the DL method?
Answer: In the early 1990’s,
when the expression ‘Free Trade’ was making headlines, a number
of international companies operating in the province of Quebec
(Canada) realized they had an urgent need of fluently bilingual
personnel. Although management was often quite happy with the
professional abilities of their staff, for many francophone
employees, speaking English with suppliers and customers was if
not impossible, certainly arduous. Fortunately, at that same
time Ms. Denise Larose (creator of the DL Method) wanted new
challenges.
Having been a teacher in the public
sector for a number of years, Ms. Larose connected with some
people from the private sector who ‘complained’ that although
many language schools operated in Quebec, few (if any) were
responding to the new challenges of the business world.
So Larose, went to work. She met with
many people working in international businesses (ex. Rolls-Royce
Canada, GECAlstom, Gaz Métro, Hydro Québec etc.). She
interviewed people in management as well as office staff, union
representatives and shop workers. Larose studied company needs
by talking with employees and management, all the while
evaluating posting needs. She asked management: “What do you
expect from your employees?” She then asked employees: “How
often and in what type of situation, are you required to speak
ESL?”
Answers would range from: “I need to negotiate contracts in
English with our customers in China.” to “I need to be able to
order office equipment from a supplier in Toronto.”
In essence, some employees needed key phrases which they
often repeated (i.e. a limited need of English) whereas others
needed to become ‘fluently bilingual’.
Having identified needs, Larose
worked on developing a method using the best of many approaches
(Communicative, Audio-Lingual, Direct etc.). Her method quickly
excluded old and/or childish (familiar) concepts such as: ‘My
tailor is rich.’ and ‘See Dick. See Jane. See Dick and Jane. See
Dick and Jane run.’
Management also expressed financial
concerns. Everyone involved realized companies needed to invest
in their staff, but management wanted to know: “How much will
this cost?” So Larose identified levels of English (ex.
Beginners, Intermediate I, II and III; Advanced). She developed
a number of tools (before registering in a class each
participant undergoes a one hour evaluation) used to determine a
participant’s ability to speak (Oral Expression), to write
(Written Expression), to listen to (Oral Comprehension) and to
recognize (Aural Perception) English sounds, vocabulary, grammar
and structure.
The DL method provides many
advantages for all. Participants, employers and teachers can see
the progress. Each lesson is made up of four components. In
class participation is compulsory as is homework. In a regular
session, participants attend a two hour class per week for a 12
week period. Much time is devoted to participants’ ‘technical
accents.’ They are required to control their ‘waltzing’
(speaking and/or writing while switching from one verb tense to
another in the same sentence) and need to grasp concepts which
are inherent to the ‘English Way of Thinking’. Participants (not
to mention their colleagues and their superiors) see their
progress and feel they are learning with a method that is
structured, productive and interesting.
If you want to know more about the DL
method, ask someone who a few years ago didn’t speak any English
and is now explaining their product’s design to hispanophones in
China. Ask around, these people are easy to find.
If you would like more information
about the DL method, you can contact us or one of our partners
at the following address:
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