About Helix Languages, and our Campaign
Who are we, what do we do?
The mission of Helix Languages is to support language education, to equip students with language and communication skills, and to foster understanding of the incredible phenomenon that is the human language faculty. We are actively involved in developing and researching the most effective techniques in teaching from psychological and linguistic standpoints. We are dedicated to creating a language institute founded on modern linguistic theory, setting us apart from myriad programmes that rely on rote memorisation and ignore theoretical approaches to language learning.
The Science
Helix Languages' pedagogy is based on modern research in generative grammar and linguistics, as well as psychology. The long standing assumptions in second-language instruction have been focused around the idea that in learning a second language, learners must use their primary language as a scaffold, as they have no access to the language acquisition device(s) (LAD) that children (L1 learners) have. Modern research has shown this to be a flawed assumption, leading to a new paradigm in second language (L2) instruction: the "Full Access Hypothesis". This is the idea that learners of a second language, if given the right stimuli, will be able to utilise the same framework they used to build their first language. Thus, we base our teaching methods on production rather than recitation: we require students to begin using the new language from the very beginning, encouraging mistakes, so that we can work together to correct them, and build confidence in speaking. This technique has proved incredibly effective, and it's the basis of our teaching models. For those interested in the science of L2 acquisition, check out our brief recommended bibliography here: Recommended Bibliography
Our Campaign
Opening a language institute is no trivial task! So we've turned to the web for help.
We are asking for CAD $20,000 to cover expenses in three areas:
- Creating a new school (buying desks, chalkboards etc.)
- Developing a rich web app that draws from the latest research in psychology and language acquisition to make language learning more effective
- Printing new textbooks, workbooks and classroom materials for Mandarin Chinese
Our Plans
Our development plan is ambitious, but with your help, achievable.
In June, our summer classes will start, and at that time we will have our new school renovated and prepared for class, including all the pieces a school needs, including blackboards, media equipment, desks and chairs etc.
During the summer, we will launch an interactive website to supplement our live courses, as well as give learners around the world an opportunity to study with us. Course tools will include videos to match lessons from the textbook and workbook, interactive dictionaries and lookup tools, memory lessons and flashcards integrated into lessons, as well as supplemental material and tools available to all users of the site.
During the summer and into the fall of 2013, our course and services listing will expand to:
- Mandarin levels 1 - 4
- Cantonese for Mandarin speakers
- English for academic and professional use
- French of all levels
- Heritage language classes in Mandarin and Cantonese for the Chinese overseas community
- Introduction to Linguistic Science for second language teachers
- Translation and consultation services
Perks (i.e. the gifts we'd love to give you)
- Aside from the Linguistics jokes, the perks we are offering in gratitude to givers allow everyone to get involved and learn a bit while they are at it. Higher level perks will get things like free copies of our textbooks, free tuition to our language courses and some will even get art and poems by our instructors!
- If our goal is not reached, we will scale back the time frame in which we would develop our projects, but we will not stop pursuing our dreams of making language education accessible and effective.
What this campaign means to us
Helix languages has been a dream for years, after studying and researching Linguistics, as well as travelling and learning new languages. We have developed new and innovative teaching strategies over the past year, after previous years of experience teaching language, and we want to share these with the world to make an impact on the way people see language, and on the way they learn languages. Linguistic science has come into maturity from a theoretical standpoint over the past decades, and it is time that we apply the insights from that science, as well as from new research into memory science and psychology to actually make language learning effective, and most importantly fun and rewarding. We are passionate about the languages we teach and study, and we want to spread that passion and love of a uniquely human gift to the world. The success of this campaign means that we will be able to make these dreams a reality.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you are interested in our project and in helping or working with us, but can't contribute monetarily, please don't hesitate to contact us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Helix-Languages/500334713349266) or send us an email at info@helixlanguages.com.
Please help us spread our campaign! The more people who see us, the better chance we have at reaching our goals!
Thank you for your time, and giving what you can!
