QTalk is a foreign language method based on the three key elements of short and long term memory: encoding, storage and retrieval (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968). Using a simple visual system, students encode the vocabulary in their long term memory in the first session through a high level of repetition. This method is implemented through images representing objects and characters but also a series of verb pictures, allowing students to form full sentences when these images are placed side by side. This method offers “immediate gratification” (Stephen Krashen, 2004, why support delayed gratification). The student experiences the satisfaction of being functional very early and clearly sees how it relates to his everyday life. Notably, a high level of satisfaction releases endorphins, which is the key to learning faster. An example is how we all remember happy events although they only occurred once, such as the manager of a company saying “you’ve got the job!”

Although in the QTalk book series the visuals are introduced with text, we recommend that writing is introduced only once students have acquired strong communicative skills. With foreign languages, reading promotes recognition as opposed to recall; “the ability to recognize information only when it is read but not being able to retrieve at will. It is also known as encoding specificity.” (Tulving & Thomson, 1973). “The association you form at the time of learning is the most effective retrieval cues.” Because of the effect of encoding specificity, the vocabulary must be rehearsed in different situations. The QTalk method is composed of flash cards, books and game boards to diversify the distribution of information. Also the methodology consists of alternating between visuals, text and oral activities.

Other useful concepts:

Comprehensible input. At all times students must understand the vocabulary. The teacher clearly explains the meaning of the visuals, models the pronunciation for the students and makes them repeat with the students making eye contact with the images. Most of the QTalk visuals are simple and self-explanatory. Information that is hard to visualize is difficult to memorize. Our brain naturally tries to relate to information by comparing it to a large data base of scenes we have experienced in the past. An example is our reaction after watching a movie based on book we read before; “that’s not the way I pictured it ...” Lack of clarity also causes interference in the memorizing of information (see figure above).

Maintenance rehearsal must take place in the short term memory stage (also known as the working memory) as soon as the vocabulary has been introduced. It is the process of recalling the vocabulary without the teacher’s intervention. Our visual system allows us to implement this principle with students relying on their memory skills only. Maintenance rehearsal is essential for the transfer of information from short to long term memory. An example is our ability to better remember a phone number if we say it out loud at least three times by ourselves. Early language output is essential when learning a second language. As we produce the tasks of recall, understanding and enunciation, we secure its transfer to our long term memory just like we swim to learn swimming or decide to “take the wheel” to remember a direction on the road. Every time we recall a phone number, we restore it into our long term memory. The analogy applies for all types of learning.

Elaborative rehearsal is the recall of information in a context that makes sense. A good example is how the letters DFRINES are easier to remember when arranged as FRIENDS. Craig & Lockhart, 1972, refer to the 3 levels of processing principle:

• information randomly presented
• information structured in categories
• information arranged in an intelligible context which is known as the deeper learning principle

Traditional flash card systems allow to students visualize the information clearly but the learner finds it difficult to recall them in the context of sentences since the information was not originally rehearsed in the context of sentences, questions or answers. Of course the obvious advantage of elaborative rehearsal is to raise students’ interest in the lesson.

Output / Input. Traditionally, in foreign language classes, language production begins after a few weeks or a few months of instruction, a large emphasis being placed on grammar. In a natural environment where a person travels or immigrates to a new country, language is produced by the learner by necessity. This early production of the language accelerates its acquisition even though occasional semantic mistakes without teacher intervention. On the same model, the QTalk visual and auditory system requires for the student to produce the language and interact with others through a series of dialogue game boards and meaningful oral interaction makes up for occasional mistakes.

Conceptual networking is the automatic association of words (see figure on the right, A.M. Collins & Loftus, 1975). Only once students integrate the vocabulary in their long term memory do they begin to perform conceptual networking, which is the beginning of genuine second language acquisition. To implement this principle, students must explore many sentence combinations with their limited vocabulary. The distribution of vocabulary through the various lessons must allow the learner to recycle the previous units with the new nouns and verbs. For the same reason, dividing foreign language instruction into separate thematic units is not the most efficient learning process since these units often use specific verbs. Each lesson of our series is composed of different topics of the language that naturally follows the previous units. Our oral assessment packages require for students to perform conceptual networking (on a more limited scale) with the teacher providing a word with which the student must create a sentence.

Synapses. As we know, by the time we reach our teens, our ability to create phonetic synapses declines. However, synapses are not limited to phonetic production but also sentence structuring. For instance we are able to string words or numbers easily after we say them many times. This is facilitated by the fact that the information goes through a passage way in the same area of the brain dozens or hundreds of times and eventually a synapse (a connection between 2 neurons) is created. With the QTalk method, nouns are introduced with their most commonly found articles. This allows for these nouns to be used immediately in the context of sentences without the student searching for the appropriate article. It also allows the formation of synapses which facilitates speech production. A good example is how in English children are introduced to “at home” or “some juice” as if it was one word.

Chunking information. In order to efficiently memorize nouns, numbers or formulas, information can be chunked into smaller units (Ericsson, Chase & Faloon, 1980). Each element of these units can actually be more than one word, for instance en el parque (at the park) can be one element. When introducing vocabulary to students you must not exceed 7 elements at a time. Allow students to transfer the information into their long term memory by exploring many combinations. Once students attain an acceptable level of comfort, introduce and rehearse the following group in the same manner then recycle the previous unit with the new one. This allows one to minimize the effects of primacy and recency. Primacy is the difficulty to recall new information due the amount of information previously learned. Recency is the difficulty to recall previously learned information due to the information recently learned. Because of this effect, it is important to always recycle the vocabulary previously learned into practical applications, using games to recreate environments where dialogues take place. Using this method you will discover a series of dialogue boards created for large groups and addressing many topics with a high level of student interactions.