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The Proprio-Kinesthetic Language Learning Method

Article summary: Speech is controlled in the mind by feedback from both hearing and mouth position as much as it is from memory. In order to learn to speak a new language fluently, it is just as important to retrain the tongue as it is to train memory. To be effective, however, the mind, tongue, and hearing must be retrained simultaneously because they must work together in speech.

Understandanding how the human mind produces speech is a great aid in learning to speak a new language fluently. Before looking at the mechanics of speech, however, we can draw an analogy from machine control because the analogy closely parallels neurological responses in spoken language.

Open-loop machine control

Wikipedia describes an open-loop control system as follows:

An open-loop controller, also called a non-feedback controller, is a type of controller which computes its input into a system using only the current state . . . of the system. A characteristic of the open-loop controller is that it does not use feedback to determine if its input has achieved the desired goal. This means that the system does not observe the output of the processes that it is controlling. Consequently, a true open-loop system . . . cannot correct any errors that it could make. For example, a sprinkler system, programmed to turn on at set times could be an example of an open-loop system if it does not measure soil moisture as a form of feedback. Even if rain is pouring down on the lawn, the sprinkler system would activate on schedule, wasting water.

Figure 1 shows an open-loop control system. The control may be a simple switch, or it could be a combination of a switch and a timer. Yet, all it can do is turn the machine on. It cannot respond to anything the machine is doing.

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Figure 1: An open-loop machine control.

Closed-loop machine control

Wikipedia then describes closed-loop control as follows:

To avoid the problems of the open-loop controller, control theory introduces feedback. A closed-loop controller uses feedback to control states or outputs of a dynamical system. Its name comes from the information path in the system: process inputs (e.g. voltage applied to a motor) have an effect on the process outputs (e.g. velocity . . . of the motor), which is measured with sensors and processed by the controller; the result (the control signal) is used as input to the process, closing the loop.

Wikipedia's definition of a closed-loop system subsequently becomes too technical to use here. However, as Wikipedia suggests above, a sprinkler incorporating a soil moisture sensor would be a simple closed-loop system. The sprinkler system would have both a timer and a control valve. Either could operate independently, and either could shut the water off, but both would need to be open in order for the sprinkler to operate. The arrangement is shown in Figure 2.

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Figure 2: A closed-loop sprinkler system.

If the soil is already moist, the sprinkler will remain off whether or not the timer is open. When the moisture probe senses dry soil, the valve is opened. However, after the sprinkler is on, if the soil becomes moist enough, the valve will close even if the timer is still open. Thus, the sprinkler uses feedback from its own operation to control itself.

Figure 3 shows a simple closed-loop machine control.

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Figure 3: A closed-loop machine control.

Notice that Figure 3 also shows a calibration function. Irrespective of whether it is a soil moisture sensor on a sprinkler, or a counter on a machine, there must be some way of setting the control so that it will respond in a predetermined way. In a machine application, the calibration function could be a counter which is set so that the machine will produce a certain number of finished parts.

Human speech is a closed-loop system

Human speech is a complex learned skill and is dependent on a number of memory and neurological functions. Speech is a closed-loop system because sensors within the system itself give feedback to the control portion of the system. The control then corrects and coordinates ongoing speech. In this case, the mind is in control of the closed-loop system, the mouth produces the desired product (speech), and auditory feedback from the ears and feedback from the nerve sensors in the mouth allow the mind to coordinate the speech process in real time.

During normal conversation in one's native-language, the mind stores all of the needed vocabulary. The tongue, mouth, and breathing is also subconsciously controlled by the mind. Hearing is also an important part of the control because the speaker's ears hear everything his or her mouth is saying. Therefore, what is subsequently said is partially dependent on the vocabulary and other information stored in the speaker's mind. However, subsequent words and sentences are also dependent on both what the speaker's ears are hearing his or her mouth say, and on the feedback that is coming from the nerves in the tongue and mouth.

All of this control is automatic when the speaker is using his or her mother tongue. But when a new language is learned, the speaker must retrain all of these processes so that they will work together at the same time. It is not enough to simply put new vocabulary words or grammar drills into the memory. The mind must be retrained to use all of the new sounds the ears will hear, as well as the new movements of the tongue, mouth, and breathing. Since all of these things must happen together in order to speak fluently, all retraining of memory, hearing, and the nerves in the mouth must be done simultaneously.

