Comprehensible Input: Krashen's i+1 for Adults
Comprehensible input explained: how Krashen's i+1 and the affective filter work, and why reading at adjustable difficulty helps adults acquire a language.
6 min read
Language Learning Methods
How reading actually builds a language, and the techniques that make it work.
A method is a claim about how learning happens. The articles in this section take the claims seriously enough to name where they came from, what evidence supports them, and where they stop working.
Two ideas run through most of them. The first is comprehensible input: Stephen Krashen’s argument that you acquire a language by understanding messages slightly beyond your current level, the famous i+1. The second is the diglot weave, Robbins Burling’s 1968 proposal that you can manufacture that slightly-beyond-your-level text by mixing target-language words into a sentence the learner already understands.
The practical question these articles keep returning to is how you get enough of the right input. Authentic material is usually too hard; graded material is usually too boring. Blending your own reading is one answer to that, but it is not the only one, and these articles are written to help you judge rather than to sell.
4 articles
Intensive vs Extensive Reading: When to Use Each
Intensive reading studies short, hard texts closely; extensive reading builds fluency through easy volume. When to use each, plus how to combine them.
6 min read
The Bilingual Reading Method: Why Mixed Text Works
The cognitive science behind the bilingual reading method: how learners acquire vocabulary from mixed-language text and the 98% coverage threshold.
6 min read
What Is the Diglot Weave Method?
The diglot weave gradually mixes target-language words into text you already understand. Its origin, the science behind it, and how to try it today.
6 min read
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