The inter-relationship of these functions is shown in the table below. The meanings of specialized words are given below the table.

TABLE 1: The Three Components of Human Speech and Their Primary Functions

A. The primary function of the mind in speech

1. vocabulary memory
2. partial syntax control
3. feedback coordination
4. calibration by the speaker to give meaning to the sounds

Comments: The mind is the storage bank for vocabulary. Memory is also involved in structuring syntax. The mind uses both auditory and proprio-kinesthetic feedback to monitor and calibrate speech in real time.

B. The primary function of the mouth and related organs in speech

1. sound production
2. breath regulation
3. proprio-kinesthetic feedback to the mind in real time which regulates pronunciation and provides partial syntax control

Comments: The proprio-kinesthetic sense is involved in both pronunciation and syntax feedback. It is essential for speech control.

C. The primary function of hearing in speech

1. auditory feedback to the mind in real time

Comments: Auditory and proprio-kinesthetic feedback are combined in the mind for essential speech control.

Proprio-kinesthetic. Human speech would be impossible without the proprio-kinesthetic sense. (Proprio refers to a sense within the organism itself; kinesthetic refers to sensory organs which detect the movement and location of muscles, tendons, and joints.) The mouth, vocal cords, diaphragm, and lungs incorporate thousands of nerve sensors which the brain uses to control the movement and position of these same organs. Imagine the complexity of pronouncing even a single word with the need to coordinate the tongue, breath control, and jaw muscles. Now multiply this complexity exponentially as sentences are constructed in rapid succession during normal speech.

Real time. Unlike an open-loop control system, a closed-loop control system monitors feedback and corrects the process as the machine is running. The reciprocal path between the control, the feedback sensors, and the process itself is instantaneous. That is, information is not stored for later use. Rather, it is used instantaneously as the sensors detect it. In this article, the term simultaneous is used to indicate real time feedback during speech.

Calibration. In human speech, the mind must constantly monitor the feedback information from both the speaker's own hearing and the proprio-kinesthetic senses which enable the mind to control muscles and create the desired sounds. Thus, the speaker is constantly "calibrating" the feedback to control speech. To change a verb tense, the speaker may change "run" to "ran," or change the person from "he" to "she," and so on. These "word" changes are achieved by precise control of the muscles used to produce speech.

We "calibrate" our speech frequently as we talk. This is why we can misuse a word, verb tense, or some other part of the initial sentence, and still make corrections in the remaining words of the sentence so that the listener does not hear our mistake.

Thus, in Figure 4, human speech is represented as the interplay between: 1) the mind, 2) the mouth, and its related organs (represented in the figure by the tongue), 3) two feedback systems, and 4) conscious calibration as the speaker constructs each sentence. In addition, calibration is continuously taking place within the control center, which is the mind. However, because it is acting on feedback from hearing and the proprio-kinesthetic senses, calibration is shown as acting on the source of the feedback.

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Figure 4: Control and feedback in human speech.

When children learn their mother tongue, their natural ability to hear and mimic adult speech builds complex proprio-kinesthetic response patterns. A French-speaking child effortlessly learns to make nasal sounds. An English-speaking child learns to put her tongue between her teeth and make the "th" sound. A Chinese-speaking child learns to mimic the important tones which change the meaning of words. Each of these unique sounds requires learned muscle control within the mouth.

We make no apology for the intricacy of this explanation. The neurological feedback and resulting control of the muscles involved in speech is extremely complex. The mind is involved in a far greater task than simply remembering vocabulary and organizing words into meaningful sentences.

In acquiring a new language, all of its unique sounds and syntax must be learned. This is much more than a memory function involving just the mind. Each of these new sound and syntax patterns requires retraining the entire mind, nerve feedback in the tongue, mouth, and breathing (which is proprio-kinesthetic feedback), and the auditory feedback (the sense of hearing).

Even syntax is dependent on the proprio-kinesthetic sense. The English statement, "This is a book," feels different to the nerve receptors in the mouth than the question, "Is this a book?" We can certainly understand that memory is involved in the use of correct grammar. Just as important, however, is the observation that proprio-kinesthetic feedback demands that a question evoke a different sequence of feedback than a statement. This is why we have identified partial syntax control in Table 1 as being a shared function of both the mind (memory) and the mouth (as a proprio-kinesthetic sense).

If the reader doubts that the proprio-kinesthetic sense is an important part of speech, try this experiment. Read two or three sentences in this article. Read it entirely in your mind without lip movement. It is even possible to speed read it. Now read the same sentences "silently" with lip movement without making any sound. The reader's mind will respond to the first way of reading as simple information which is primarily a memory function, but will respond to the second way as speech because of the proprio-kinesthetic feedback from the mouth.

There is also a difference between the two readings in terms of the mental intensity. The first reading would elicit the mental activity required for a written grammar-based language-learning assignment. The second would result in the same kind of mental activity required when studying a new language using spoken drills. How quickly a student can learn to speak a new language fluently will be directly proportional to the mental involvement during study.

The best way to learn a new language

Two skill areas must be emphasized in learning to speak a new language fluently. The first is memory (which is involved in both vocabulary and syntax) and the second is proprio-kinesthetic responses (which are involved in both pronunciation and syntax).

Simple vocabulary-related memory skills may be learned with equal effectiveness by using either verbal or visual training methods. That is, a student may be able to learn pure memory skills equally well with either spoken drills or written exercises.

However, it is impossible to retrain the proprio-kinesthetic sense without the student hearing his or her own voice at full speaking volume. Thus, conventional grammar-based language instruction wastes a great deal of the student's time by requiring written assignments for the purpose of learning a new spoken language.

Surprisingly, it will take far less time for a student to learn both fluent spoken language and excellent grammar by studying only spoken language first, than it would for that same student to study written grammar lessons before he or she can speak the target language. This does not mean, however, that grammar is not a necessary part of spoken language instruction. It is impossible to speak any language without correct use of its grammar. This statement simply means that the best way to learn the grammar of the target language is through spoken exercises.

Inasmuch as spoken language involves multiple areas of skill working cooperatively in real time, it is mandatory that effective spoken language teaching methods simultaneously train all of these areas of speech. This is shown in Figure 5.

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Figure 5: Control and feedback traing must be simultanneous.

It is the important area of the proprio-kinesthetic sense which has been most overlooked in current grammar-based teaching methodology. When any student over the age of about 12 attempts to learn a new spoken language, his or her proprio-kinesthetic sense must be consciously retrained for all of the new sounds and syntax.

Furthermore, to properly retrain the proprio-kinesthetic sense of the mouth, the combined feedback from the mouth and hearing must be simultaneously processed in the mind. Simply said, the student must speak out loud for optimum spoken language learning.

Without simultaneous involvement of all skill areas of speech, it is impossible to effectively retrain the proprio-kinesthetic sense in order to speak a new language fluently. Yet, this is exactly what grammar-based language instruction has traditionally done by introducing grammar, listening, writing, and reading as segregated activities.

Grammar-based instruction has hindered language learning by segregating individual areas of study. This segregation is represented in Figure 6. Grammar-based language training has not only isolated proprio-kinesthetic training areas so that it prevents simultaneous skill development, it has replaced it with visual memory training by using written assignments. Grammar-based language instruction teaches language as though the spoken language was an open-loop system. The result for the student is that, gaining language fluency requires far more study time, pronunciation is often faulty, and grammar becomes more difficult to learn.

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Figure 6: Control and feedback training are not simultaneous in grammar-based language instruction.

Conclusion.

Grammar-based language instruction teaches as though spoken language is primarily a function of memory. Consequently, grammar-based language lessons emphasize non-verbal (written) studies of grammar, writing, reading, and listening. All of these activities may increase recall memory for written examinations, but they have little benefit in teaching spoken language fluency. The only way to effectively learn a new spoken language is by speaking that language. All study (including grammar) should be done by speaking the target language at full voice volume for the entire study period.

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For more information, see the website |www.FreeEnglisNow.com which fully integrates the Proprio-Kinesthetic Method into its entire course. The Proprio-Kinesthetic Method was developed by Lynn Lundquist, the Program Developer for this website's Spoken English Learned Quickly English language course. Spoken English Learned Quickly is the most widely used spoken English course in the world.

This article and the accompanying graphics are taken from the book Learning Spoken English which is available from |www.FreeEnglisNow.com. The book is freely downloadable and public domain. The book's purpose is to promote effective English learning while drawing attention to the Spoken English Learned Quickly language course. The entire book may be published in English or translated into any language without permission or royalty payments. Downloadable text and graphic files are provided from the website.

Also see the article Accelerated Spoken English.